BIRTHDAY boy Ed Ellis’s 140 might not have been enough to save Lymington – but it certainly got Bashley skipper Michael Porter hot under the collar.

Ellis celebrated his 21st birthday in style with a career-best score as Lymo lost an ECB Southern Premier Division derby thriller against their fierce rivals.

In the end, the visitors fell 10 runs short of their daunting target of 298 for seven at the BCG having kicked off their final over needing 14 to win.

Ellis, a second year student at Oxford Brookes University, hit 21 boundaries in a knock which carried Lymington so close to a remarkable win.

Porter said: “The last hour aged me a few years.

“Initially, it was probably the best we had structured an innings for some while and 298 was a good score on any ground.

“But credit to Ed, he came in and batted superbly. We bowled too many four-balls which he put away and that made the game a lot closer than it might have been.”

Porter anchored Bashley’s efforts with the bat with a bright 61 but it was Gavin Bailiff’s run-a-ball 80, which included two sixes and seven fours, that set the innings alight.

Simon Watkins (35), Chris Ridley (38) kept the hosts rocketing to their mighty tally, despite the best efforts of Ed Freeman (3-42).

Ben Rogers was an early victim but Cameron Grierson (39) and Dom Hand (35) slowly but surely built the Lymington response.

They were still were behind the clock when Ellis emerged but in an astonishing knock – his 140 was scored off 105 balls – came precariously close to getting Lymington across the line.

Porter constantly changed the field in an unsuccessful attempt to stop the onslaught from Ellis and the former Sparsholt youngster eventually fell off the first ball of Bailiff’s final over. Lymington then lost a cluster of wickets and finished with a gallant 288-9.