HAVING been bowled out for a punitive total, Woodgreen were staring defeat in the face before some extraordinary battling by Draper gave the home side victory by eight runs in a match reduced to 32 overs a side.

The Naish brothers, David, 18, and Gordon, 11, gave Woodgreen a steady start, but wickets tumbled to Odam, 4-23, and it was only Matt Venn, 16 not out, and David Parker, 14, who helped them to 94 as they were all out off 28.2 overs.

Draper looked to be coasting at 63-3 off 13 overs, with Jones, 38, leading the way. But as the dark clouds gathered, panic set in. All the visitors needed to do was to keep their wickets intact until the inevitable rain arrived. However, they seemed more interested in getting the game over as soon as possible, but the batsmen perished in the process.

They slumped from 70-5 to 78-8 against Geoff Angel, 6-43, and Ian Cousins, 2-17.

With the score on 85-9, the rain had reached the outfield and a faster rate victory looked likely. However their skipper took a big swing and was bowled leaving his side all out off 21 overs.

Godshill did not have such luck as they never saw a drop of rain all afternoon and came away from Stoneham Lane smarting from a 90-run defeat inflicted by Trojans II.

The home side's openers Babidge, 45, and Harring-ton, 44, put on 78 before they both fell to Pete Beale but then Das hit an unbeaten 75 to take the home side to 212-4, Godshill ruing a number of dropped chances.

Andy Lowe was the only batsman to make progress against Walker, 2-16 from 12 overs, and then Bixley took 4-9 to reduce Godshill to 122 all out in the 41st over.

Mark Newton, 28, and Steve Langford, 24, were the only Hyde batsmen to show any form as they were bundled out for 105. Lyndhurst looked to be heading for an easy victory at 27-1 when the game was washed out with no result after 5.3 overs.

Burley, playing their first match of the season, were hoping for a convincing start to their campaign but instead looked to be heading for defeat when Fawley removed them for 111 in the 40th over.

Les Browning, 41, and Mark Randall-Turner, 20, helped them recover from a poor start and then Simon Rowley, 15, made useful late order runs before they were bowled out by Braisher, 4-15, and Atkinson, 3-28.

Burley's opening attack of Paul Yates, 3-19, and Wayne Tucker kept a tight rein on the Fawley reply and when the players went off for rain after 20 overs, the rate had not increased and Fawley finished on 63-4 from 25 overs with only Shepherd, 27, taking the fight to the opposition as they lost on a slightly slower rate.

Alderholt have still not played any league cricket this season. Their third match was called off by BAT III who declared their ground was unfit.