BASINGSTOKE and North Hants won another nail biting Southern League Division One encounter with 11 balls to spare as they beat visiting Totton and Eling by four wickets at May’s Bounty.

The visitors won the toss and decided to bat, against a Basingstoke side which saw one change with Patrick Joseph coming in for Ryan Connor.

It was Joseph (3-28) who did the early damage for the Bountymen as he removed three of the top four batsmen as Totton slipped to 47-3.

At this point opener Tom Arnold (54) and Chris Blake (31) started to increase the run rate and it looked like a target of 250 was on the cards.

Arnold reached his half century with a six off Dave Pistorius, but in the very next over was caught by Chris Froud off the bowling of Mitch Stokes (3-33) which ended an 85-run fourth wicket stand.

With just three runs added Blake was bowled by Stokes and then Calmore skipper Richard Dibden departed for a duck, without facing a ball as he was run out by a nice throw from Richard Vinn.

The Basingstoke bowlers were now on top again and the visitors found it hard to get runs and in the end they had to settle for a total of 177-9.

The home side made a steady start to their reply from openers Vinn and Froud, but in the 12th over the pair were parted by Azeem Hamid and the bowler struck again next ball as Mitch Stokes was caught at first slip.

From 39-2 the side re-grouped and Chris Oliver (41) and Vinn (54) added 54 for the third wicket.

Oliver’s excellent 46-ball knock which saw his hit six fours was ended when he was bowled by Jack Mellett.

The home side having started the game chasing 3.5 an over saw it increase to five, as spinner Andrew Fletcher gave up just 11 runs from his 10 overs.

With wickets in hand it still looked likely the Bountymen would get home and a quick-fire 39 from Martyn James off 32 balls, which saw him hit one six and five fours put them in the driving seat.

When he was the sixth man out the home side needed only 15 for victory and it was left to Joseph and Matt Thankachan, who hit the winning four, to make sure of the win with 11 balls to spare.

Next week, Basingstoke travel to newly promoted Rowledge who are one place below them in the table.

Meanwhile in Division Three, Totton and Eling’s second team beat the visiting Basingstoke seconds by 87 runs.

This was thanks to a great all-round performance from former Basingstoke Town striker Jimmy Taylor. He hit 117 in Totton’s 285-5 and then took 5-41 as the visitors were bowled out for 198.

Basingstoke’s top bowler was Rakitha Perera (3-62) and Dean Nurse for the second week running top scored with 45.