Basingstoke & North Hants are facing a six-match battle to avoid relegation having only been promoted back into the ECB Southern Premier League at the end of last season.

A crushing eight-wicket defeat by fellow strugglers Alton has left Basingstoke in second from bottom position, effectively only two points off the bottom place occupied all season long by Havant.

The situation could have been ever worse for Basingstoke had early evening rain not led to the abandonment of Havant's home match with Bashley (Rydal).

At 62-6 chasing Havant's 246-9, Bashley were facing almost certain defeat when the rains came.

"Had that game finished and Havant drawn or won, we would be bottom now," lamented Basingstoke skipper Joe Oates, whose side visits Burridge in the final round of Time pennant maches on Saturday.

"In Augut, we revert to white ball 50-over cricket with visits to South Wilts, Havant and Bashley (Rydal). Lymington and the Hampshire Academy come to the Bounty.

"We've got to win two of those, with the outcome of the Havant game on August 17 potentially critical."

Basingstoke were in grave danger of being bowled out well before lunch by Alton, who had them six wickets down for 53 after 15 overs.

Bash Walters (3-60) and Jude Wright (4-55) did the damage before Brad Neal, aided by Matt Deadman (25), produced a salvo performance, hitting three sixes and ten fours in a superb 89.

Once established at the crease, Neal and Deadman (25) produced some expansive shots  adding 91 before Oates (22) and Abhijeet Saranath helped the total to 212.

Neal was last man out, caught on the boundary  for a well made 89 including 10 fours and three sixes, when he was caught on the boundary off the bowling of Tom South.

Alton had 75 overs in which to reach the 213 - but early evening rain was threatening to undo the Brewers' efforts.

Conscious of the dark, rain bearing clouds approaching, Alton polished off the target in the 40th over, with Dan Harris smacking 94, an innings which contained 16 fours and a six and was ended with a boundary catch by Deadman.

Harris shared a century stand with in-form Ben Rolfs (57 not out) before Wright put bat to ball with great effect and blazed 52 off 24 balls including two big sixes and nine fours.

* Basingstoke's woes continued with a 23-run Southern Premier League T20 Cup quarter-final defeat by third tier outfit Parley, wh comfortably defended 97-8.  Stoke were dsmissed for 74, with Brad Neal (32) once again top scorer.