Plucky Old Tauntonians & Romsey may have seen their ECB Southern Electric Premier League life cord finally snapped by a heartbreaking last-ball defeat by Bashley (Rydal).

Liphook & Ripsley pulled off a second consecutive shock win - they beat Bournemouth by three wickets - to leave OTs 13 points adrift at the bottom, with only one game left.

It means OTs having to beat the Hampshire Academy in their final match at the Rose Bowl - and hoping Liphook lose badly against out-of-touch Andover.

Old Tauntonians & Romsey fought every inch of the way in their battle to avoid defeat against Bashley, who pulled off a desperate win by scoring three runs off the last ball of a titanic duel.

Andy Sexton, who made 31 not out, and last man Ross Grierson were Bashley's tail-end heroes, eking out 19 precious runs to win the day.

Bashley looked as though they would cruise it after initially having OTs rocking at 96-7 and later easing to 105-1 as they challenged their hosts' 171-9.

But, after a three-wicket spell by Jeremy Ord (3-29) had dented the top order and removed Neil Sexton (67) and Shawn Gillies (42), Bashley lost their way.

Jonathon Dowling (3-24) and Phil Wyatt sent Bashley crashing from 149-4 to 153-9 before Sexton and Grierson emerged victorious from a nail-biting final over.

Such drama hardly appeared likely earlier when OTs - who are now 13 points adrift of Liphook & Ripsley with one match left to play - sank into deep water, teenage spinner Max Waller taking 4-31.

Max Smith, with a battling 73 not out, and Colin Morris (21) revived OTs' fortunes - only to see their efforts dashed by the late Bashley drama.

Bournemouth's play-off prospects - and a chance of landing a lucrative cash prize - have all but disappeared after an unexpected three-wicket defeat by struggling Liphook & Ripsley at Chapel Gate.

The result dropped Bournemouth to fifth place - and outside the top four qualifying zone for the inaugural play-offs - and all but saved Liphook from relegation.

Unless Bournemouth win their final match at Havant and the fourth-placed Hampshire Academy lose to basement club Old Tauntonians & Romsey, Richard Scott's team will be able to put their cricket gear in the loft after next Saturday's final round of matches.

Liphook's win - they overhauled Bournemouth's 197-4 with four overs to spare - was due entirely to South African Dominic Ridley, who cracked a glorious 149 not out - the visitors' highest individual league score.

The Cape Town University batsman was the second Ridley of the day to catch the eye - teenage Simon celebrating his Premier League debut with a half-century at the start of the Bournemouth innings.

The lanky Canford all-rounder hit 54 and shared a 135-run opening partnership with Richard Scott (79) to push Bournemouth towards 197-4 off a traffic truncated 46 overs.

But it was South African Ridley who proved the match winner.

Only one other Liphook batsman, Paul Woodland (20) - with whom the Cape Townean added 75 for the fifth wicket - got into double figures after Rob Hodgson had taken 3-13 off his only four overs.

But Bournemouth were unable to contain Ridley, whose unbeaten 149, which contained three sixes and 16 fours, won the match - and virtually guaranteed Liphook's survival.