Basingstoke & North Hants' triumphant championship-winning campaign has ended in a whimper with a second consecutive defeat, writes Mike Vimpany.
Since clinching the Division 1 title and a return to ECB Premier Division cricket, they've lost to Sarisbury Athletic and Portsmouth.
But they still finished 17 points clear of runners-up Andover to end the season with a closing record of 12 wins and three defeats from their 15 games.
They were put in and bowled out for 115 by Portsmouth on a damp St Helen's seafront surface in Southsea, with only teenagers Abdullah Ali (22) and Dubs Wood (27) making their mark before Matt Donaldson hit a brisk 19.
'Stoke lost their last four wickets for two runs, with Portsmouth's spinners doing the damage.
It took Portsmouth less than 15 overs to knock off the runs, Australian Fraser Hay hitting an unbeaten 69.
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