BASINGSTOKE and Mid Hants sit ninth in the Southern Athletics League Division One table after finishing third at their opening meeting of the season.

The team travelled to Bromley for their first match, taking on hosts Blackheath and Bromley, Tonbridge and Stevenage and North Herts.

They came third, amassing 165.5pts, but the result leaves them ninth out of 16 teams after the opening round of matches.

Basingstoke impressed in the sprints, with Dean Showler-Davis winning both the 100m and 200m, a feat matched by Myles Richardson in the B races.

The club also did the double in the 110m hurdles, with Andy Blow winning the main event and Ben Hazell the B race. Both went on to record second victories in other events, with Blow winning the B 400m and Hazell the javelin.

Freya Davis and Sian Kirk did the double in the 3,000m, with Davis recording a personal best time in the senior event, while Dave Ragan clocked a lifetime best in winning the 2,000m steeplechase.

The club's other winners were the men's 4x100m relay team, John Dickenson (B shot), Dan Spencer (B discus) and Joe Flitcroft (B hammer).

# Another Down Grange athlete, Dave Meacock, was the 51st runner home out of more than 38,000 at the London Marathon, clocking an impressive 2hr 29min 53sec.