Classy show as Rachel lands treble

Although competing as a non-scoring team in division three as they missed the first two fixtures, the Lewes contingent chalked up 128 to beat Sussex rivals Haywards Heath by 18 points, with Paddock Wood scoring 107 in third place and Redhill 53 in fourth.

Basford won both the 100 and 400 metres hurdles in 18.6 and 81.1 seconds respectively, which was a good effort as the 400 hurdles always clashes with the hammer in which her throw of 43.08m gave her a third victory,

Basford, who had a share in a fourth victory as a member of the 4x400m relay team, said: 'We must get better organised for next season as I am certain that had we fielded teams in the first two matches we would be challenging for promotion.'

Annie Onions scored a jumps double, winning the long jump with a leap of 4.81m and triple jump with 10.47m.

Becky Hawkes, who had finished second in both the 400 and 800m in 71.3 and 2:41.4 respectively, shared first place in the high jump, clearing 1.30m, with Pauline Keep, the mother of injured under-15 middle-distance runner Lizzie, winning the B jump in clearing 1.20m. Pauline was also a member of the winning relay team with Hawkes and Basford.

In a tough discus competition Gwen Bird was squeezed into second place despite throwing a high respectable 35.57m, while Emily Thornton won the shot putt with 8.92m.

In the under-15 age group events Jessica Lewis completed a hat-trick, winning the 75m hurdles in 13.7, the 1,500m in 5:31.1 and the B 200m in 30.7.

Isabella King had won the A 200m in the same time and took the 800m in 2:42.0, while Ellie Harley won the long jump with a leap of 4.21m, the B 75m hurdles in 14.2 and finished second in the shot putt with 7.25m.

Lewes's Chris Pilling at last broke his personal best when he competed at the Thurrock midweek meeting at Grays, Essex. Having been stuck on 3.80m since the Sussex Schools Championships in early June, he soared over 3.90m, a clearance that lifts him to fifth place overall on the Sussex lists this season despite still being in the under-17 age group.

Fellow Lewes vaulter Sam Brown, who is in the under-15 age group, had problems with his run-up and was below his best although clearing a respectable 3.00m.

Hailsham's Scott Harris chalked up an impressive run over 1,500m for Sussex in the under-20 inter-county match at Eton.

With the first two runners well away, Harris settled in with the chasing group and timed his finish to perfection to take third place in 4:02.31.

Andrew Adair from Newhaven and Dan Stepney from Sussex Downs College reached the finals of the 400 and 800m, with Adair producing a nippy 51.89 in his heat but fading away in the final to place eighth in 52.79.

Stepney is fighting to return to his early-season form after a leg injury in June and although he eased into the final with a respectable 1:59.30 he could not match this time in the final, placing fifth in 2:00.62.