BASINGSTOKE and Mid Hants’ Maddie Deadman secured her first Hampshire Cross Country League win of the season in the fourth race of the series, producing a late surge to see off her main rival.

The event took place in Reading, with overnight rain making the course heavy in places, but Deadman was not to be denied.

She and Grace Copeland, from Wimborne, ran shoulder to shoulder for much of the 3.2km under-15 race, separating themselves from the rest of the field, but Deadman managed to move away in the closing 400m to win by two seconds.

The result leaves Deadman second in the standings heading into the final race of the season, a single point behind Copeland, so there will be all to play for in Bournemouth next month.

Rebecca Bullock was 14th as the Basingstoke team moved up to fourth in the overall standings.

A number of other Basingstoke athletes also claimed high finishes at Reading.

Freya Davis was the third under-23 woman home, with her ninth place overall helping Basingstoke to fourth place in the women’s team event.

Jermain Mays was ninth in the senior men’s race, five places ahead of Brendan O’Connor, who was the third under-23 home, while Alex Hamilton moved to the top of the veterans’ standings with victory at Reading.

Richard Sutton was third in the under-13 boys’ race, Harry Richardson was the 14th under-15 home and Dylan Bardell finished 19th in the under-17 event.

Isobel Manion was 19th in the under-13 girls’ race.