SOUTHERN League Division One leaders Basingstoke and North Hants slipped to third in the league, after they lost to visiting Rowledge by five wickets.

A rain interrupted game at May’s Bounty saw the home side score 159, but the visitors were then given a revised total of 132 to chase in 34 overs and got home 16 balls to spare.

With second place Calmore Sports winning against Tichborne Park, they returned to top spot with four games left in the season.

Rowledge won the toss and put Basingstoke into bat with Dan Belcher the first man out with just five on the scoreboard.

Captain Mitch Stokes (33) and Chris Froud (30) put 57 for the second wicket, but Steven Martin (3-28) removed both of them.

The returning Will Phillips (19) hit the first six of the innings and George Metzger (17) moved the Bountymen past the 100 mark, but then in the space of one run both were out, leaving the home side on 107-5, as David Lloyd (4-24) removed both of them.

Brad Neal took up the mantle with an excellent 41 not out from 48 balls which included four fours and a six.

However, he ran out of partners as Basingstoke were all out for 159.

Due to a thunder storm, the visitors were given a revised total of 132 from 34 overs.

The Rowledge reply got off to the worst possible start, with openers Jake Wish and Joe Randall both back in the pavilion with only seven on the board, after David Griffiths (3-25) bowled them both.

Tom Treble was then the third man out caught by Phillips, as Martyn James snapped up a wicket and then Griffiths had Ian Metcalfe trapped leg before, as the visitors struggled to 32-4.

However, from here Rowledge started to hit back, as Sam Plater (25) helped the score to 49 and then an unbroken partnership worth 83 between Lloyd (43) and Martin (35) saw them home. Next weekend, the Bountymen have a really tough away trip to second placed Bournemouth.