Wimborne Team Mega Bait produced a superb show in the final round of the Hants, Wilts & Dorset Winter League on the Pewsey stretch of the Kennet and Avon canal to rob Eastleigh of the runners-up spot.

Wimborne's last-ditch effort earned them a place in the national semi-finals for the second year in a row.

Eastleigh always looked to have the edge for runners-up spot in this year's league behind runaway winners Pewsey.

However an outstanding Wimborne performance of 99.5 section points in the final round compared to Eastleigh's 80 saw their seven point lead go up in smoke.

Wimborne now travel to the Grand Union Canal for the runners-up final, while league champions Normark Pewsey Sensas head to the Warwickshire Avon.

Points on the day: Wimborne 99.5, Pewsey 82.5, Eastleigh 80, Ringwood 73, Raiders 67.5, TVAC 64.5, Salisbury 58, Andover 51.5, Downton 35, Christchurch 32.

Overall points: Pewsey 526.5, Wimborne 474, Eastleigh 461, Ringwood 418, Raiders 413.5, Salisbury 385, TVAC 354.5, Andover 349.5, Christchurch 301.5, Downton 248.

Individually, Wimborne's Steve Hemmings needed just 1lb 14oz of small fish in a dour frost-effected event from Milk House to win from TVAC's Cliff Carbis with 1lb 9oz. Eastleigh's Graham Tappen-den was third with 1.b 7oz.

Others: A Miller (Wimborne) 1lb 5oz, D Wade (Downton) 1lb 4oz, D Pool (Pewsey) 1lb 2oz.

Hemmings' victory also secured him the individual knockout trophy with his 1lb 14oz comfortably enough to beat Ringwood's Tim Bawn with 12oz.

Pewseys' Nick Greek was third with 11oz and Raiders Paul Hollyoak fourth with 7oz.

The individual points championship on the day went to Pewsey's Steve Nadin with an impressive 58 points out of 60 from Wimborne's Andy Miller with 53.5 points and Ringwood's Tim Bawn with 50.

Section winners: A: C Carbis (TVAC) 1lb 9oz, B: T Mason (Raiders) 14oz, C: S Hemmings (Wimborne) 1lb 5oz, E: S Seabright (Ringwood) 1lb, F: D Self (Eastleigh) 12oz, G: A Hillman (TVAC) 14oz, H: P Edwards (Wimborne) 10oz, J: N Jones (TVAC) 7oz, K: W Halliday (Wimbourne) 12oz, L: D Pool (Pewsey) 1lb 2oz, M: G Tappenden (Eastleigh) 1lb 7oz.