South will be looking to prevent Old Boys from completing a one-day title hat-trick when they battle it out for the silverware at the end of the month and, on results, would be favoured to.

They are the only side to defeat the competition leaders this season, having been responsible for their only two losses – both incidentally in the one-day format.

On Saturday they did the damage with the ball, with Jamie Hammond leading the destruction.

He ripped through the Old Boys top order, producing a devastating six-wicket nine- over spell that included a double-wicket maiden second.

That’s when the rot started, with Hammond and Nick Leyden combining to have Old Boys reeling at 2-2.

Ben Middlebrook did provide a little bit of substance in the middle order with a top-score 23but, under the weight of some good bowling from South, they were dismissed for their lowest total of the season – 83.

There was some conflict for South about how to attack the chase with clouds imminent but they opted for the patient course.

“We knew if we batted for 25-30 overs we’d get the runs,” skipper Tom Groth said.

It was hard work for the batsmen early, with Aaron Hazlewood particularly causing some problems, but they managed to get through relatively unscathed bar an early wicket to Will Howard and Hazlewood running out Tom Agnew (14).

He pelted the ball back at the stumps on his follow through and caught Agnew airborne.

It was one of two freakish dismissals in the South innings, with Stu Morgan later catching Jon Stone the first over back from the rain delay.

Morgan just managed to avoid a three-way collision with team-mates Anthony Allwell and Matt Fullwood, running through the middle to glove the catch as the other two collided.

The collision left Allwell a little worse for wear as South marched on, with Chris Skilton and Groth briskly polishing off the runs with a flow of fours and sixes.