AFTER going six games without a win, Liphook & Ripsley recorded a significant seven-wicket victory over leaders Sarisbury Athletic.

The result guarantees Southern Premier League Division One cricket at Ripsley Park next season and ensures that the promotion race goes to the last weekend of the season.

Liphook had their problems before the start, with keeper Harry Munt dislocating a finger in the warm-up and stand-in Gabe Broadhurst, after a gutsy effort in difficult conditions, also having to retire with a hand injury.

Broadhurst returned to field at fine-leg and after skipper Charles Janczur had quizzed his players about another replacement, Suman Ganguly, who had already bowled 10 overs, stepped up with limited experience.

Sarisbury skipper Matt Journeaux must have regretted his decision to bat first at The Hollow because the ball swung prodigiously for the Liphook seamers.

Jack Campbell bowled former Liphook player Ryan Covey for a duck and he and Ganguly put a stranglehold on the batsmen before reducing the home side to 49-4, with Jonny Pryce running out Jack Lovett for good measure.

Veteran off-spinner Alan Crawford returned to bowl a miserly spell, while George Neave twice hit the stumps during three fast, but wayward overs.

At 72-6, Sarisbury were struggling to reach three figures on a pitch which gave variable and sometimes alarming bounce, but Journeaux held his side together as Janczur bowled an excellent spell at the death, taking 3-27 in seven overs.

The home skipper made an unbeaten 41 and with the help of 38 extras, Sarisbury mustered 136 all out in 36.1 overs.

The Sarisbury bowlers were unable to extract the same sort of life from the wicket, but early successes for Jason Allmark and Shayne Freemantle had Liphook an uncomfortable 19-2 before Ganguly joined Rob Nicklin in a superb second-wicket partnership of 80.

Ganguly, true to form, took the attack to the bowlers and hit eight boundaries before being caught off John Floyd for 41.

With Ben Tibble giving solid support, Nicklin progressed to an outstanding 77 not out, including a six and 12 fours, and guided Liphook to an emphatic win, and 22 points, in the 35th over.

Liphook have avoided a tense relegation shoot-out at OTs & Romsey, their final opponents of the season this Saturday, but Janczur’s men will want to end an erratic campaign on a victorious note.