HONOURS were even in the local cricket derby at Sonning Lane on Saturday as Reading and Basingstoke and North Hants fought out a draw.

The home side nearly snatched an unthinkable victory as skipper Sameer Patel never gave up - even when 16 was needed off the final over of the game.

Berkshire skipper Julian Wood was given the job of bowling the final six balls and Patel smashed his third delivery for a straight six after a two. Suddenly, Reading had a chance.

Wood then called on all his experience, conceding just four off the next two balls, to leave the home side needing a boundary off the final ball - which went for a single.

Earlier in the match, Basingstoke struggled on a wet wicket after losing the toss and being put in to bat.

In the end, they posted a good score of 256-9, with some fine tail-end batting and a top score from number nine Jon Govett, who hit an unbeaten 59.

Openers Lee Nurse (13) and Ian Maynard (6) found life difficult but Dean Nurse (39) and Wood (29) shared the best of the early partnerships, putting on 41 for the third wicket, before Wood was bowled to become one of three victims for Mike O'Sullivan.

Both Dean Nurse and James Morris (4) departed with the score on 100 and only one more run was added before lunch.

The home side kept their grip on the match as Scott Dyer (10) and Chris Chandler, whose 26 included the only six of the innings, moved the score to 145-7.

Nigel Williamson (25) and Govett then put on the best stand of the innings - 57 - before Williamson was adjudged to be out, leg before off an O'Sullivan ball.

Govett and Keith Harris continued with a ninth-wicket stand of 41. As the track dried out, it suddenly became hard to take wickets.

This gave the opportunity for the vistors to declare after 63 overs with the score on 256-9. Govett's unbeaten 59 included five fours.

Basingstoke, with 57 overs to bowl out Reading, had early success as Chris Chandler and Charl Willoughby took a wicket each to make it 46-2.

After the tea interval, Jon Perkins (76) and Tom Fray (65), after a slow start, started to open up against the attack of Dyer, Morris and Harris.

As the run-rate slowed, Willoughby returned to dismiss opener Perkins, who skied the ball to Dyer to end a third-wicket partnership of 121.

Willoughby removed Fray, thanks to a diving catch to his left from Wood, and Reading's chances of victory looked to have vanished.

However, Reading did not give in and Neil Winspear hit a spirited 25 before Wood bowled him. With five overs remaining, Reading still needed to score at eight an over.

Patel (38 not out) took over but, in the end, he could not quite make it happen and a draw was a fair result.

Basingstoke captain Lee Nurse was happy to take one more point than Reading, collecting 12 to the home side's 11.

He said: "It was very difficult early on, but we have again batted down the order and got a score which proved good enough to defend.

"They have done well to get that close, but I would have been very disappointed if we had lost on a track which was very difficult to get wickets on once it dried out."

Basingstoke face another tough test for their next game with the visit of second-placed High Wycombe to May's Bounty. When the teams met earlier in the season, the game was abandoned.

Yesterday Basingstoke duo Julian Wood and James Morris were in action in the third round of the Minor Counties Cricket Association Trophy at Swansea against the Wales Minor Counties.