BOURNEMOUTH will take an 11-point lead into Saturday’s important meeting with eight-times ECB Southern Premier Division champions Havant at Chapel Gate (11.30am) after beating Hampshire’s Academy youngsters by six wickets.

Dan Conway was once again to the fore as the young Hawks were dismissed for 85 and emphatically beaten with almost 13 of the rain-trimmed 45 overs to spare, writes Mike Vimpany.

Conway’s swing and movement off a damp deck was a real learning curve for the relatively inexperienced county youngsters.

By the time he had finished his nine-over stint from the rugby end of the ground, the Academy were 38-5 and the game was virtually over. Conway had figures of 4-16.

Jake Hurley (3-14), who took the new ball with Conway, and Ed Denham (3-19) shared the remaining six wickets.

“It was obviously a good toss to win, but Dan underlined his class,” said Lions skipper Chris Park.

“You could see why he’s been such an influential bowler in Minor Counties Championship cricket with Cumberland and Herefordshire over the years.

“It certainly wasn’t an 85 all out pitch, but our lads bowled well on it and reaped the rewards.”

Bournemouth’s match preparations were not helped when seamer Oli Breckon and talismanic left-arm spinner Rob Pack were ruled ineligible, having both played for the club in Hampshire League matches the previous afternoon.

Players are disallowed from playing twice in the same round of fixtures.

But with Canford prodigy Tom Prest and Toby Albert whisked off to join Hampshire’s Vitality Blast T20 squad against Gloucestershire – and watch the rain come down at Bristol – both sides were key players down.

The absentees were crucial to the Academy, who lost opening pair Will Fontaine-Jackson and James Barker in the first seven balls of their innings and never recovered.

Relishing the damp conditions, Conway twice forced nicks behind to the returning Adam Davies either side of trapping Harry Broderick leg before.

Hurley was just as miserly, conceding 14 runs off his nine overs and accounting for Millfield’s Joseph Eckland (20), who battled hard for his runs.

Dom Kelly (26) did catch the eye with the bat before Denham (3-19) took three of the last four wickets for five runs to leave the Academy 85 all out.

Bournemouth openers Nick Park and Sam Collins each hit boundaries before falling to Harry Petrie (2-26), but a cameo blast by Simon Woodruff (20), who struck a straight six and three fours, soon put the Lions on their way.

Dorset skipper Luke Webb (35) seldom gives his wicket away and, for the third time in six knocks, he was not out as Bournemouth cantered to 87-4 and a fifth win in a row.