BASINGSTOKE and North Hants lost ground in the race for a top-three place after their game at Reading was abandoned due to rain.

The visitors gained six Home Counties League points from the match but their nearest rivals Banbury collected nine against Luton as both teams had batted for 25 overs before rain washed out that game.

With second-placed High Wycombe's game also abandoned, Banbury have moved into second spot and that sets up a third-against-fourth clash at May's Bounty on Saturday when High Wycombe are the visitors.

At Reading, the home side reached 53-4, chasing 101 for victory. Basingstoke skipper Lee Nurse said: "We fancied our chances of victory but there was no way we could continue as there was water on the wicket and it would have made it too dangerous for the quick bowlers.

"Out top order failed again but then we had them 5-3." That was mainly thanks to Charl Willoughby who took two wickets in one over as opener Nick Harvey was trapped leg before and then Tom Fray was caught behind by wicket-keeper Ross Hunter, also for a duck.

Fellow opening bowler Chris Chandler then had the other home opener Jon Perkins snapped up for three as Hunter took another catch.

That brought Bjorn Mordt and Sam Patel together and the pair shared the best stand of the match of 48 before Jon Govett clean-bowled Patel for 21. That left Mordt unbeaten on 23 and Reading 48 short of their target.

Earlier in the contest, Nurse won the toss and again decided to bat first. However, he was the first of five victims for left-arm quick bowler Chris Batt, being trapped leg before.

Fellow opener and top Basingstoke scorer Ian Maynard was the next man back to the pavilion as he was caught behind off another Batt ball for 23, which included four fours.

That started the decline for the visitors as three wickets fell in the next four overs as Basingstoke slumped to 53-5.

Ross Hunter became only the second player to make it to double figures but Batt struck again and Hunter was dismissed for 17.

The only other player to make it into double figures was Willoughby, who hit two fours in his 12 not out, sharing a last wicket stand of 15 with Chandler as Basingstoke were bowled out for 100 after 37.2 ov