WESTERN Australia left-hander Chris Rogers struck a brutal 98 not out as defending ECB Southern Electric Premier League champions South Wilts moved into second spot with a crushing eight-wicket win over the Hampshire Academy at the Rose Bowl Nursery.

Rogers' innings was typically boundary-strewn - shots being played all around the wicket - and comes as a timely warning to the Premier League that, now the pitches are hardening, the Australian is preparing to tear a few attacks apart.

His 98 swept South Wilts to a 19-point victory over an Academy side which made 158-9 in a rain-trimmed 56 overs.

Teenage left-hander Eddie Abel, a dual registration player from South Wilts, held the Academy innings together with a mature half-century.

He saw county players Chris Benham and Jimmy Adams, along with England Under-19 all-rounder Mitchell Stokes, perish to Ross Crick and Wiltshire hopeful Lysander Wolf before the Academy score reached 50.

Abel (56), who snared four wickets in the corresponding match last season but seems have been reluctantly shelved as a left-arm spinner, effectively doubled the Academy total with Kevin Latouf (17), but was run out at 103-5.

Liam Dawson (19), Simon Watkins and Roy Cockram, all taking time out from swatting for their college exams, added useful runs down the order.

But time was running out for the Young Hawks and Crick - an A-level student himself - returned to finish with a creditable 3-23, his best league figures.

With Rogers and Alex Senneck leading the South Wilts run assault, the Young Hawks had little hope of defending a relatively modest target.

The opening eight overs yielded 65 runs, with Senneck (38) sharing an 82-run start with Rogers.

Roy Cockram (2-17) removed Senneck and Russell Rowe, but Rogers powered on, striking 98 before the target was reached in 29.1 overs.

Another Western Australian, Michael Thistle - who has been playing for Hampshire 2nd XI recently - produced figures of 5-73 as Havant cruised to a six-wicket win over visiting Liphook & Ripsley.

But Thistle had to be patient for his rewards - Dominic Ridley (49) and Ben Shorten (26) providing Liphook with a 66-run start before the Bayswater Morley man removed the visitors' top three.

With Stephen Foulger (2-10) making inroads, Liphook's innings lost its way and it was left to Nick Gay to strike 42 and lift the total to 188 all out.

Andy Perry (60) and Richard Hindley (51 not out) fired Havant's victory romp - the third-wicket pair adding 99 to take the hosts to the brink of a 20-point win.

Pete Hayward took 5-22 and Hampshire's Lawrie Prittipaul 3-31 as Portsmouth dismissed weakened Andover for 136 (Mark Miller 30) before struggling to a four-wicket win.

With Roger Miller nursing an Achilles injury and Hampshire's Derek Kenway on his way to Old Trafford, Andover had to work for their runs.

Sam Lavery (29) and Prittipaul (28) made starts but Portsmouth dropped to 87-5 before Shehram Malik (36) hit them out of potential trouble and to a winning 137-6.