With the roving reporter out at Sparsholt for the final round-robin match of the Southern Premier League T20 South, South Wilts knew that a win would take them into the knockout stages.

We won the toss, and after hearing Sparsholt had racked up 400 runs on the same pitch the day before, it seemed the obvious call to bat first, pile on the runs, and set a stiff target.

But the lunchtime start may have caught a few still snoozing after Saturday’s games, and it certainly looked that way as we crumbled to 17 for 3, and then 36 for 5 - deep in trouble.

Matt Falconer (35) and Rob Pittman (23) stepped up with a sensible partnership to steady things, but when Matt fell at 86 for 6, it still felt well short of competitive.

Some valuable late hitting from Connor Bain (21) and a composed rearguard effort from George Nash and Alex Vincent (joining the 1st XI this week) ensured we weren’t bowled out. Still, 133 for 9 at halfway felt well under par.

Sparsholt opened up in explosive fashion, especially Aussie Joe Merino, fresh off a double century the day before. He looked intent on wrapping things up quickly, and at 60 for 0, it felt like game over.

But that’s when Premier League know-how kicked in.

Captain James Degg and Saturday skipper Ben Draper spotted where Merino didn’t want the ball bowled and changed our approach. Slow bowling into the pitch, rolling the fingers, became the key. Harry Broderick made the breakthrough, and then Matt Falconer began to hit the stumps as well after the opening salvos had all been hitting the middle of Sparsholts bats.

The fielding lifted a gear. Singles were cut off, energy surged, and pressure mounted. Merino holed out as Archie Fairfax-Ross used the surface smartly. Catches stuck—no drops, no second chances.

The turning point? A moment of absolute brilliance from Connor Bain, diving full length on the boundary to save a certain four. The ball stuck in his hand, and from the ground, he fired it back to Rob Pittman, who calmly completed a run out as the Sparsholt batters jogged thinking it was already a boundary.

From 60 for 0 to 104 all out, South Wilts turned it around in style and booked their place in the knockouts.

? Man of the Match:
Matt Falconer – 35 runs and a match-winning 3 for 11 with the ball.
? Fielding moment of the season? Very possibly Bain's brilliance on the rope.

What a comeback. What a win!