Basingstoke & North Hants inflicted a 124-run defeat on Portsmouth and cemented their place on top of the Southern Premier Division 1, writes Mike Vimpany.

Despite losing four of their top five batsmen for only 17 runs, Basingstoke recovered to post a healthy 216-9 before dismissing Portsmouth for 92.

The result gives Basingstoke a 17-point advantage over Andover at the halfway point of the season.

The second phase of the campaign beginning against the bottom club New Milton at May's Bounty on Saturday, 12.30.

Fraser Hay (2-32) and Joe Kooner-Evans (3-38) struck twice each as Basingstoke struggled initially on a tricky and often demanding surface - but the Neal brothers Ash (45) and Brad (30) got their heads down and took the hosts' total beyond the 100 mark.

It was that fifth wicket stand of 66 that sewed belief into the Basingstoke dressing room, though at 113-6 they were far from out of the woods.

Basingstoke, though, batted deep with Dan Coombs (30) and Joe Oates (26) seeing another 93 on the total before Matt Donaldson (35) struck two huge straight sixes and three boundaries to lift the score to 216-9.

Fourth-placed Portsmouth didn't put up much of a fight with the bat once Brad Neal (2-23) struck two early blows.

Ben Duggan (23) and Hay made starts, the West Australian falling to a brilliant catch by Benge off his inside edge while spinner Ali Brown (3-21) and Donaldson (2-15) cut their way through a frail middle-order.  They were bowled out for 92 in the 33rd over.