BASINGSTOKE and North Hants completed their season in style with a resounding win over rivals Reading at May's Bounty on Saturday.

In Charl Willoughby's last-ever game for the club - after six years' service - the South African paceman and Chris Chandler produced a fearsome home bowling attack to skittle out the visitors for just 83.

Willoughby took 3-44 and Chandler a more impressive 5-26 as Basingstoke bowled Reading out in under two hours.

Chandler found swing in his deliveries that Reading were unable to deal with and, coupled with some fine fielding, thanks to catches by Dean Nurse, Ian Maynard and James Morris, Basingstoke raced towards victory.

They finished the job off with the bat in equally swift fashion - just over an hour.

After skipper Lee Nurse was dismissed for eight, Maynard (39) and Nurse (23) hastened the score along. Julian Wood secured the winning runs and the match was all over by 2.10pm - after Basingstoke had faced a mere 20.3 overs.

Opener Nurse said: "It was really important that we won the toss or we might have been in a similar situation to Reading.

"With the earlier 10.30am starts, the wicket is still dewy and there's a lot of stuff still in the air that will affect the ball flight. That's why we had to win the toss.

"Chris Chandler bowled really well and Reading couldn't work out how to bat against him. With Charl taking three wickets as well, we knew we'd beat Reading.

"Ian and Dean put a good partnership together, then Woody came in a hit a few fours and that was it. It was nice to have defeated our local rivals so easily and early, because we could all go out and have a good last night out with Charl."

Willoughby returned home to Cape Town yesterday, but his surprise return - after duties with the South African A team in Zimbabwe - for the final two matches of the Home Counties premier division one season helped inspire two wins that ensured Basingstoke ended the season in sixth place.