RELEGATION-THREATENED Woodgreen slipped further down the County Division 3 South table after a three-wicket defeat to fellow strugglers Fawley 2nds.

Three teams go down and two of them, Rowner and Sarisbury Athletic, are virtually certain of the drop. However, the next two teams, Hambledon 2nds and Fawley 2nds, have an identical average of 11.75 while Woodgreen have an average of 12.42.

There are five matches in August and in all of them Woodgreen have to play teams above them whereas Hambledon and Fawley meet each other so one of them is bound to improve their average.

Woodgreen started well against Fawley as Josh Bishop (33) and Laurence Harding (14) shared in an opening stand of 55. Then the wheels came off as six wickets fell for 20 runs as the home side slumped to 71-6.

Things improved as 93 runs were added for the last four wickets, lifting Woodgreen to 164-9.

Although there were two wickets apiece for Jason Naish (2-30), Harley (2-32) and Potts (2-36), it could not stop Fawley from winning with five balls to spare as Ian Painter (82) led the way with Craig Shelland (20) in support.

A half-century for Luke Hancock and five wickets for John Driscoll saw Verwood to a 64-run victory when they visited Burley in the County Division 4 South.

Alongside Charlie Gajic (35), Hancock (55) shared in an opening stand of 99 before both fell to Paul Yates (2-33) who was playing his first match for four years.

Adam Richmond (47) and Eric Pearson (21) put on 60 for the fifth wicket and, with Jordan Bishop making 25, Verwood reached a challenging 221-7 with two wickets each for Ollie Thew (2-48) and Craig Doick (2-45).

Burley lost wickets early as Scott McLeonards (2-26) and Ali Gajic (2-39) restricted the visitors.

Although they were well behind the clock, Yates (50) and Wayne Tucker (16) tried to revive the innings with a sixth wicket stand of 50 but Driscoll (5-25) was the cause of their downfall as they were all out for 157 in 41 overs.

It was a blank weekend for Ellingham as both sides lost to their respective Locks Heath teams.

After a slow start at Picket Post in which the first 23 overs produced a a score of 43-1, the seconds were bowled out for 170 in 42 overs.

The first team did little better at Locks Heath in County Division 1 as the home side posted 212-9. Sean Leadbetter (34), Ben Goram (26) and Russell Starks (27) got good starts but, with nobody able to dominate the attack, Ellingham were all out for 160.