Burridge split the Southern Electric Premier Division One championship race wide open when they beat leaders Sarisbury Athletic by four wickets with ten balls to spare on their own Allotment Road surface.

It was Sarisbury’s first defeat since last August and their lead at the top of SPL1 is down to effectively one point going into the second half of the season.

It also spices things up for Sunday’s Southern Electric t20 Cup semi-final tie between the local rivals at Burridge’s Botley Road ground.

Burridge skipper Rick Ankers tactically out-witted David Banks, his opposite number, by mixing his varied six-pronged attack.

The ploy led to Sarisbury losing wickets at regular intervals down the line – only Archie Norris (31) making a sound contribution as South African Geoff Dods helped reduce the SPL1 leaders to 86-5.

Joe Lovett (52) and Michael Bond (23) rallied to lift the Sarisbury total to 152, but wickets fell in clusters after that – Dods finishing with 4-29 and Seth Jackson 2-36.

Chasing 194, Burridge lost an early wicket, but steadied themselves through Derek Kenway and Ankers (22).

It set the platform for the decisive century partnership between Kenway (69) and Dods, who guided Burridge home with an undefeated 60.

The former Hampshire opener and Cape Town’s all-rounder captain put on 103 before James Ingram (4-28) caused a flutter or two in the Burridge camp.

But his four-wicket spell was too little too late to spare Sarisbury from a first defeat in eight games.