Dorset cricket champions Weymouth have applied to join the Southern Electric Premier League when a vacancy crops up.

A 'gold' accredited club both in terms of their well appointed Redlands ground and youth set-up, Weymouth won the Dorset Premier League in 2003 and again last season and want to improve the standard of cricket in which they play.

The SEPL has canvassed its 32 member clubs and, according to chairman Paddy Heffernan, received a "favourable" response to Weymouth's prospective entry into Division 3.

"They are out of our normal Hampshire pyramid catchment area and we know their ground may take time to reach in peak summer holiday periods," he said. "But Weymouth are a Gold standard club and would undoubtedly add quality to the SEPL, both on the playing front and in terms of ground and facilities.

"Yes, it will be a long drive for some teams, but only nine sides will have to go there each summer. You've got to remember that, if they join us, Weymouth would have to travel into Hampshire every other Saturday."

The Premier League season starts on May 6.

l ECB Indoor six-a-side cricket champions BAT Sports are on the Lord's trail again. After beating Easton & Martyr Worthy by 45 runs in the first round, they .are through to the semi-finals of the Hampshire championships - essentially the qualifying tournament for the national competition, which they won last month.

BAT's semi-final opponents on April 23 are Hook & Newnham, who enjoyed an impressive 22-run win over New Milton. Ben Briggs (42) and Ben Allnutt (32) pointed Hook towards a tidy 143-4, while only Lee Beck (37) offered much threat as New Milton reached 121-5.

Sarisbury Athletic trimmed a youthful Havant side by three wickets to clinch a semi-final pairing with Winchester KS, who included Hampshire's Billy Taylor, pictured. Keith Hammond took 2-18 as Havant struggled to 101-5 - and Sarisbury breezed past, with Steve Clark (31) and Mike Bond (26) undefeated.

Winchester got the better of Old Tauntonians & Romsey by 11 runs despite limping to only 106 (Paul Marks 27). Max Smith hit a half-century after taking 2-13 but OTs could only manage 95. Jimmy Taylor returned 2-27 for Winchester.