GLYN TREAGUS struck a glorious century and shared a prolific third-wicket partnership with Ben Craft as Lymington maintained their lead in Division 2 with a 43-run win over Sparsholt.

A fourth straight win enabled Lymington to stay three points clear of Hursley Park, whom they play at The Quarters on Saturday.

Alton's 91-run defeat by Ventnor means that Lymington and Hursley Park - who won by seven wickets at Calmore Sports - are out on their own at the top, although only the first-placed side goes up.

Treagus was in dominant form against Sparsholt, thriving on a Sports Ground 'shirtfront' and dictating the pace of a 91-run start with Martin Hunt (22).

The prolific Karl Whatham went cheaply - like Hunt, dismissed by seamer Andy Pryce (2-47) - ironically, shortly before receiving the Premier Division 2 Southern Electric award for a series of top performances in May.

But any prospect Sparsholt had at 98-2 of containing the Lymington run spree ended when Treagus and Craft came together.

The pair added 162 for the third wicket in 21 overs - Craft hitting a six and ten fours in his 86, and Treagus striking a fluent 111, which included 11 boundaries.

Former Hampshire man James Schofield (1-38) bowled economically for Sparsholt, but a pre-tea fling by Danny Peacock (20) lifted Lymington towards a powerful 291-5.

Sparsholt needed a major contribution from one of their top order but, although every one of their players got a start, no one made a fifty.

Tim Richings (40), Andy Heyes (44) and Ryan Maddix (36) top scored as Sparsholt responded with a creditable 248-7 to collect maximum batting bonus points.

Hursley Park reduced calamitous Calmore Sports to 55-8 before a tail-end rally averted a total rout at Loperwood Park.

The Calmore batsmen could scarcely lay a bat on Hampshire's Billy Taylor (2-26), while Stuart Wilson (1-12) proved almost as effective.

Pete Clark and Martin Bushell got into double figures, but the middle-order gave way against the nagging Andy Marks (4-21) and Martin Taylor (2-17).

But Nigel Hill provided dogged resistance and allowed last pair James Lucy (30 not out) and Mark Boston (21 not out) the breathing space from which to add 42 and lift Calmore to a more respectable 124-9.

Injured Calmore skipper James Hibberd watched the batting horror-show from the boundary line.

"I'm itching to get back to try and sort things out on the field, but I won't know until this week exactly what the extent of my back injury is," he said.

Hursley Park promptly lost Jimmy Taylor, but Adrian Small (43) and Paul Edwards (37 not out) effectively sealed Calmore's fate as the visitors got in with 20 overs to spare.

St Cross Symondians celebrated their first win of the season - leaving Gosport Borough anchored to the basement -with a comfortable 97-run win over the visitors at the Royal Green Jackets ground.

Ben Adams (46) held an uncertain St Cross top order together to enable skipper Graham Barrett and Mark Padwick (44) to hoist the eventual score to 242-6.

Barrett had made a league-best 81 but, just before tea, top edged an intended sweep shot into his mouth and retired from the game.

His fielding replacement Stuart Charman defied a pulled muscle and clung on to two catches.

Queenslander Ryan Hale (32), Lee Wateridge (25) and Mike Rees (20) took Borough's reply to 78-1, but once the high-scoring Aussie became one of four victims for Alan Whitman (4-40), the innings collapsed. Only Pete Robson (27) made much impression as Gosport sank from 87-2 to 117-8 and 145 all out, with spin pair Will Mariner (4-26) and Mark Padwick (2-11) controlling the terms.