Alton skipper Dan Harris made 72 to set up his side's win over Portsmouth. [Howard Gadsby]
An opening stand of 143 between skipper Dan Harris and teenage left-hander Tom South pointed Alton towards a thumping 112-run Southern Premier League Cup win which left visiting Portsmouth marooned at the East group basement.
Harris, who hit an unbeaten century in Alton’s final match of the 2019 Premier League season against Bournemouth, made 72 while South, ‘on loan’ from the Hampshire Academy, got 62.
The pair put on 143 before Harrison Webb (3-43) removed Harris and Abhay Gonella in the space of three deliveries. South fell three runs later.
Having dropped to 146-3, Alton effectively had to restart their innings – a factor that didn’t seem to faze either Scott Myers (53) and the emerging Jude Wright, who made an unbeaten 46 either side of Webb taking his third wicket.
Alton’s powerful 261-5 was always likely to be a tall order for Portsmouth, who nonetheless began well with Ben Duggan (42) and Tom Wallis (25) sharing an 86-run launch.
But an astonishing collapse, prompted by South (2-18), Jack Myers (2-19) and teenager Wright (2-30), saw Portsmouth lose six wickets for 16 runs and plunge to 104-6.
The tail did wag to raise the total to 149 as wickets continued to tumble to Holybourne raised spinner Xavier Bochereaux, who finished with 4-35.
Harris, who hit an unbeaten century in Alton’s final match of the 2019 Premier League season against Bournemouth, made 72 while South, ‘on loan’ from the Hampshire Academy, got 62.
The pair put on 143 before Harrison Webb (3-43) removed Harris and Abhay Gonella in the space of three deliveries. South fell three runs later.
Having dropped to 146-3, Alton effectively had to restart their innings – a factor that didn’t seem to faze either Scott Myers (53) and the emerging Jude Wright, who made an unbeaten 46 either side of Webb taking his third wicket.
Alton’s powerful 261-5 was always likely to be a tall order for Portsmouth, who nonetheless began well with Ben Duggan (42) and Tom Wallis (25) sharing an 86-run launch.
But an astonishing collapse, prompted by South (2-18), Jack Myers (2-19) and teenager Wright (2-30), saw Portsmouth lose six wickets for 16 runs and plunge to 104-6.
The tail did wag to raise the total to 149 as wickets continued to tumble to Holybourne raised spinner Xavier Bochereaux, who finished with 4-35.
