Portsmouth & Southsea keep hopes alive of a Southern Premier League and T20 Plate double

A 42-run victory over Waterlooville has taken them through to the final of the Southern Premier League’s T20 Plate tournament.

A maximum points victory in their final SPL Division 2/Division 3 East group fixture next weekend will also see them top the table and book a final place against the West group winners.

Replying to P & S’s 149-7 total, three of Waterlooville’s top five - Archie Reynolds (21), Alex Shephard (21) and Jon Hudson (23) - made a reasonable start.

But 50-1 quickly became 60-5 and 83 for 6 soon became 107 all out.

Benfield claimed the last four wickets in 10 balls, including Maxwell Goddard and Namish Verma in successive deliveries.

He also had top scorer Hudson caught and bowled to finish with 4-11 off 1.4 overs.

Saunders had earlier dismissed three of the top six en route to 3-24 in four overs.

Openers Jack Davies and Matt Benfield had earlier put on a half-century stand after Waterlooville elected to field first.

Davies, having top scored with 80 in the previous day’s SPL East win against Tichborne Park, did likewise with 34 before he was bowled by Reynolds.

Matt Benfield (27) and Tom Benfield (a 13-ball 21) impressed before Dean Lee came in at No 6 to hit an unbeaten 27 off 21 balls.

Goddard (2-20) and Sam Hillman (2-24) were the visitors’ most successful bowlers.

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Gosport Borough’s bid to reach the last four of the Plate was dashed by Fair Oak opening bowler Freddie Eley.

He bagged 3-6 off his four overs, dismissing both openers - Ollie Creal and Jacob Harris - for a single as well as No 4 Gavin King (4).

Lee Harrop (9) was stumped as Gosport slipped to 18-4 at Lapstone Park.

Captain Greg Kitchin, batting at No 7, was the only man to reach double figures - hitting 35 not out off 32 balls.

Gosport were restricted to 88-8 off their 20 overs - Fair Oak conceding 10 wides in the process.

Sampath Prathapasinghe briefly raised Borough hopes when he dismissed both Fair Oak openers to leave the score 21-2.

Skipper Charlie Gwynn, though, struck two sixes in his unbeaten 34 as Oak eventually won by six wickets with 4.3 overs in hand.

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Purbrook’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals of the Plate disappeared in a flurry of sixes from Andover’s Babu Veettil.

The opener struck six maximums in his 39-ball 68 as the visitors posted 165-6 after electing to bat first.

Veettil dominated an opening stand worth 83 with skipper Andrew Duckworth (17).

Captain Josh McCoy was Purbrook’s most successful bowler, with 2-17 off his four overs.

Having opened the bowling, McCoy also opened the batting with Martin Lee - but only made eight before he was bowled by Duckworth.

Lee had already fallen by then, Veettil dismissing him for a three-ball duck.

John Moller (23) was one of only three Purbrook batsmen to reach double figures as they were restricted to 107-9 off their 20 overs.

They had progressed to 51-2 but before long were 55-6 and out of contention.

Top scorer was actually wides, with Andover conceding 24 of them!

Duckworth ended with 3-16 off his four overs, including a rare T20 maiden.