HARTLEY WINTNEY beat the weather and also kept alive their slim hopes of promotion from Southern League Division Two with a two wicket win at Fair Oak.

The home side won the toss and elected to bat and thanks to openers Thomas Hockenhull (32) and Will Hughes (25), they got to a solid start with 67 put on for the first wicket.

At this point, Jamie Teale (3-19) removed both of them and also Fair Oak’s number three Ed Kemp with only four more runs added.

The home side’s score soon became 80-5, as Jason Knibbs (3-36) dismissed both Craig Buttle and Rhys Oxley.

Charlie Gwynn (30) and Rufus Bullough (12) managed to get Fair Oak into three figures, before Knibbs struck again removing Bullough.

Just four more runs had been added, before Dan Reynaldo got out Max Watson and then Roy Cockram (2-14) took the wickets of Asad Abbas and Gwynn.

Fair Oak’s final pair Andrew Mash (16 not out) and Ross Stewart managed to make sure the home side saw out their 50 overs as they finished on 146-9.

Hartley’s reply did not get off to a good start, as they lost last week’s century hero Knibbs for only four.

However, skipper Will Kerr (55) and Harry Broderick (43) repaired the damage and moved the score to 95.

At this point the captain departed, but Broderick and Hugo Hammond (10) added another 27 runs.

Broderick remained the main stay of the innings and when he was the fifth man out, only 16 was needed for victory.

However, the visitors still lost three more wickets getting over the finish line with five overs to spare.

Hartley next week are at home to Totton and Eling.