From relegation candidates to promotion outsiders - Fair Oak I beat Hartley Wintney by 135 runs on Saturday to hoist themselves up to fourth in the Southern League Division 2 table and within touching distance of the top two.

A whole series of quality innings by the top order laid the foundations. Henry Nicholls opened up with 85, and received good support from Harry Reed (23) and Sam Reed (38). Monty McKenzie (38) and Tom Clark (52) piled on the agony for the hosts as Oaks powered their way to a towering 279 for 8. Ethan Ramsay took 2 for 47 and Hugo Hammond 2 for 68 for the home side.

The Hartley Wintney top order also did well with the bat. Henry Kirk made 18, Ramsay 26, Matthew Kerr 19 and Jonny Kerr 26, but none could go to a decisive major score. 

The Fair Oak spin attack again proved their weight in gold. Lewis Goodyear took four wickets for just 13 and McKenzie four more for 52 as the home batters were hustled towards the exit door. Hartley Wintney were all out for 144 in the 38th over to send Oaks back down the M3 with smiles on their faces.

Fair Oak, unbeaten since mid-June, are at home to Liphook & Ripsley and away to New Milton in their final two fixtures. Oaks will be keeping an interested eye on what happens elsewhere as the season build to a thrilling climax.

There were no clouds on the horizon for Fair Oak II in the first 20 overs of their Hampshire League Division 2 clash with Redlynch & Hale. An enterprising opening stand between Ayinen Ramanan (50) and Dan Wheble (23) took Oaks to 103 without loss, helped by a generous helping of wides and dropped catches.

Redlynch then fought their way back into the game, with Kevin Hopkins taking 2 for 15 and James Taylor 3 for 40. James Featherstone crafted 27 not out with the tail, but Oaks’ 45-over of 193 for 9 was a lot fewer than they might have expected.

Redlynch toiled with the bat, too. Opener Ian Tanner (24) looked composed, but the penetrating efforts of Joeh Turner (4 for 18), Phil Smith (2 for 1) and Ross Stewart (2 for 24) left the visitors in ruins at 73 for 9. There followed an entertaining interlude with last man Jack Sobucinski smacking 27 not out. Together with George Hayes he took Redlynch to a more respectable 114 all out, while Ramanan crowned a fine afternoon with a stunning catch at backward point.

In Hampshire Division 4 South, Fair Oak III excelled in chasing down a “challenging” target set by Challengers Gosport. Visitors Gosport made 216 all out, Sohail Khan leading the way with 57 and Jayesh Somvar adding 43. Nathan Lys was Oaks’ star with the ball, taking 4 for 29, while Charlie White bagged three wickets and Keir Smith two. 

The Oaks innings was a personal triumph for Jamie Sparshott, the number five smacking two sixes and 13 fours in a sparkling innings of 97 not out. A home victory had looked distant at 130 for 6 with Sandeep Somvar, Jayesh Somvar and Sohail Khan each taking two wickets. But Sparshott got great support from Lys (25) and Toby Wolverson (29), and in the end was denied a century only by Oaks reaching their victory target (with seven wickets down).