BASINGSTOKE and North Hants cricketers' hopes of runners-up spot in the Home Counties League vanished down the Bicester drain on Saturday.

Having bowled out the home side for 159, the visitors looked on course for victory at 60-1 until the heavens opened and the rain came down.

By the time it had stopped, instead of having 30 overs to notch up the required 100 runs for victory, Basingstoke were left with just 15.

They went for the total but fell 18 runs short and had to settle for a draw.

Second-placed Slough won their game so the May's Bounty men are now 26 points behind the Berkshire side with two games to play.

The results mean they will now have to slug it out with Reading for third spot in the league.

On Saturday, everything went to plan early on as Bicester were shot out for 159. Jon Govett took 7-51, while Chris Chandler (2-41) and Keith Harris (1-16) also chipped in.

At 60-1, with Andy Giles (32) and last week's century hero Ian Maynard at the crease, everything looked fine. Then came the rain.

Once they got back out, Basingstoke really needed to throw the bat - but they lost wickets in the process, and only Dean Nurse (14) and Scott Dyer (21) made double figures along with first man out Ross Hunter, who went for 25.

Skipper Lee Nurse said: "It was very disappointing. When people look at the result they would think we struggled but that was not the case.

"If it wasn't for the rain, we would have won easily."

Nurse is in action on Thursday for a strong Berkshire side at Finchampstead when they face Ireland in the Cheltenham and Gloucester first-round clash for the 2003 competition.

Entry and parking for the day is free.