NEW signings Paul Berry, Ben Green and Maurice Hicks helped Team Solent B usher in the new season on a winning note in the Southern Men's League Division 1.

Sprinter Green, formerly of Haslemere Border, clicked instantly into gear at Southampton Sports Centre by winning the A-string 200 metres, finishing second over 100m and running a leg for both victorious relay quartets.

Equally effective was ex-Andover decathlete Berry who harvested wins in the A javelin and B high jump and collected a further crop of points from the pole vault and 110 metres hurdles. Hicks, another impressive newcomer in red and white stripes, made his mark with a 48.33-metre hammer win which was complemented by one of three B-string throwing successes from industrious clubmate Paul Derrien.

Triple field winners Luke Daniels and Mark Willis were the chief points contributors for Team Solent's C team who wound up sec-ond to Holland Sports in the SML Division 7.

Division 1 match result: Team Solent 145.5, Swindon 105.5, Verlea 104, Blackheath 96.5, Dartford 71.5. Division 7 match result: Holland Sports 188, Team Solent 164.5, Walton 105.5. Team Solent results - Division 1: 100m: A 2 Ben Green 11.1, B 2 Scott Roberts 11.8. 200m: A 1 Ben Green 22.3, B 2 Alan Harrison 23.8. 400m: A 1 Lee Fairclough 49.9, B 1 Chris Lawton 51.0. 800m: A 1 Angus McLean 1.52.3, B 1 Lud Ramsey 1.57.5. 1500m: A 5 Mark Glennie 4.15.8, B 1 Simon Wilson 4.20.7 5000m: A 1 Mike Twomey 15.44.5, B 1 Simon Wilson 15.54.8. 3000m steeplechase: A 3 Sean Haggerty 10.59.9, B 4 Peter Haynes 12.10.4 110m hurdles: A 4 Paul Berry 17.6, B 1 Scott Robert 16.5. 400m hurdles: A 4 Stuart White 57.5, B 3 Alan Harrison 61.1 4x100m relay: 1 Team Solent (Green, Roberts, Fairclough, Lawton) 44.1. 4x400m relay: 1 Team Solent (White, Harrison, Fairclough, Green) 3.21.4 High jump: A 2 Danny Gilbert 1.80, B 1 Paul Berry 1.80. Long jump: A 3 Ian Rowe 6.27, B 3 David Faulkner 6.08. Triple jump: A 2 Ian Rowe 13.83, B 2 David Faulkner 11.43. Discus: A 2 Mike Ferne 36.01, B 1 Paul Derrien 34.58. Hammer: A 1 Maurice Hicks 48.33, B 1 Paul Derrien 40.29. Javelin: A 1 Paul Berry 53.30, B 1 Scott Roberts 45.52. Pole vault: A 3 Alex Beardsmore 3.00, B 3 Paul Berry 2.80. Shot: A 1 Gary Sollitt 16.38, B 1 Paul Derrien 11.20

Team Solent winners - Division 7: 200m: B Mike Steel 25.5; 400m: A Darryn Campbell 54.6, B Phillip Kuczynski 57.8; 5000m: A Thorsien Warneke 16.23.6, B Neil Hotson 16.25.1; 400m hurdles: A Mike Steel 61.3, B Bill Beardsmore 71.6; 4x100m relay: Team Solent 48.1; 4x400m relay: Team Solent; High jump: A Andrew Smith 1.90, B Luke Daniels 1.65; Discus: A Luke Daniels 33.32, B Mark Willis 30.41; Hammer: A Mark Willis 30.45; Shot: A Luke Daniels 9.95, B Mark Willis 9.94.

Team Solent's young guns were well below strength in their McDonald's National Young Athletes Boys' League Southern Premier Division opener at Crawley where they finished bottom of the four-high pile.

Match result: Croydon 248, Aldershot 212, Crawley 198, Team Solent 98. Team Solent winners: Under-15s - 400m: A David Willis 55.7; 800m: B Jamie Tromans 2.16.9 Under-17s - 800m: A Leon Tindell 2.06.2, B Ben Foreman 2.06.4; 400m hurdles: A Tim Suswain 61.7.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.