BAT Sports are back in their customary top-table ECB Southern Electric Premier League slot after an emphatic 114-run win over Portsmouth at Southern Gardens.

It was their fourth successive victory and, with Bashley (Rydal) and Hursley Park both losing, BAT are now the only undefeated Division 1 side.

Champions three times in the past five years, BAT didn't have it all their own way against Portsmouth.

Indeed, with only seven of their 50 overs left, they were 166-6.

But left-hander Dan Goldstraw blazed a blistering 21-ball half-century to send the BAT total soaring to 249-6.

"Our innings could have gone either way when Dan came to the crease, but he struck the ball superbly and effectively put Portsmouth out of the game," said BAT Sports coach Colin Beer.

Portsmouth trooped off the field at tea with the heads down and never got back into the game.

They were bowled out for 135, with leg spinner Pat Turk taking 5-23.

Portsmouth, who had won their two previous games, struck two early blows when the lively James Manning had Lee Savident and Archie Norris caught behind.

But Ricky Rawlins (61) chose the summer's first hot day to make his best Premier League score and underpin the innings.

He shared a fruitful stand of 60 with James Hibberd (30) and, having batted with maturity, was eventually sixth out at 166.

Portsmouth might have seized the initiative at that point but their attack was simply torn to pieces in the last seven overs.

Goldstraw, picking out wide mid-wicket, blazed three 6s and six fours in a 21-ball 54 his first Premier League half-century and Rob Franklin struck a timely 28 not out.

They scored 83 runs off the last 43 balls of the innings as Portsmouth wilted in the heat and began the evening session needing 250 to win.

One of Portsmouth's top four needed to make a big score but it never looked like happening.

Their batting bordered on the reckless, with players going for the big shots at a time when occupation of the crease and a bit of earthy grafting was the order of the day.

"They way they were playing, I thought I was watching a Twenty20 game," reflected one Southern Gardens spectator.

Former Hampshire opener Derek Kenway, with previous competitive scores of 3, 8 and 9 in Portsmouth colours, survived a confident leg before appeal from Goldstraw immediately after tea.

But, having made ten, was rapped on the pads again but this time the umpire ruled in Goldstraw's favour.

South African Greg Fotheringham was bowled by Eric Linge's first ball and, at 29, student Seth Simmons became Goldstraw's second victim.

Lawrie Prittipaul (18) followed at 34-4, caught by the diving James Hibberd at slip after Savident had parried his outside edge.

At least James Lavery (51) showed his Portsmouth teammates how it should be done, by getting his head down and batting properly.

But, while he was scoring a half-century, Warwickshire hopeful Michael Barnes and John Hess were lured out of their ground and stumped off Pat Turk, and Manning holed out to Goldstraw in the covers.

Turk finished with 5-23 his best SPL figures as Banks claimed a third stumping and Portsmouth sank dismally to 135 all out.