After eight successive wins, Old Tauntonians and Romsey have finally surrendered their unbeaten Southern Electric Premier League Division Three record.

They suffered a narrow defeat in a low scoring encounter against Trojans at the Sports Centre last Saturday.

“Defeat for the first time this season was a disappointment,” said acting captain Keith Trodd.

“Hopefully it is just a blip and, despite our nearest rivals winning on Saturday, we are still top of the table.

“Sparsholt away this week will not be easy but we need to regroup and get back to winning.”

Trodd put Trojans in to bat on a damp looking wicket and the visitors were struggling, taking some time to score their runs.

Ed Boyd was caught by Max Smith off the bowling of son Steve Smith and Simon Williams who had hit 24 from 29 runs succumbed lbw to Jon Dowling.

Hal Mohammad and Jack Lovett then painstakingly recovered their innings before Max Smith had the latter caught in the deep for 31.

Wickets were now falling at steady intervals as Charlie King and Max Smith again took charge. Mohammad was ninth out as he top scored with 35.

Max Smith completed his bowling spell with three wickets for 11 runs and King took 3 for 18.

Six Trojans batsmen failed to reach double figures and they would have been disappointed with their all out tally of 120.

But, on a drying wicket, OTs & Romsey made a disastrous start to their run chase, losing both Gus Flack and Max Smith with the score on five as the pacey Sam Husband, bowled both batsmen.

Danny Mills and Paul Longland slowly recovered until, with the score on 37, Mills was caught off Hal Mohammed.

Charlie King was trapped lbw to the same bowler and Longland holed out to Paul Williams, three wickets going down without a single run.

Twenty-four runs were added before Stuart Shapland was caught in the slips but it was 61 for 6 and some tenacity was needed from the OTs batsmen.

As with previous weeks they found a pair to put on 43 runs in acting skipper Trodd and born again batsman Danny Mogg.

Nudging singles and twos and the very occasional boundary the pair brought them to within 17 of their target when Trodd was well caught for a patient 23.

Jon Dowling failed to score and, after Mogg was bowled by Donaldson, the last wicket pair of Jack Bransgrove and Steve Smith could not survive, Donaldson picking up his third wicket as Smith was bowled.