Havant slipping towards a first-ever Southern Premier Cricket League top flight relegation
Havant slipped another step towards a first-ever Southern Premier League top flight relegation with defeat to Bournemouth.
On a day when drop rivals Basingstoke defeated Burridge and Alton drew with South Wilts, Havant’s 112-run thumping saw them marooned even further from safety.
There are only five Premier Division games remaining to try and stave off what would be an unthinkable drop into the second tier for a club who have won a record 14 SPL titles.
Two of those fixtures are ‘must wins’ against Alton and Basingstoke
Asked to chase 240 for victory at Chapel Gate, Havant would have suffered an even heavier defeat but for Chris Stone.
Batting at No 5, he struck an unbeaten 60 and was one of only two batters - Stuart Ransley (10) was the other - in double figures as Havant suffered an eighth defeat in 12 completed games.
Extras (39, including 24 byes) also ensured Havant made it into three figures.
Skipper Peter Hopson drafted in Owen Carr at the top of the order. Carr, whose only two previous games this year were for the 2nds, made just two as Havant crashed to 13-3.
Matt King (2-6 off five overs) removed Chris Morgan and Harrison Bernard, both for ducks, before Aiden Mayer ran through the tail.
Mayer ended with 4-15 as Havant’s last three - Matt Hayward, Peter Hayward and Leon Haylock - were all dismissed without scoring.
Bournemouth openers James Van Gool (63) and Ben Rogers (36) had earlier put on 104 after the hosts had won the toss.
For Van Gool, it was a return to form after five successive single-figure Premier scores.
After three wickets then tumbled for no runs, Mayer (32) and Simon Woodruff (22) added 52 for the fourth wicket.
Matt Hayward ended with 4-31 as Bournemouth posted 239-7 before declaring in the 64th over.
Former Havant keeper George Metzer returned from a long suspension to help Basingstoke defeat Burridge by five wickets.
Metzger had been sidelined ever since he was found guilty of on-field indiscipline back on June 8.
He scored 32 in adding 69 for the fourth wicket with Dubs Wood (51 not out) as the visitors reached their 195 target.
Matt Goles (39) and Dan Stancliffe (35) had top scored for the 2023 SPL champions were dismissed for 194 (Sachin Sivanandan 3-31, Ash Neal 3-33, Matt Donaldson 3-35).
It was Basingstoke's first win since mid-June, three defeats and a draw in recent weeks having left them second bottom.
They have a 23-point advantage over Havant, whom they visit on August 17.