Yet that's what the home side managed to achieve and McKinlay made them pay with 112 out of 172. It was then left to skipper and occasional bowler Andrew Simkiss to take 6-15 as Southwell held on for the last five overs to close on 127-9, the home side gaining sufficient points to secure another year in 'A'.

Attenborough's promotion was confirmed with surprising defeats for both Radcliffe-on-Trent and Gedling & Sherwood.

Radcliffe's Chris Holden snaffled five wickets as home side Unity Casuals could only manage 142. However Unity had their own five-wicket man in Husnain Riaz as the losers fell to 110 in reply.

Balderton had a third straight win at Gedling & Sherwood. For once, Dominic Wiffin hit 53 as the visitors posted a testing 194. Then Ishan Ratnayake and the fit-again David Lynn made early inroads into the home batting, both finishing with three wickets as the losers finished 69 runs shy on 125.

In Division 'B', Eastwood Town added the championship to promotion with a seven wicket win at Kirkby Portland, who will fight it out with Bottesford and Kimberley II to survive the drop.

Kirkby batted well to make 227, Robbie Britton top scoring with 65. Stuart Hill then made 81 and Ikram Ul Haq an unbeaten 62 as the target was knocked off in 40 overs. But Belvoir suffered another bad day, crashing to a 112 run reversal at Ellerslie II (209).

In their place go Clifton Village II – and astonishingly it was another late-order batsman who stole the show. With the home side struggling on 90-6, in came veteran Pete Fairhall and he smacked 89 as Clifton finished on 201. Visitors Gotham Village fell to 156 all out, Fairhall chipping in with 3-28. The star though was Johnny Boyes who grabbed five wickets.

Scott Harris and his young Hucknall side were promoted from Division 'C' with just three points required for the championship this week.

A crucial part in this success has been the performances of spin duo Adam Scott and Jamie Braybrook. After making 180 themselves, Scott (4-32) and Braybrook (3-27) helped bowl out Radcliffe-on-Trent II for 109.

Hyson Green Carrington Caribs look favourites to join them after another victory. Caribs only managed 146 but skipper Liaquat Ali has been brilliant with the ball all season and his six wickets helped shoot down Bramcote.

Don't rule out third placed Collingham just yet. David Pipes cracked his fifth century of the season with his 122 being just enough to a target of 205 from West Bridgfordians, for whom Charlie Garton impressed with an unbeaten 85.

Another bad day saw Attenborough II's lead at the top in Division 'D' cut to two points with a 31-run defeat at Thurgarton (192) who had Mick Sewell and Will Higson taking three wickets each. Gedling Colliery II secured their second successive promotion with a 43-run in Division 'E' win at home to Long Eaton II (156). Run machine Geoff Moore hit 74.

Hoveringham created a new league record in Division 'F' with their sixth successive promotion.

They had to do it the hard way though at nearest challengers Kinoulton who set a testing 211 for victory. Ben Lee (72) and Stuart Walton (62) duly responded as they also clinched the championship.

It's all change at the top in Division 'G' with Kirkby Portland II and East Bridgford making way for Oxton, who made heavy weather of chasing 96 at Snibston Grange.

Kirkby Portland were undone at East Leake by a superb captain's performance by Steve Oakley. He struck 66 out of 135 then took five scalps as Kirkby fell twenty runs shy.

East Bridgford slipped to an agonising one-wicket defeat at Ravenshead, Julian Tadd recording the day's best figures of 7-23.

Loughborough Carillon II underlined why they are the best side in Division 'H' with a comprehensive 100-run win over promotion hopefuls Hyson Green II (89), Hitesh Patel grabbing five wickets.