MATT Metcalfe was left marooned as Bashley foiled a gallant Lymington fightback to tie a nerve-jangling Southern Premier League derby.

The all-rounder led the recovery as Lymington rallied from 141 for eight to match Bashley’s 178 all out with one wicket still intact.

But having hit an unbeaten 31 and taken Lymington to within a whisker of victory, Metcalfe watched in horror as Ed Freeman drilled a chest-high catch to mid-off. It tied the scores at 178 runs each – the only time in 16 years an all-day Premier Division time pennant match had ended in such a fashion.

It was a remarkable end to a pulsating New Forest derby which ebbed and flowed throughout and kept a good-sized crowd on the edge of their seats.

Batting at nine, Metcalfe arrived at the crease with Lymington on 117 for seven and debutant left-armer Brad Currie on the brink of a five-wicket SPL haul.

The 17-year old former Poole Grammar paceman and Simon Ridley (3-31) appeared to have set up a sixth win in eight for the Premier Division leaders.

But Lymington’s lower order mounted stern resistance with Cam Grierson (15) adding precious runs before Metcalfe’s ninth-wicket stand with third-teamer Josh Bowring (11), which yielded another 27, edged the reply to 168 for nine when Currie (5-41) claimed his fifth victim.

All seemed lost for Bashley soon after when a Jake Lilley wide went to the fine leg boundary to gift Lymington five more welcome runs to take the score to 176 for nine. Two singles later and the scores were level.

But Freeman, no mean number-11 batsman, drove Lilley’s next ball into the grateful clutches of a relieved Ryan Macciocchi, who had earlier floored a similar catch at mid-off.

Bashley had been made to work hard for their runs in the morning session.

Put in to bat on a grassy surface, they came in at lunch at 89 for two with Simon Ridley having crafted a workmanlike 36, only to be trapped leg before by Zimbabwean spin all-rounder Richard Lock with the second ball after the interval.

Mike Porter (30) and Chris Vaughan (25) lifted Bashley to 124 for three, only for Metcalfe (4-56) and Lock (3-57) to take three quick wickets and leave Chris Ridley (29) and Tynesider Macciocchi (13) the responsibility of easing the score to an eventual 178 all out.

Three wickets for Currie reduced Lymington to 31 for three – a position Lock (40) and Ed Ellis (34) improved with a half-century stand.

Simon Ridley (3-31) broke the partnership and, having removed both batsmen, left Lymington facing a probable defeat at 117 for seven.

But then came the pulsating fightback which frayed nerves and brought the contest to a thrilling climax.

New Milton earned a three-wicket win despite a scare at St Cross.

Having won the toss and elected to bat, the hosts were dismissed for 141, Joe Hall the pick of the bowlers with five for 25, while George Watts claimed three for 37.

Despite losing three wickets for no runs midway through their reply, New Milton recovered their composure and an unbeaten 37 from James Haggaty helped them home.

Martin Miller was left nursing more than a couple of aches and pains after his 149-ball stand helped Bournemouth seal a seven-wicket win at Old Tauntonians & Romsey.

The experienced captain hit an unbeaten 89 as Lions chased down 205 with nine balls to spare, his 136-run partnership with Chris Park proving crucial in the final reckoning.

Park himself cracked an impressive 56 in the Southern Premier League Division One clash while Sanrang Urankar took the pressure off Miller in the closing stages with a quickfire 25.

The partnership of the 44-year-old Miller and Dorset skipper Park was built on plenty of hard graft with boundaries hard to come by, just six being hit in the entire innings.

Miller told the Daily Echo: “We’ve talked a lot this year about batting in partnerships and it was nice to follow that through.

“It was tough going. I only managed to hit two boundaries because they were taking the pace off the ball and it was difficult to pierce them. It was an awful lot of running.

“We ran very well and increased the pressure and then San came in at the end and hit 25 in 25 balls and knocked the stuffing out of them, which I was very grateful for.”

OTs won the toss and elected to bat but were in trouble at 30 for three, Miller running out Richard Lake before Jem Warner and Matt Jones struck with the ball.

However, Robert Newman led the OTs fightback as he cracked 91, while opener Charlie King added a patient 40.

The hosts finished their 50 overs with seven down, Jones and Jake Hurley taking two wickets apiece.

Miller added: “We had a good start but then they built a good platform and scored what seemed about 80 runs off the last 10 overs.

“It was a hammer blow ahead of us going out to bat. It felt like we were up against it and we haven’t chased well at all this year.

"But we got stuck in and things went for us and we got home. In the end it was a really good result but they made us work.”