DOM Hand cracked his maiden Southern Premier League century – and Matt Metcalfe his 23rd five-wicket haul – as Lymington reaffirmed their title credentials with a crushing 181-run victory over Alton.

Hand shared a boundary-strewn second-wicket stand of 90 with Ryan Scott (58) and put on 110 for the third wicket with Richie Lock (51) as Lymington piled up 303 for five declared.

Wimborne St Giles-raised Hand (105) was not to be denied his first ton, having previously fallen agonizingly short of reaching three figures on a number of occasions.

Metcalfe, last season’s top wicket-taker in the Premier Division, then took his career total in the competition to 466 as Alton were shot out for just 122.

Lock had Scott Myers caught by Simon Beetham to spark a major collapse which saw Alton lose their last six wickets for just seven runs – with the final four going down with the score on 122.

The exploits of Metcalfe (7-46) and Lock (3-12) helped Lymington claim maximum points, while Hand added to his batting heroics with a superb catch in the slips to account for Mark Heffernan.

  • Bashley found themselves caught on Havant’s notoriously spin-friendly surface, bowled out for 106 and soundly beaten by six wickets by the defending champions.

Only makeshift opener Sam Thomson survived as Bashley crashed to 61 for seven by lunch – left-arm spinner Chris Morgan (4-24) getting lift and considerable turn.

Thomson batted all bar one run of the Bashley innings and was ninth man to depart for 56 after a gutsy 155-ball stay at the crease.

His 44-run partnership with Simon Watkins (14) at least took Bashley’s score into treble figures.

Although Havant did not make the best of starts, Chris Stone (54*) and Richard Hindley (18) rode the storm and saw them home.

  • A maiden five-wicket Premier Division haul by New Milton’s George Watts went unrewarded as Marco Campopiano and Brighton Mugochi produced a century partnership to steer Burridge to victory at Botley Road.

Burridge appeared unlikely winners when former Hampshire all-rounder Lee Savident (31) became a fourth victim for Watts (5-68) at 64 for four.

But Campopiano (71) and Mugochi (68) put on 119 for the fifth wicket to take Burridge to the brink of victory.

Earlier, Tom Arnold (74) and David Wakefield (25) had given New Milton a decent start, but a succession of leg before wickets decisions in favour of inspirational left-arm spinner Mugochi (3-35) sent the visitors’ innings down an uncertain path until Lee Beck’s 67 pointed them to a modest 197 for eight.

  • Bournemouth maintained their promotion push in Division One with a 25-run win over Portsmouth at Chapel Gate.

Jake Hurley (38) finished undefeated as Lions totalled 183 for eight with Nick Park (25), Ben Bridgen (24) and Tom West (21) also chipping in.

Simon Woodruff (4-49), Hurley (2-11), Matt Jones (2-27), Jem Warner (1-31) and Dom Clutterbuck (1-37) stopped the visitors at 158.