HARTLEY Wintney secured promotion from Southern League Division Two, despite losing by one run to visiting champions OTs and Romsey in a final day top of the table clash.

This is because they picked up nine bonus points from the loss and so pipped Totton and Eling to second place.

Hartley did well to peg Romsey back to 217 all out, after opening pair Nicholas Destefano (69) and Steve Smith (32) put on 92 for the first wicket.

They were parted when Scott Baldwin (3-32) bowled Smith and then Dan Reynaldo dismissed Charlie King with just one run added.

Baldwin and Rhys Batcup (4-35) made inroads into the top order and when their top scorer Destefano was dismissed they were 156-8.

Peter Newman (25) and Jody Brown (19) got the total within touching distance of 200, before Henry Collier (2-35) had Brown caught by Danny Flanders.

After this Collier and Batcup run through the tail as Romsey were all out for 217.

The Hartley reply, suffered the early set back of losing both William Kerr and Danny Plume with just 11 on the board.

Collier (58) and Baldwin (85) set about repairing the damage and they took the score to exactly 100, when Collier was trapped leg before by Joseph Vaughan.

Jamie Teale followed shortly after, but then Baldwin and Flanders moved the total past 150.

However, both Flanders and James Beckwith were then out with157 on the board.

Baldwin battled on and along with Batcup they added 34 for the seventh wicket, before Baldwin was one of four victims for Newman.

Batcup with 39 not out tried to steer his side, but he ran out of partners as they were all out for 216.