Hampshire League County Division 1.

Compton & CF (161ao) beat Sarisbury Athletic (142-7) - Rain affected target.

Compton and Chandler's Ford's batting frailties were exposed again at home against a disciplined Sarisbury bowling attack. Only opener Damian French (29) made any real impression from the top order as the home side slumped to 95 for 7 with Matt Palmer, Paddy Pritchard and Stewart Magee all failing to trouble the scorers.

It was left to veteran all-rounder Martin Dearlove (15no) to shore up one end in support of the more aggressive Andy Gorty (47) as the pair added a critical 64 for the eighth wicket. With the departure of Gorty the innings ended quickly for a modest 161.

Russ Dearlove and the excellent Adam Brown kept the opening overs tight and it was not long before Brown started making inroads into the visitors batting. Making superb use of the heavy atmosphere Brown consistently beat the bat and had picked up three wickets by the time rain interrupted proceedings with Sarisbury struggling on 55 for 4 off 22 overs.

On the resumption Sarisbury faced a revised target of 143 (142.3) off 38 overs and that target got much tougher after Brown (4-22) finished his spell with a wicket maiden.

Despite the absence of Pasha and Ritchie Wilson, the Compton bowling, with Pritchard taking 3-49, gradually pushed the run rate up until 29 were needed from the last three overs.

Some frantic hitting and running by P Friedlich (41no) took the game down to the final ball with four runs needed. A firm glance to an unmanned fine leg boundary came up just short of the rope to leave the visitors one run light of the target on 142 for 7 - technically Compton's revised score was 142.3 and hence the home side were victors by less than a run.

A strong all-round performance saw Compton & Chandlers Ford II maintain their 100 per cent record in a rain-affected game at Hurstbourne Priors.

Ford posted 192 for 9 batting first in their rain-interrupted innings. A half-century opening stand by James Lowman (22) and skipper Paul Lawrence laid solid foundations. Lawrence (54) completed his second fifty of the season while Simon Lawrence (27), Jason Lawson (22) and Tom Lawrence (14) pushed the visitors towards a competitive total. But it was Darren Davis, with a typically aggressive 29, who put Ford in control at the change of innings.

The loss of just under half an hour's play reduced the home side's target to 171 from 34 overs, but this proved too much in the face of controlled bowling and fielding led by keeper Aaron Read, who claimed five catches standing up to the stumps to Ford's five-pronged seam attack.

The hosts quickly lost wickets as Read hung on to edges off each of Steve Bendall (1-17), Harry Pone (1-30), Rob Selwyn (4-14), Davis (2-36) and Alex Spearing (2-25). A good seventh wicket partnership caused some jitters in the Ford ranks, but once Spearing had bowled Priors' danger-man, Selwyn was able to wrap up the tail and secure victory and take the side to the top spot in NW2. The bowlers were supported by some excellent out fielding including an astonishing juggled catch from Davis.