Hampshire Academy recovered from 58-5 to post 203 and repelled a gallant late Bashley (Rydal) fight-back in the closing stages to snatch a nervy eight-run win on the Ageas Bowl Nursery Ground.

The outcome was in doubt until the closing overs as last pair Ryan Gilmour and Jake Lilley added 68 to lift Bashley from the brink of defeat at 127-9 to 195 all out and within a couple of boundaries of a remarkable SEPL Premier win, writes MIKE VIMPANY.

It didn’t quite happen as, with ten balls of a tense last hour’s play left, Lilley edged a catch behind off man-of-the-match Ruel Brathwaite to dash Bashley’s growing chances of pulling the game out of the fire.

Such a climax appeared unlikely as the Hampshire youngsters tottered at 58-5 during the morning session, but rallied either side of lunch.

Brathwaite (47) and Brad Taylor (45), getting opportunities higher up the order, put on a significant 81 for the sixth wicket to steer the Academy out of trouble.

Dorset spinner Sam Thomson (5-60) wheeled away to great effect but, after the former Durham player had gone at 139-6, Taylor found another reliable partner in Josh McCoy (33), who pointed the Academy total towards their eventual 203 all out.

Bashley would normally have fancied their chances of chasing down a relatively modest total on the Nursery Ground – but Brathwaite’s day wasn’t done !

The 28-year old Barbadian, who has not featured for Hampshire in the LV= County Championship this season and last played in the innings victory over Essex last September, whipped out Michael Porter, Australian teenager Jaron Morgan and Neil Thurgood in a lively new ball spell.

At 60-3, Bashley were on the back foot and, at 114-5 when left-hander Kevin Baker got a nick behind to give Guernsey teenager Matt Stokes (2-14) his maiden Premier League wicket, things were decidedly sticky.

With Thomson also gone, everything rested on Bashley skipper Richard Morris (36), who pierced the boundary rope seven times before providing Alsop with a second catch and the promising Stokes with his second wicket.

With the off-spin of Taylor (3-30) creating inroads, Bashley’s lower-order crumbled and at 127-9 it appeared only a matter of time before the Academy rapped up a win.

But Ryan Gilmour, who would have batted six but for bad bruising around the base of his right thumb, and Lilley refused to yield and gradually inched the New Forest side into the contest.

Gilmour, fresh from a noteworthy debut in Bashley’s second team the previous week when he made an unbeaten 81 after taking five wickets with his left-arm seam, was particularly effective, carrying the fight back to the Academy.

Clearly in pain from his hand injury, the former Falkland all-rounder smacked two sixes – one pull shot off Tom Barber sailed into the main Ageas Bowl arena – and six fours, finding solid support from one-time Academy scholar Lilley (22) at the other end.

The Academy pacemen bowled far too much ‘back of a length’ – and almost paid the penalty as a prize victory began to slip from their grasp.

Gilmour’s boundary strewn 39 – all but three of his runs breached the rope – so nearly tipped the scales.

Bashley had clawed themselves to within two boundaries of a remarkable victory when Academy skipper Joe Weatherley turned to Brathwaite, who found the edge of Lilley’s bat to claim his fourth wicket and end the visitors’ gallant and gripping fight-back at 195 all out.