DEFENDING Hants, Wilts & Dorset Winter League champions Pewsey Sensas are assured of the title once again this year.

They swept to their fourth straight victory in this year's series and now hold a 63.5 points advantage going into the final match on January 13. That means they only have to turn up to collect the crown and progress to the national semi-finals.

In an appalling affair on an out-of-sorts canal, weights were at an all-time low and mere ounces collected good section points. Pewsey finished on 83 points, which included three section wins.

Dorset Raiders, who lost all chances of finishing runners-up to Pewsey and progressing to the semi-finals in the previous round on the cana,l restored some pride by finishing second on the day with 78 points. Ringwood were third with 76.5 and Wimborne fourth with 72 points.

Others: Eastleigh 71, TVAC 59.5, Christchurch 57.5, Downton 55, Salisbury 52.5, Andover 46.5.

With Pewsey home and hosed with 444.5 points already in the bank, the runners-up spot and coveted semi-final place now rests between Eastleigh, who have 381 points, and Wimborne with 374.5.

Others: Dorset Raiders 346, Ringwood 345, Salisbury 327, Andover 298, TVAC 290, Christchurch 269, Downton 213.

Individually, Ian Sampson (Ringwood) took 3lb 13oz of bream on maggot and caster over chopped worm from Bristons Bridge on the pole to get the better of Dorset Raiders Paul Hollyoak. He took 3lb 8oz of skimmers and roach on the pole from the turning bay at Ladysbridge.

Pewsey's Steve Pomery finished third with 3lb 6oz of tench and skimmers from the wharfe, with Christchurch's Julian Taylor fourth with 3lb 2oz.

Others: M Illingworth (Eastleigh) 3lb 1oz, G Tappenden (Eastleigh) 2lb 14oz. Section winners: A: Pomery (Pewsey) 3lb 6oz, B: A West (TVAC) 1lb 4oz, C: J Bass (Christchurch) 2lb 2oz, D: J Tayulor (Christchurch) 3lb 3oz, E: E Tappenden (Eastleigh) 2lb 10oz, F: M Harvey (Pewsey) 2lb 8oz, G: D Roper (Salisbury) 1lb, H: I Sampson (Ringwood) 3lb 13oz, J: B Hanson (Dorset Raiders) 15oz, K: S Nadin (Pewsey) 8oz, L: P Hollyoak (Dorset Raiders) 3lb 8oz, M: B Drew (Eastleigh) 5oz.

In the semi-finals of the individual knockout, Steve Hemmings (Wimborne) 12oz beat Steve Nadin (Pewsey) 8oz, Nick Greek (Pewsey) 13oz beat Chris Albiston (Christchurch) 4oz, Paul Hollyoak (Wimbourne) 3lb 8oz beat Julian Taylor (Christchurch) 3lb 2oz, and Tim Bawn (Ringwood) 1lb 3oz beat Tony Bunstein (Andover) 1oz. The four winners will contest the final.

In the individual points championship, Steve Nadin (Pewsey) leads the league with an incredible 49 out of 50 section points from Tim Bawn (Ringwood) and 44.

Others: A Miller (Wimborne) 43.5, A Palmer (Pewsey) 43, M Illingworth (Eastleigh) 42, N Greek (Pewsey) 41.5.

In the final round of the Mid Hants Winter League on the Slough arm of The Grand Union Canal, Hansfords suffered a disaster with five members of the squad returning two points which saw them pipped at the post for runners-up spot and a place in the semi-finals by BBC Tackle.

Wickford comfortably regained their title and, individually, Hansfords' Tom Stone fished a superb match to take 7lb to the scales of roach and rudd.

Stone caught 2lb in the first hour before switching to blood worm for the rest of the match.

The fourth round of The Hansfords Greenridge Farm Winter Series went to Homestores Select's Graham Tappenden who needed just 15lb 4oz of small carp on the pole and maggot over ground bait from peg one on canal one to comfortably score from Dave Self with 11lb 9oz of small carp from peg 11.

Mori Townsend finished third with 9lb 8oz with Alan Hyde fourth with 8lb 1 oz.

Overall, Tom Stone (Hansfords) leads with 47 points from Graham Tappenden (Hansfords) with 44, Alan Hyde is third with 41 and M White and D Self share fourth with 40.

Mike Smith's Hordle Lakes always produces the goods this time of the year and again did so for the Cormorants Club match.

Richie Yeo (Cormorant Sillybait) took 15 carp for 48lb 12oz on the method feeder from the dam wall on Bobs Lake fishing to the island with maggot.

Kaz Posadowski finished second with 45lb 8oz of carp, including fish to 14lb also from the dam wall, with a late run of five fish in the last hour which left him a fish short of the winner.

Mickey Hills finished third with 37lb 4oz with Simon Hambridge fourth with 32lb 2oz.

Others: G Maton 31lb 4oz, K Moulton 30lb 8oz, Godfrey Edwards finished top weight from the Tench Lake with 24lb of small carp.