Former Hampshire cricketer James Schofield and Ian Stuart have kick-started Easton & Martyr Worthy’s season with an overdue win.

The pair played lead roles as Easton got off the mark in Hampshire League, County Division One with a two-wicket win over Old Basing at Cockets Mead.

Schofield took 5-38 as Old Basing were reduced to 162 (Darren Turner 37), while Stuart (52) top scored with half-century as Easton, with John Sparks (39) and Mark Padwick (38) in support, got home with four balls to spare.

It was only Easton’s second competitive win in two seasons.

Easton’s victory – they won only once while relegated from Southern Electric Premier Division 3 last summer – leaves St Cross Symondians III and Purbrook as the only sides still chasing a first win.

St Cross suffered a fourth straight defeat, losing by 70 runs at Alton, while Purbrook (167) lost by three wickets to Lymington II, despite a fine show by Hampshire Under-16 prospect Josh McCoy, who hit a half-century and then took four wickets.

Alex Adams hit 103 to steer Locks Heath out of trouble and to a four-wicket win over Gosport Borough at Warsash Road.

Locks Heath lost four cheap wickets chasing Borough’s 225, but Adams (103) and Liam Moggeridge, with a crucial 54 not out, tilted the balance.

Lee Harrop (61) and Michael Jenkins (51) top scored for Gosport, with LH skipper Jack Levy taking 3-46.

South African Byron Haycock hit his second century of the season to repair the early damage Portchester’s Dave O’Neil (3-18) did to the Waterlooville batting at Rowlands Avenue.

Haycock (105) was dropped three times but shared a match winning fourth-wicket stand with Dave Howe (50) as the Ville recovered from 40-3 to post 269-7 and win by 172 runs.

Brett Spicer played a star role as Ellingham recovered from 35-5 to overhaul a Hook & Newnham Basics II score of 165.

Spicer bagged a hat-trick and then rescued Ellingham with a battling 55 before Phil Turner (43 not out) piloted the New Forest side out of the choppier waters of 117-6.