ROSS Grierson produced career-best figures of seven for 39 as Bashley defended a meagre 102 to seal a remarkable six-run victory over Havant.

He had only been drafted into the team as Bashley had been short on bowling options but starred against the reigning Southern Premier League champions.

“I’ve been playing second-team cricket for the past four seasons and now skipper the side, so in normal circumstances I wouldn’t have been playing,” said Grierson.

“I had only taken seven Division Three wickets this season, so have now doubled my tally.”

Grierson clean bowled four Havant batsmen, had two caught and another trapped leg before as Havant collapsed from 50 for two to 88 for nine.

“The plan was that if the ball came out all right, I’d bowl 18 overs straight through,” he said.

“It worked perfectly. The pitch assisted the spinners but not to any significant extent.

“If you bowled straight, you were in with a chance. It came down to pressure bowling and the wickets tumbled.”

Elated Bashley captain Michael Porter said: "There was massive doubt in the camp that we could defend 102, especially after Havant got off to a flier.

“But fair play to our lads. They stuck at it, none more so than Ross, who had the game of his life.

“The pitch wasn’t too bad – certainly not 20 wickets for fewer than 200. It helped the spinners but you expect that at Havant Park.”

Teenagers Billy Mead and Harry Came each hit a century and later shared six wickets – but neither could force a St Cross victory over visitors Lymington.

Mead scored a maiden 115 and Came an unbeaten 104 during a 176-run second-wicket partnership which propelled St Cross to 303 for four declared.

It left Lymington 60 overs to chase down the target and when Ben Rogers opened with an eight-boundary 44 it seemed a possibility.

Two Came wickets checked their progress and at 89 for three (Dom Hand 29) a draw seemed the likely outcome.

Australian James Grady went on to make 78 not out and with skipper Simon Beetham (42), doubled the score.

Mead’s three for 41 unsettled the middle order and left Lymington vulnerable at 202 for seven.

But the Queenslander found timely support from Dimitri Adams (18) as the match drifted towards a draw with the visitors on 240 for eight.

Hampshire Academy’s batsmen went on a boundary frenzy, scoring 200 of their 333 for three declared against New Milton in fours.

Baked in the sun for 53 overs, the Green & Golds used nine bowlers in an unsuccessful attempt to curb the onslaught and, later being bowled out for 169 themselves, were well beaten.

Felix Organ (74) and George Metzger (74) shared a 149-run start on the Ageas Bowl Nursery Ground, hitting half the boundaries between them.

Hurstpierpoint College trialist Josh Wood weighed in with 77 before Tom Scriven smacked a 14-four 86 not out to put the Academy out of sight.

Having lost their openers cheaply, New Milton relied on Lee Beck’s unbeaten 69 to get them a respectable score in reply.