BASINGSTOKE and North Hants II continued their climb up the Southern League Division Three table with a three-wicket win over visiting St Cross Symondians II on Saturday.

Despite veteran spinner Keith Harris taking five wickets, St Cross were able to reach 287-9 from their 50 overs, a tough target for the hosts to chase.

Opener Richard Vinn was the mainstay of the Basingstoke reply, hitting 86 and forging several good partnerships as the hosts got over the line with two-and-a-half overs to spare.

The win leaves the Bountymen, who made a slow start to the campaign, sixth in the table at the halfway stage of the season.

Batting first, St Cross got off to a good start, with openers Fergus Haycock (10) and Paul Hawkins (30) putting on 54, before Lewis Mitchard (60) and Alexander Smith (49) shared a stand of 109 for the third wicket.

Both fell in fairly quick succession, becoming Harris' (5-52) first victims, but the runs continued to pile up, with the visitors eventually ending their innings on 287-9.

Captain Lee Nurse hit a quickfire 27 to get the Basingstoke reply off to a positive start, before Vinn took over, putting together partnerships worth 63, 66 and 46 with Andy Giles (23), Max Harsham (28) and Joe Oates (24).

The hosts looked in a spot of bother when Vinn was the sixth man to fall, his 109-run innings, which included 10 fours, coming to an end on 86, with the score on 217.

However, Keith Harsham (36 not out) and Harris (20 not out) saw the hosts over the line with 15 balls to spare.

The second string are at home again this Saturday, hosting third-placed South Wilts II, who beat them by eight wickets on the opening day of the season.

SCORECARD

St Cross Symondians II
F Haycock run out (Nurse) 10
P Hawkins c&b Bradley 30
A Smith lbw b Harris 49
L Mitchard lbw b Harris 60
J Brooke b Bradley 25
R Adamson c Oates b Harris 25
R Hadfield c Nurse b Harris 10
J Aldridge run out (M Harsham) 9
N O'Connor st M Harsham b K Harris 22
S Mitchell not out 12
M Perry-Lewis not out 3
Extras 32
Total (for 9 wickets, 50 overs) 287

Fall: 1-54, 2-54, 3-165, 4-178, 5-226, 6-226, 7-236, 8-256, 9-275

Bowling: D King 6-0-30-0, K Harsham 9-0-41-0, H Smith 10-1-45-0, S Bradley 10-0-76-2, J Oates 5-1-32-0, K Harris 10-1-52-5

Basingstoke and North Hants II
L Nurse c Hadfield b Mitchell 27
R Vinn c O'Connor b Brooke 86
A Giles c O'Connor b Aldridge 23
M Harsham b Aldridge 28
J Oates c Hawkins b Brooke 24
J Skeoch lbw b Perry-Lewis 0
K Harsham not out 36
H Smith b Perry-Lewis 8
K Harris not out 20
Extras 39
Total (for 7 wickets, 47.3 overs)

Fall: 1-36, 2-99, 3-165, 4-211, 5-215, 6-217, 7-239

Bowling: S Mitchell 9-0-49-1, J Aldridge 10-0-63-2, N O'Connor 4-0-40-0, M Perry-Lewis 10-0-35-2, J Brooke 8.3-0-54-2, L Mitchard 6-0-36-0

RESULT: Basingstoke and North Hants II (21 points) beat St Cross Symondians II (8) by 7 wickets