TEENAGE Hampshire prospect Kevin Latouf suffered the heartbreak of scoring an undefeated century - only to finish on the losing Academy side as South Wilts snared an unlikely ten-run victory in the Southern Electric 'Super 4s' Premiership semi-final at Lower Bemerton.

He hit 108 not out, but crucially was starved of the strike at the critical stage of a run chase which the Academy appeared to have under control until three overs from the end of an absorbing contest.

He faced only 16 of the last 36 balls South Wilts bowled.

Set 223 for victory, the Young Hawks required 23 runs off the final three overs to clinch a cup final place against Havant next Saturday.

But they were unable to get the better of Alan Kruger and James Tomlinson, who used their experience to deny the Academy precious runs and, at the same time, take vital late wickets.

It came down to the Hawks requiring 13 off Kruger's final over.

But the South African, whose batting and bowling has been a key factor in South Wilts' Premier League championship success this season, sent down a battery of full-length deliveries, which the Hampshire youngsters couldn't get away.

"It was terribly disappointing in the end as I thought we had it won coming up to the finish," Latouf lamented.

"But it was a great game, which our lads played a significant part in and, maybe with a touch more experience, would have won.

"You've got to put these things down to experience and hope it goes for you next time."

The thrilling finish typified a game which swung back and forth throughout the six hours.

South Wilts earlier got away to a flier, with Combined Services all-rounder Alex Senneck - back from a three-month tour of Army duty in Northern Ireland - blasting 47 off 42 balls in typical pinch-hitting mode.

Once he was dismissed, the scoring rate predictably dropped, with the Academy slowmen - Mitchell Stokes and Simon Watkins - taking the pace off the ball.

Nonetheless, South Wilts were still going nicely at 102-2 with Rob Wade (31) and Jamie Glasson together.

But Stokes, who joins Latouf and Richard Morris at England Under-19 trials at Loughborough University tomorrow, removed the entire South Wilts middle-order for seven runs.

He bowled Glasson, had Wade caught in the deep, Jon Chandler taken by Watkins and the dangerous Kruger clean bowled - all in very quick succession!

His spell, which earned a 4-35 reward, left South Wilts rocking at 109-6 and in need of rebuilding their innings.

Russell Rowe (20) had a useful contribution before being stumped off by a ball which seemed to rebound back off wicketkeeper James Wood.

But eighth-wicket pair Dan Webb (44) and teenager James Hayward (32) produced a timely 69-run salvo, which swung the match back in South Wilts' favour. The lower-order had doubled the total to 222 before the promising Morris (3-46) completed the wicket-taking, with two overs remaining.

South Wilts paraded a bowling attack more than capable of making 222 a winning score.

But for long periods of the second session, the Premier League champions were on the back foot.

Latouf, who plans to fine tune his promise with a winter in Western Australia, batted well and shard a 45-run start with Durham University bound Wood (27).

With skipper Chris Benham (30) alongside, Latouf - whose unbeaten century contained 15 boundaries - steered the Academy to 130 before Benham was stumped off the slow and flighty left-arm spin of Hayward.

The Young Hawks needed 100 from the last 20 overs and, with Latouf later getting his third SPL century of the summer, 42 from the last six.

But the former Barton Peveril student crucially lost the strike at the critical stage - the Academy losing wickets, just at the wrong time.

Eddie Abel, who hopes to join the Rose Bowl junior set next summer, teased Watkins out, before Kruger - back for his second all-important spell - broke through the middle-order with four key strikes.

With Tomlinson using his experience at the other end, Latouf was left off-strike too long - and so the Academy's prospects of a cup final place disappeared.

But, though they lost, it was a hugely promising performance by a team containing ten teenagers - something coaches Tony Middleton and Giles White will take great comfort from in the winter months ahead.