New Milton (150-5) beat Fair Oak (149 all out).

Fair Oak's stop-start season continued with a third defeat in a row; their last win came at Bashley on June 2nd, but in fairness this was only their third game since then!

Batting first, Oaks lost Tom Hockenhull to a run-out without facing a ball, and fellow opener Andy Sturman also departed without troubling the scorers. New Milton bowlers Lee Beck and Andy Snellgrove gave little away, but Shayne Freemantle (21) and Ryan Tate (15) got the Fair Oak innings under way before both fell in quick succession to Dan Loader (4-37), pictured right.

George Pothas hit 38 and Derek Manning 27 in the middle order, but there was a swift clatter of wickets when Oaks tried to up the pace. The visitors were eventually bowled out for 149 in the last over of their allocation.

New Milton opener Steve Watts took 72 balls to crawl to 8, but partner Ben Edgell played the key innings. Watts fell to Greig Stewart (1-26) with the score on 57, and Derek Roets soon followed him back to the pavilion, bowled by James Featherstone for 3.

Ian Griffiths (16) then gave Edgell valuable support in a third-wicket stand of 46. The reintroduction of Andy Mash (3-33) reaped rewards, but Loader contributed 14 not out as Edgell closed the game out, still unbeaten at the close with 88 to his name.

Floods at Lapstone Park accounted for Fair Oak II's scheduled Hampshire County Division 4 home game with Sparsholt II.

Fair Oak III, meanwhile, lost narrowly in their 2 North East derby at Colden Common.

Common, with four ex-Oaks in their lineup, made 127 all out with seven batsmen in double figures but none reaching 20. Richie Hunt, David Niven and Lee Rennison took three wickets each for the visitors.

Oaks were less consistent with the bat and paid the price. Dave Slowgrove (24), Andy Chapman (28) and Shaun Buttle (16) were the only men in double figures as Fair Oak were bowled out for 110. Ultra-slow bowler Simon Kelly took 5 for 30 and Richard Saville 3 for 28 for the victors.

In-form opener Graham Dring hit 56 and Ryan Goodyear 29 as Fair Oak IV posted a useful 164 all out at home to Highfield II in Division 4 South Central. Wasim Khan and Deepesh took three wickets each.

In reply Highfield were in the box seat at 110 for 2, Wasim blasting a rapid 69 and Phil Colmer 48. But Oaks kept chipping away, Ben Powis bowling superbly to claim 5 for 29. In a tense finish Jake Kendall bowled Highfield's last man with the total still four runs adrift of their target.