BASINGSTOKE and North Hants enjoyed double success last weekend as they knocked Burridge out of the Club Championship and maintained their perfect start to the Southern League Division One campaign with a thrilling one-wicket win at Liphook and Ripsley.

Visiting Premier Division side Burridge should have proved a tough test for the Bountymen, but instead the home side enjoyed a very comfortable 117-run win.

Basingstoke’s winning total of 249-3 was built around an excellent unbroken 145-run fourth wicket partnership between Chris Oliver (88) and Craig Williamson (53).

Needing to score at five runs a over, Burridge were soon in trouble as they lost both openers to Chris Chandler with just 36 on the board.

Fellow opening bowler Martyn James (2-32) then made more erodes into the top order as the visitors struggled to 40-4.

Dan King (3-31), Mitch Stokes (2-39) and Brad Neal (1-5) finished off the job as the visitors were bowled out for 132.

Their reward for the win is a trip to Premier Division side Havant.

The previous day in the Southern League, the Bountymen again made hard work of what should have been a straightforward victory.

Liphook looked to be heading for a good total as they reached 70 without loss, but Graham Porter (3-43) claimed the wicket of top scorer Rob Nicklin (39) and then Stokes removed the other opener Richard Covey (14).

The rest of the batting order failed to fire as no other player made it into double figures, with Stokes producing an unplayable spell as he returned figures of 6-10 from 8.4 overs.

However, the Bountymen soon slumped to 18-3 and continued to find it tough going.

Craig Williamson top-scored with 17 and his 58-ball stay at the centre was the visitors’ longest innings.

They were well ahead of the run rate but when last man Dave Pistorius joined Laurence Benge at the centre, the hosts still needed 14 for victory.

The final pair held their nerve and secured a win that puts Basingstoke third in the table after two games of the season.

This weekend, the Bountymen return home for the visit of Totton and Eling, who sit fourth, having been relegated last year.

It is double whammy for the Basingstoke sides this weekend, as the second XI face a trip to play their counterparts at Totton.

Last Saturday, the second string suffered an nine-run defeat despite bowling visiting Waterlooville out for 133.

Opening seamers Chandler (4-39) and Patrick Joseph (3-18) did most of the damage.

It was all looking good until the home side batted, as they were bowled out for 124, with Dean Nurse left stranded on 58 not out.