HOLDERS BAT have opened up a 26-point lead at the top of the Hammond Jewellers South Hants Indoor Cricket League after a fourth consecutive victory of the season.

They are well clear of Paultons in second, although Winchester KS have two games in hand over the leaders looking ominous in fourth.

Dave Banks inspired the Tobaccomen as they put Lymington to the sword, crushing them by 60 runs.

Banks cracked an unbeaten 40 with Simon Preston (25) and Richard Kenway (25) for support as BAT piled up 147-2.

Despite Mike Caffyn's 26, the Foresters were never in the hunt, as ex-Hampshire Board man Banks chipped in with 3-18 to decimate the reply.

Winchester KS put paid to Paultons A's hopes of keeping tabs of the leaders as they recorded a 14-run win.

Havant & Waterlooville foot-baller James Taylor hit 25 not out, as did Chris Wheeler in the testing 118-2 total.

Thanks to some fine bowling from Paul Marks and Taylor, they limited the Ower side to 104-4, with Graham Chalk reaching 26 not out.

Third-placed Eastleigh slipped to their first defeat of the season when previously- winless Trojans beat them in a low-scoring contest to move the Stoneham Lane outfit off the bottom of the table.

Mario Mohammed struck 33 and Chris Mitchell 20 as Trojans reached 91-5, John Barnes picking up two wickets.

The early loss of Allan Hurst and Daniel O'Brien was a major blow before Richard Matthews steadied the ship with 21.

However, he became one of Richard Bull's three victims and Eastleigh fell 16 runs short at 75 all out.

Hursley Park now look odds-on favourites for relegation after they fell to a six-wicket defeat at the hands of Hythe & Dibden, leaving them rooted to the foot of the table and winless.

A high-scoring match saw Hursley post 123-1, thanks to Lowe (25), Wilcockson (25) and 40 extras, but it was not nearly enough as Hythe smashed their way to victory in just 7.1 overs.

Kevin James (26no) and Simon Wright (28no), coupled with 34 extras, saw the Watersiders home with ease.

The Division 2 title looks destined for Hambledon. They beat top-of-the-table rivals BAT B by 27 runs to record a fifth victory in five games.

Scott Sivier top scored for Hambledon with 32, as Archie Norris (25), Mark Jones (29) and Simon James (29) all reached retirement in their 139-4 total.

Gary Shotton (2-17) made inroads into the BAT reply before Mark Page gave the side some hope with an undefeated 34 - but it was too little, too late.

Langley Manor moved up to third with a 73-run hammering of Eastleigh B.

Ian Green hit an unbeaten 72 as the Colbury side posted 152-4, before Dave Peacock (3-5 in 2.4 overs) slammed the brakes on Eastleigh's reply.

Colin Day (22) and Nigel Clarke (20) had given them a good start but they then crashed to a paltry 79 all out.

The top of Division 3 is very tight with Locks Heath, Sarisbury Stallions and Wildern all bunched together on 29 points, with Lyndhurst just five points behind them in fourth.

Michelmersh and Timsbury head the Colts league but BAT are hot on their heels just eight points behind with a game in hand.

It promises to be an intriguing rest of the season with the second half of the programme getting under way next Sunday (January 14).