Hook & Newnham Basics go into Saturday’s penultimate round of matches eight points ahead of Alton in the battle for ECB Southern Premier League survival.

While Hook visit third-from-bottom Lymington, Alton host champions in waiting South Wilts, who need 18 points from their trip to the Jubilee Ground to clinch the title, writes Mike Vimpany.

Hook suffered a narrow four-run defeat by mid-summer pacemakers Bournemouth, having twice allowed promising positions to slip from their grasp as the Red Arrows aerobatics display team roared over the KGV.

At the mid-point of their innings, Bournemouth were 72-5 but, with the aid of some off-line bowling – critically, Hook conceded 20 wides - the visitors, through Robbie Pack (30) and Chris Park (29), made their way to a competitive 173.

Hook began on a positive note and progressed to 60 without loss when skipper Josh Buckingham (28) toe-ended a straight boundary catch off Bournemouth teenage paceman Matt King.

They were still comfortably placed at 72-1 when Bournemouth introduced 15-year old left-arm spinner Connor Smith, who promptly took two wickets with his first three balls.

He forced Ben Thane (34) to play on and then got another to turn and have Matt Buckingham trapped leg before.

Twenty runs later Smith ripped a ball through the defence of Sam Lockwood (15) and, at 92-4, Hook’s run chase for a win that would have virtually guaranteed safety from Premier Division relegation had gone off course.

Harry Robson (23) and Jack Murrell revived Hook’s fortunes but, as the target got closer so more wickets fell and with three overs left the Army still needed 19 to win with numbers nine and ten at the crease.

Cue a fourth wicket for Smith (4-42), who had Richard Willcock caught in the deep before having to the bowl the final over with Hook’s last pair requiring ten more runs for victory.

Smith, who plays county junior age group cricket for Dorset and Hampshire, may be only 15 years of age but he didn’t allow the pressure to affect him. In fact, he relished it.

One big hit for six over the on-side boundary would have been critical, but Hook managed to scramble only four runs (one an overthrow) off the 50th and final over and closed 169-9, to lose by an agonizing four runs.