LOWLY Riverside threw the Hampshire Inter-club League title race wide open with an astonishing 7-1 thrashing of leaders East Dorset.

The result saw East Dorset dethroned from the top spot which is now filled by Banister Park following their landslide victory against New Milton.

Previous leaders Palmerston bounced back into contention with an 8-0 whitewash of Chawton Park.

With just three matches to go, only 3.5 points separate the top three - and this Saturday sees the clash between East Dorset and Banister Park.

Tony Cook, Martin Brown, Ron Stamford and skip Peter Cox scored the most amazing of Riverside's three rink wins coming from 13-4 down at 12 ends to pip Liberty Trophy bowler Bill Ward 16-15, helped by a five on the 16th.

Roy Evans, Teifion Gadd, Roger Parsons and skip Eddie Bates (pictured) pulled off a splendid 17-13 victory by winning the last six ends against Liberty Trophy skip Nicky Jones, while John Maskell, Rod Prew, Luke Young and Simon Doig charged 11-0 ahead after just four ends as they defeated R Curtis 26-16.

Banister Park's 127-55 roasting of New Milton was the season's biggest winning margin.

The tricky New Milton carpet had Roy Alford's rink of Dave Deighton, John Halli-day and Brian Barber registered a 23-19 success backed by an equally solid display from Steve Rice's rink of Scot Finlayson, Mike Brett and Raj Kapur, who finished 23-17 up.

Runaway home wins by Denny Graydon, playing alongside Cliff Higgins, Geoff Norgate and Malcolm Comley, and John Joslin, partnered by Ralph Baker, Charlie Benjamin and Brian Dibdin, completed the rout.