KIERAN Thomson smashed his way to 157 as Hook and Newnham Basics retained their position at the top of the Southern League Division One table with a 37-run win over visiting Totton and Eling.

The opening batsman hit 14 fours and eight sixes during the course of his excellent 111-ball innings, putting on 128 for the second wicket with Matt Love (65) as Hook reached 333-9 from their 50 overs.

The hosts found wickets hard to come by throughout the Totton innings.

The strugglers also had a century maker, with opener Tom Arnold hitting an unbeaten 129 batting out the entire 50 overs, but they were unable to keep up with the rate, eventually reaching 296-5.

Hook remain top of the pile, 10 points clear of closest challengers New Milton, who edged past Bournemouth, winning by nine runs.

Having won the toss, Love chose to make first use of an excellent batting surface at the King George V Playing Fields on Saturday.

It was a decision he wasn't to regret as openers Thomson and Ben Thane (35) put on 72 together.

Thane's dismissal brought Love to the crease and he and Thomson proceeded to take the game away from the visitors with a sparking partnership.

Love hit 65 from just 69 balls as they put on 128 together, falling with the score on 200 and Thomson just short of his century.

The opener brought up three figures in the early stages of a 61-run partnership with Matt Buckingham (36 from 33 balls), going on to reach 157 before falling with the score on 308.

The opener brought up three figures in the early stages of a 61-run partnership with Matt Buckingham (36 from 33 balls), going on to reach 157 before falling with the score on 308.

Arnold did his best, making 129 from 154 balls, supported by Tom Beresford (33) and Josh Metcalfe, who hit an unbeaten 60 from 32 balls in an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 96.

Despite this late counter-attack, Totton were too far behind the run-rate to really threaten Hook, but they did prevent the hosts taking maximum points from the game.

SCORECARD

Hook and Newnham Basics
B Thane c E Taylor b Hamid 35
K Thomson c Dibden b E Taylor 157
M Love c Arnold b Perrin 65
M Buckingham c Jenkin b Perrin 36
N Willcock c Mooney b E Taylor 4
J Buckingham st Arnold b E Taylor 15
B Allnutt c Dibden b E Taylor 8
R Willcock not out 6
S Champ st Arnold b E Taylor 0
S Brewer run out (Arnold) 0
A Divecha not out 1
Extras 6
Total (for 9 wickets, 50 overs) 333

Fall: 1-72, 2-200, 3-261, 4-287, 5-308, 6-320, 7-329, 8-330, 9-330

Bowling: L Mooney 7-1-50-0, O Perrin 10-2-62-2, J Taylor 2-0-17-0, A Hamid 6-0-44-1, J Metcalfe 8-0-52-0, E Taylor 7-0-62-5, A Fletcher 10-0-44-0

Totton and Eling
T Arnold not out 129
A Hamid c J Buckingham b Champ 6
A Fletcher c N Wilcock b Thomson 22
J Taylor lbw b Divecha 15
N Jenkin lbw b Brewer 8
T Beresford c Love b Divecha 33
J Metcalfe not out 60
Extras 23
Total (for 5 wickets, 50 overs) 296

Fall: 1-39, 2-81, 3-111, 4-142, 5-200

Bowling: S Champ 10-2-41-1, S Brewer 10-0-64-1, B Thane 10-0-60-0, K Thomson 9-0-64-1, A Divecha 10-0-45-2, M Buckingham 1-0-15-0

RESULT: Hook and Newnham Basics (19 points) beat Totton and Eling (9) by 37 runs