Southern Premier Division 2.

Tichborne Park (103) lost to Ventnor (104-1).

Tichborne Park's fears of an immediate return to Southern Electric Premier League, Division 3 cricket next summer increased with a crushing nine-wicket defeat by title holders Ventnor at sunny Steephill.

Promoted as SPL3 runners-up last season, they were bowled out for 103 and resoundingly beaten in less than an hour.

The result stretched Ventnor's lead over second-placed Rowledge to six points and effectively 17 over Andover, who lie third.

Ventnor still have to play their two main challengers again next month, but they remain favourites for a fourth successive title.

Tichborne Park, in contrast, returned home pointless, although they still enjoy a superior points per match average than fellow strugglers Trojans, who have yet to win.

Give or take a grey cloud or two, the sun beat down all afternoon on Ventnor's unique Steephill bowl.

Playing conditions beneath St Boniface Down were in total contrast to the depressingly wet mainland, where virtually every game was rained off.

It didn't help Tichborne's cause that skipper Martin Cheyney called wrongly at the toss and the visitors, with only last week's solitary, hefty win at Lymington to show for their season's endeavours, found themselves batting on a predictably damp surface.

They progressed to 28 without loss - Ventnor spilling several catches, in addition to Ryan Shutte serving up some wayward bowling in an undistinguished opening session.

But once emergency opener Tom Allam had been snapped up at slip off Mark Holmes, Tichborne's top order went over domino-style.

Allam departed at 28, while Cheyney and Bruce Prevett fell in the next pavilion-end over from Freeston, who had 5 for 10 at one stage.

Freeston's bowling - he trapped both Gary Chalkley and, despite getting in a significant front foot stride, Nick Gerrard - before removing John Cook (bizarrely stumped after going walkabouts) to send the visitors tumbling from 28 for 0 to 43 for 6.

Paul Primmer had the answer to Tichborne's problems - put bat to ball!

He did so with some brute force, four sixes - two off each of Freeston and Holmes - in a breezy 38, which almost doubled the Tichborne score to 81 for 7 before Freeston got his sixth victim.

Will Allam (16) played some useful shots as well, but the end wasn't long coming as teenager Tom Friend and John Birchall each took a wicket to close the innings at 103 all out in 24.4 overs.

Tichborne's solitary success after tea came when Queensland-based teenager spinner Finlay Lester trapped Alex Lloyd (21) leg before.

Lester got one or two balls to turn, but his side was in a no-win situation as Ventnor pair Neil Westhorpe (35) and Shutte (40) began to dominate.

Surprisingly, skipper Cheyney didn't change the bowling and give either of the Allam brothers a bowl - Ventnor's damage had, after all, being caused by the seamers!

The Ventnor batsmen gave Cook a torrid time - extra-cover being a favourite scoring area as the SPL2 champions raced home to win by nine wickets in 19.2 overs.

Cook's nine overs cost 70 runs.