Sparsholt are left to concentrate on finishing runners-up after a six-wicket defeat in their top-of-the-table clash saw Rowledge clinch the Southern Electric Premier League, Division 2 championship.

They go into their final game with record breaking Langley Manor seven points ahead of Hartley Wintney, who will fancy their chances of a big points haul at relegated Totton & Eling II, who conceded a 484-run avalanche against the Manor.

Sparsholt needed to win at Rowledge to stand any chance of overhauling the Surrey county border club who were relegated last season.

They began well through Western Australian Jayden Derosa and Ed Jenner (39), who put 97 on the board before the innings fell apart.

Once Chris Board had broken through, Steve Martin (2-33) and teenager Jake Wish (2-20) nipped in with two wickets a piece and Sparsholt found themselves 139-5.

Derosa, who hit 57 against Rowledge earlier in the season, carried his bat for 97 not out.

David Lloyd (3-28) worked his way through the lower order as Sparsholt closed 208-8.

Board, with an unbaten 63, and Ricky Yates (53) hit half-centuries as Rowledge wrapped up their victory – and the title – with three overs to spare.

Jack Marston hit an unbeaten 84 and shared a near century stand with Matt Shaw (39) as Portsmouth chased down Paultons’ 197 to win by six wickets at St Helen,s, Southsea.

Kiwi Scott Duggan (42) and John Robinson (46) top scored for Paultons, with Harry Collier taking 3-28.

Man-of-the-match Charlie King and Nick Destefano shared a century opening partnership as Old Tauntonians & Romsey continued their remarkable end-of-season run with a fifth successive win which pushed Havant II closer to a potential Southern Electric Premier League Division 2 relegation spot.

King made 61 not out and Destefano 58 in a 103-run start which put OTs two-thirds of the way to a nine-wicket win over Havant, for whom Steve Dean cracked 58.

King’s unbeaten knock completed a fine day’s work for the chunky spin all-rounder, who earlier took 4-26.