Sarisbury Athletic and Burridge are set for a mouth-watering top-of-the-table Southern Electric Premier Division One clash at the Hollow, Sarisbury’s Allotment Road headquarters on Saturday.

Defending champions Sarisbury have won all seven matches so far, with second placed Burridge hard on their heels, with five wins out of six.

The pair both won their round eight matches – Sarisbury by a thumping eight-wicket margin at Hambledon and Burridge by 25 runs against New Milton.

Rampant Sarisbury skittled county Village Cup finalists Hambledon for 88 at Ridge Meadow, where only Sri Lankan Roscoe Thattil (31) stood firm.

He remained at the crease as Joe Lovett (2-32), Ricky Rawlins (2-18) and latterly Dan Goldstraw (4-19) sliced through the home batting.

Kevin Shinn (2-21) took two wickets but it was only a slight inconvenience to Sarisbury, who cruised home with Rawlins hitting 44 not out.

Burridge emerged victorious from a topsy-turvy encounter with New Milton.

They stumbled to 32-4 early on – Lee Beck (3-41) doing the damage – but were rescued by Richard Kenway, who went on to carry his bat throughout Burridge’s 202-9.

Kenway (85no) enjoyed half-century stands with Geoff Dods (24) and Jamie Rood (32) as Burridge, despite Dan Loader’s 3-44, put 202 on the board.

After rain delays, New Milton got off to a flier – Nick Park (23) and Ryan Beck (23) scoring 45 off the first seven overs.

But a three-wicket haul by Cape Town’s Geoff Dods (4-40) sent the New Milton innings into freefall, with Lee Beck (47) left holding the fort.

A three-wicket spell by Derek Kenway (3-26) left New Milton, with Beck departed, effectively dead and buried at 109-8, but weather conditions were deteriorating.

Nick Gargaro, with two sixes and five boundaries in a lively 55, didn’t give it up and through his late rally New Milton reached 177 all out, 25 runs short.

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