BASINGSTOKE and North Hants batting let them down again, as they lost to reigning Southern League Premier Division Havant by 111 runs at May’s Bounty.

The visitors having been put into bat made a slow start reaching 49-1 from 20 overs, thanks to Basingstoke’s opening pair of bowlers Martyn James and Graham Porter.

Havant started to accelerate the run rate thanks to Stuart Ransley (40) and Andrew Gorvin (24).

The home side’s Mitch Stokes (3-58) had Ransley caught behind by Lawrence Benge and Bradley Neal bowled Gorvin.

Stokes then also removed Harry Gadd leaving the visitors on 130-4.

From here top scorer in the game, Christopher Stone took over and supported by Richard Hindley (29) and Jeremy Bulled (21 not out) they moved the score past 200.

Stone (75), which included 13 fours, was sixth man out bowled by Stokes, which ended his 82 ball stay at the centre.

In the end Havant declared on 229-7 after 63.5 overs, leaving Basingstoke a target of 230 from 57 overs.

After the early loss of Chris Froud for two, Ben Thane and Dan Belcher set about building a platform for victory, as they added 68 for the second wicket.

Belcher was the second man out, but at 76-2, the home side looked in a good position, which they proceeded to throw away.

It soon became 90-4, as Sibonelo Makhanya and Stokes departed quickly.

However, worst was to follow as from 115-4 the Bountymen were shot out for 118.

Top scorer Ben Thane (57) was the first to depart in the 30th over and then after that the batting line-up just collapsed, as Richard Hindley and Christopher Morgan took four wickets each.

A Gorvin run out ended the game with the home side well short of their target.

A very disappointed Basingstoke captain Stokes said: “We bowled well, and I would have taken 229 at the start of the day, but once again we have batted really badly.”

Next for the Bountymen is a trip to Alton on Saturday.