LIPHOOK & Ripsley gained a much-needed win against fellow strugglers Portsmouth at Ripsley Park on Saturday.

Liphook remain in the drop-zone, but this second victory of the season will give them new heart as they attempt to repeat last season's escape act.

The home team struggled on a slow track against Portsmouth's experienced bowling attack.

But Russell Barnes and Ali Gray gave them a solid start with a fifty opening stand, scoring 28 apiece, and Liphook looked well placed at 80-2.

Skipper Jeremy Bulled was top scorer yet again with 31 and Nick Gay and Duncan Berry had useful knocks as Liphook tried to set a competitive total.

Although Peter Hayward kept them in check with a marathon stint of 5 for 59 in 25 overs, Liphook's final score of 174-8 (35 extras) from their maximum allocation gave the bowlers something to defend.

The Portsmouth openers looked in a positive mood as they moved to 23, but Glen Read, making his first appearance since returning from Durham University, changed the course of the game.

In his opening eight-over spell, the left-arm paceman removed the top order to leave the visitors reeling at 37-3. The introduction of Gray's leg-spin increased the home team's domination.

Gray claimed 4 for 19 from eight overs, and with the run-out of ex-Hampshire player Lee Savident, Portsmouth's cause was lost.

Read returned to mop up the tail, finishing with 4 for 24 in 8.3 overs, and Portsmouth were dismissed for a meagre 72 in 29 overs.

Liphook

A Gray c Oliffe b Hayward 28

R Barnes lbw Hayward 28

S Riley c Savident b Hayward 3

J Bulled c Bailey b Ansell 31

N Gay run out 14

D Berry b Hayward 16

P Woodland b Hayward 5

G Read c Haywood b Ansell 9

T Wheatley not out 3

A Crawford not out 2

Extras 35

––

Total (for 8 wkts) 174

––

Bowling: A Locke 0-8, L Savident 0-12, P Haywood 5-59, M Keech 0-9, P Ancell 2-39, T Bailey 0-18.

Portsmouth

B Thoms st Bulled b Gray 17

P Hayward b Read 16

N Keech c Bulled b Read 7

A Locke lbw Read 0

D Oliffe c Bulled b Gray 4

L Savident run out 1

A Griffiths b Gray 5

P Ansell run out 6

M Scott lbw Gray 11

J Scott b Read 1

T Bailey not out 0

Extras 4

––

Total 72

––

Bowling: G Read 4-24, T Wheatkey 0-14, A Gray 4-19, A Crawford 0-12.