HUNGERFORD are set to become only the third club in the past 20 years to win back-to-back Peter Cooper Volkswagen Southern Leag-ue championships.

They need a maximum 13 points from tomorrow's home match against basement boys Hambledon to be assured of retaining the title.

Only Deanery (1981-2) and South Hants Touring Club (1986-87) have previously won the crown in successive seasons.

Hungerford appeared set to fin-ish runners-up but in last week-end's penultimate round of matches, overnight leaders South Wilts crashed by nine wickets at Portsmouth.

The Berkshire club expect to be at full strength against Hambledon, who have lost their last 14 games.

South Wilts should finish second, irrespective of the outcome of their final match against Havant, whose second and third XIs are each celebrating Hampshire League promotions.

With the championship almost done and dusted, attention is certain to switch to the personal duels being fought out for the various individual annual perfor-mance awards.

Alton's Australian import Chris Torrisi (626) leads the batting competition with Chris Elward (Bournemouth) and Liphook left-hander Richard Hindley (607) close behind.

Veteran Andover left-arm spin-ner Andy Hooper (43 wickets) will win the bowling prize unless Paul Jenkins (35), Raj Maru or David Pryke (both 34) produce career-best figures in tomorrow's final round of matches.

BAT's David Banks (25 victims) trails Dorset's Martin Miller (Bournemouth) in the wicket-keeping stakes while OTs left-arm spinner Nick Wood, who took 7-29 against Havant, is within touching distance of a third 'best bowling' award.

Full PCV final-day results and reports in Bank Holiday Monday's Daily Echo.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.