James Taylor swapped his Team Solent player/coaches soccer role for his Totton & Eling cricket kit – and produced a superb all-round performance against Southern Electric Premier League Division 3 opponents Trojans at Southern Gardens.

Taylor hit six maximums and 12 fours in an innings of 122 which underpinned Totton’s 225-6 and then took 4-21 with the ball.

But it was all in vain for Taylor as Trojans snatched a two-wicket win on the back of top order performances from the evergreen Simon Williams (63), Dan Babidge (51) and Ed Boyd (31).

But at 195-7, Trojans still had plenty to do.

Jai Slanke and teenager Jonathon Wright got the Stoneham visitors across the line.

Teenager Will Wade and Joe Cranch hit half-centuries as South Wilts II opened their SPL3 campaign with an eight-wicket demolition of Basingstoke & North Hants II at Bemerton.

Dom Webb took 4-34 as the visitors crumbled to 77-7 before skipper Chris Chandler (45) gave them some hope.

Marc Burton’s 3-32 return ended the innings at 118 all out.

Wade (52 not out) and Joe Cranch (51) saw South Wilts home in just 30 overs, the pair each hitting ten boundaries to ensure South Wilts took maximum points. Last year’s Hampshire League champions, Lymington II, began with a 26-run victory over St Cross Symondians, but owed much to their late order batsmen.

Jamie Aldridge (3-21) and Nick O’Connor (3-50) had Lymington in difficulty at 106-8 (Drew Robinson 29), but Ed Molloy (25 not out) but Josh Goodchild added vital runs to take the hosts on to 144 all out.

St Cross sank to 80-9 (Kevin Neave 32) against Goodchild (4-33), Guy Layman (3-49) and Martin Gregory (2-16) but rallied to make 118 all out.

Havant II’s 198 all out (Andrew Galliers 57) proved too many for newly promoted Gosport Borough, who tumbled to 70-6 before Tom Larner (50) made a late impact.

Left-arm spinners Gary Burns (5-40) and Phil Loat (2-39), alongside Peter Hayward (2-21), took the bowling credits.

Tim Jackson, who has moved from Havant to Waterloville, starred on debut for the SPL3 title favourites.

He took 3-23 and then hit an unbeaten 81 as the Ville powered past Alton II’s 173-9.