For the past two seasons the penultimate day of the ECB Southern Electric Premier League campaign has turned into a celebratory championship clinching one for South Wilts.

Tomorrow, now trailing in Havant’s wake after last week’s defeat by Lymington, Tom Moton’s side face a ‘win it to stay in it’ visit to Burridge, who are fighting for their lives at the bottom.

Fifteen miles due east, Havant – boasting a new found nine-point lead at the top – face a far from straightforward visit from in-form Lymington, who have won their last three games.

The Burridge-South Wilts match has significant connotations at both the top and bottom of the Premier Division.

South Wilts must win to continue to cling on to Havant’s shirt tails, while Burridge are battling for their Premiership lives having moved off bottom spot with a vital win over Totton & Eling last week.

A South Wilts victory at Burridge would take the championship race into an anticipated winner-take-all showdown with Havant at Bemerton next Saturday.

The title race took a significant U-turn last weekend when, less than 24 hours after hammering Lymington in the Southern Electric t20 Cup final, South Wilts lost by six wickets to the New Forest club in the league.

South Wilts’ seven-week stay at the top vanished and, by comfortably beating St Cross Symondians, Havant turned a seven-point deficit into a nine-point lead over the reigning double champions.

“It wasn’t a case of us going out on the town after the cup final and over-doing the celebrations; we just had a bad day,” said last year’s title winning captain James Hayward, below.

“Most of our top order got starts with the bat against Lymington without going on to make 50-plus score and, all credit to him, Damien Mortimer batted brilliantly and won the match for Lymo with an excellent unbeaten century.”

Whilst the return of left-hand opener Eddie Abel from a broken finger has been a bonus, South Wilts face Burridge minus all-rounder Ryan Burl, who has flown home to Zimbabwe.

“It’s a real shame Ryan’s missing the last two games. He’s battled back from a serious shoulder injury, started playing again and has now gone home,” Hayward added.

Former St Cross Symondians batsman Charlie Esson is back for South Wilts, with Army all-rounder Steve Booth replacing the absent Burl.

Burridge gave their survival prospects an enormous boost with a victory over Totton & Eling last week.

Skipper Rick Ankers anxiously awaits news on whether former Hampshire opener Derek Kenway will be back in time from holiday to face the reigning champions.

South Wilts: Morton, Abel, Mynott, Hayward, Esson, Riddle, Hibberd, Franklin, Booth, Foley, Warner.

Burridge: Ankers, Chowdhury, Styles, Richards, Dods, Rood, Lavery, Jackson, Kenway, Thew, Stancliffe, McMurray.