A TWO-wicket loss to fellow strugglers Burridge has left Hook & Newnham Basics 27 points adrift at the bottom of the ECB Southern Premier League with three matches to play.

Two of those games are against title contenders St Cross Symondians – who visit the KGV in the SPL on Saturday, 12.30, and again in the T20 Cup semi-finals on Sunday – and, lastly, the Hampshire Academy on September 3.   

In between, Hook go to Lymington.

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They were in with a chance of beating Burridge, who fell to 148-7 chasing Hook’s 196, but Jack Paskins – Burridge’s match winner with an unbeaten 97 against Lymington the previous week – turned the math around.

Paskins and Millfield teen Francis Moore (19) added 25 for the eighth wicket before Sullivan White, coming in at ten, made 14 not out and played his part in an unbroken ninth wicket stand of 27.

Hook, still with a slim chance of avoiding relegation, were in trouble themselves at 99-6 (Harry Warner 27) and later 120-8, but Richard Willcock hit an innings saving 72 and Max Simpson was run out for 30.

Hook seconds pulled off a critical 51 run win over St Cross Symondians II to keep their hopes of Division II survival alive. 

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Harry Robson (75) and Hampshire U15 starlet Alex Corbett (60) shared a 130-run partnership as Hook posted 247-7 before Liam Doran took 4-31, aided by Will Gardner’s miserly 1-19 off 10 overs, sent St Cross falling from 100-1 to 196 all out.

Neighbours Hartley Wintney crashed to 102 all out and a 70-run defeat by Fair Oak, Danny Nightingale emerging with credit after taking 3-29 and later scoring 47.