Ventnor have retained the Southern Electric Premier League Division 2 title after over-turning a 15-point Alton advantage in the last two matches of the season.

They finished the season two points ahead of Alton and clinched the title with a five-wicket win at Lymington.

The victory was worth 21 points to Ventnor, compared with the 19 Alton collected from a 103-run win over Calmore Sports.

But, once again, Ventnor will not be allowed promotion as their unique Steephill bowl does not meet a "gold" accreditation grading.

By finishing runners-up, Alton may go up in their place - provided their ground gets the nod from the League's accreditation gurus.

South African-born all-rounder Ryan Shutte, who flies home to New Zealand tomorrow, starred in Ventnor's title-winning performance.

He took 5-12 and then eased Ventnor towards the brink of victory with a half-century.

The Islanders seldom looked in any real danger of allowing the title opportunity to slip through their grasp.

They went to Lymington level on 280 points and slightly adrift on run-rate but, apart from when Bryn Darbyshire (33) and Ian Young (29) were at the crease, were in control.

Mark Holmes (2-22) and Charlie Freeston (2-42) struck the early blows, while Shutte bagged four victims in his second spell, including Darbyshire, as Lymington slipped from 90-3 to 150 all out.

It wasn't long before Shutte - who finished the season with 827 runs and 35 wickets - was in the frontline again.

He watched Harry Potter, Ian Hilsum and Neil Westhorpe fall cheaply - Alan Darbyshire (2-24) taking two of the wickets - but gradually guided Ventnor to within sight of the target.

Shutte made 56 before stepping aside to allow Andy Day (25) and Andy Whyte (20) to take the Islanders to the championship.

Alton, who led the table for 17 weeks of the season, finished runners-up. They were the only side to beat Ventnor this season and had the champions on the ropes at 62-3 when the return a fortnight ago was abandoned.

But, despite taking a fragile run-rate lead into their final match, could only make 168 all out against already-relegated Calmore at the JCG.

Rocked by a four-wicket new-ball spell by Paul Cass (4-29), Alton found it hard to put a maximum batting points total on the board.

But with Ryan Hale (54) and Mark Heffernan (31) effecting the recovery, 168 was more than enough to win.

The visitors plunged from 34-0 (Salem 25) to 63 all out, with Julian Ballinger (5-10) ripping out their middle-order and finishing the season with 48 wickets, a divisional best.