UNITED Services suffered the heaviest competitive defeat in their history, barely 48 hours after Hampshire took County Championship cricket away from their Burnaby Road ground.

Reeling from the financial consequences of losing this summer's scheduled county matches against Lancashire and Sussex because of a sub-standard pitch, Services mustered only ten players for the Hampshire League County Division 1 visit to Leckford.

They coped well enough with the bat as Andy Taylor (86) and Andrew Ainsley (56) helped post 249 all out.

But US, who lie 12th after a fourth successive defeat, were unable to halt the post-tea run glut led by Martyn Isherwood (103 not out) and Jason Bulpitt (80) who shared a 180 opening stand before a quick-fire half-century by Ben Reynolds swept Leckford to a thumping nine-wicket win.

Sparsholt continue to lead Division 1 by three points from Rowledge after a six-wicket victory over neighbours Easton & Martyr Worthy, who tumbled to 103 all out against Andy Lang (4-35) and Carl Nicholls (3-15).

Newly-promoted Row-ledge chased Portsmouth's imposing 214-6 to win by five wickets and stay eight points ahead of Hursley Park, whose fine run continued with an eight-wicket win over St Cross Symondians.

An unbroken third-wicket stand of 125 between Paul Edwards (78) and Steve Rothwell (37) carried Hursley Park home after St Cross had made 135-9 (Nick Wolstenholme 35).

New Milton's prospects received a jolt in a rain-affected affair in Basingstoke, where Peter Came's 91 took Old Basing to a weather-adjusted 151-4 and to a six-wicket win. Lee Beck (50) top scored in New Milton's 187 all out.

Mario Mohamed (59) and Mohammed Ahmed (44) put on 93 as Trojans climbed to fifth spot, beating lowly OTs & Romsey II by 112 runs at Stoneham Lane.

Nigel le Bas (27) and Simon Williams (25) took Trojans on to 236-9 before a four-wicket spell by Chris Mitchell and Kissinger McLean's three-victim strike rushed OTs out for 124.

A century by Penton's Roy Burch poured more woe on relegation-threat-ened Winchester KS II, and an unbeaten 58 by New Zealander Steve Teepa failed to save Antelope & Castle from a six-wicket defeat at Purbrook.

One-time Gosport footballer Gary Juryeff (96) struck a league best 96 as the Borough stayed three points ahead of Southsea in the Division 2 promotion chase.

Gosport's 268-5 was far too many for Petersfield, while heavy scoring by Mark Smith and Dave Chisholm got Southsea home by four wickets against Andover (203 all out).

Steve Benbough, with an unbeaten 165, and Chris Newton (123 not out) set a new County Division 2 batting record as South Wilts II piled up 309-1 in the Bemerton 'Test' against neighbours Salisbury Wanderers. The pair added 286 for the second wicket, before Wanderers replied with a creditable 242-8.

Western Australian all-rounder Dave Lewis cracked 127 for third-placed Bashley-Rydal II, but Bournemouth's unbeaten Division 3 record was shattered at Bath Lane, where Fareham & Crofton boosted their own prospects with a 39-run win. Kevin Light and Nigel Raymond shone for Fareham while Australian import Simon Leahy bagged his third century for Sarisbury Athletic in the defeat of Ropley.

Keith Dubbins (152) led Ventnor's 366-run rampage against Longparish, and an unbeaten 124 by IBM's Andy Savage condemned Division 5 leaders Burridge to their first defeat.

Southern League leaders Bashley (Rydal) visit neighbours Bournemouth in the Europa Cup semi-final at Chapel Gate tonight (Thurs), 6pm.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.