Alex Ayers and elder brother Charlie shared a double century third-wicket partnership as Andover went on a 324-run blitz at the expense of Southern Premier League Division 1 rivals Rowledge, whom they skittled for a meagre 70 to chalk up a massive 224-run victory.
Rowledge were already under the cosh when the brothers began their 206-run partnership, the third double hundred SPL stand by an Andover pair.
After a cautious start, the siblings proceeded to cause mayhem and thrash the Rowledge bowling to all parts of London Road.
Alex Ayers (right), who has tasted some Hampshire second team cricket since finishing at Dauntsey’s, ran up three sixes and 22 fours in a career-best 135 while Charlie, particularly brutal, pierced the boundary rope with two maximums and 13 fours on his way to 84.
Rowledge got some relief when the rain arrived with Andover 260-2 and the Ayers duo still going strong - with 12 overs still remaining. Ironically, they both perished to the emerging left-arm spin of Ollie Baker (2-44), but the onslaught continued with Nathan Birks (27) hitting three successive sixes as Andover powered to 324-9, a total trimmed by the rain break, with Rowledge set an improbable 295 off 41 overs.
Joe Randall emerged from the mauling with a creditable 5-77 for Rowledge, for whom the improbable became the impossible when, on a rain freshened surface, Babu Veettil (3-24) and Mike Adams (2-13) reduced them to 32-7. Will Ryman (22) struck out in defiance before becoming one of four victims for Richard Taylor (4-19), whose tail end blitz left the visitors 70 all out.
Andover ended the season in a satisfactory fourth spot behind runners-up Sparsholt and Portsmouth, who each finished on a winning note.
Sparsholt won a low key affair at Steephill by three wickets after dismissing winless Ventnor for 115 (Hugh Calloway 32), while Portsmouth edged out Village Cup semi-finalists Sarisbury Athletic by seven runs in a rain cut meet at St Helen’s, where the city hosts successfully defended a trimmed 185 off 45 overs.
Portsmouth’s original 194 (Jack Marston 45, Tom Wallis 34, Alex Hammond 29) featured three-wicket returns by Phil Jewell 3-30 and Josh Hill 3-36.
But a remarkable spell of left-arm spin bowling by Andy Marston (3-1) put Sarisbury behind the clock. Marston conceded only one run off his nine overs, eight of which were maidens, removing top scorer Tom Mills (32), Jack Lovett and the dangerous Josh Hill. Dan Clouting (32), Chris Sanders and Phil Jewell kept SA in the hunt before they were dismissed for 178.
It was Sarisbury's fourth successive defeat since exiting the VC at Reed, who play Yorkshire's Houghton Main in Sunday's village final at Lord's.
Rowledge were already under the cosh when the brothers began their 206-run partnership, the third double hundred SPL stand by an Andover pair.
After a cautious start, the siblings proceeded to cause mayhem and thrash the Rowledge bowling to all parts of London Road.
Alex Ayers (right), who has tasted some Hampshire second team cricket since finishing at Dauntsey’s, ran up three sixes and 22 fours in a career-best 135 while Charlie, particularly brutal, pierced the boundary rope with two maximums and 13 fours on his way to 84.
Rowledge got some relief when the rain arrived with Andover 260-2 and the Ayers duo still going strong - with 12 overs still remaining. Ironically, they both perished to the emerging left-arm spin of Ollie Baker (2-44), but the onslaught continued with Nathan Birks (27) hitting three successive sixes as Andover powered to 324-9, a total trimmed by the rain break, with Rowledge set an improbable 295 off 41 overs.
Joe Randall emerged from the mauling with a creditable 5-77 for Rowledge, for whom the improbable became the impossible when, on a rain freshened surface, Babu Veettil (3-24) and Mike Adams (2-13) reduced them to 32-7. Will Ryman (22) struck out in defiance before becoming one of four victims for Richard Taylor (4-19), whose tail end blitz left the visitors 70 all out.
Andover ended the season in a satisfactory fourth spot behind runners-up Sparsholt and Portsmouth, who each finished on a winning note.
Sparsholt won a low key affair at Steephill by three wickets after dismissing winless Ventnor for 115 (Hugh Calloway 32), while Portsmouth edged out Village Cup semi-finalists Sarisbury Athletic by seven runs in a rain cut meet at St Helen’s, where the city hosts successfully defended a trimmed 185 off 45 overs.
Portsmouth’s original 194 (Jack Marston 45, Tom Wallis 34, Alex Hammond 29) featured three-wicket returns by Phil Jewell 3-30 and Josh Hill 3-36.
But a remarkable spell of left-arm spin bowling by Andy Marston (3-1) put Sarisbury behind the clock. Marston conceded only one run off his nine overs, eight of which were maidens, removing top scorer Tom Mills (32), Jack Lovett and the dangerous Josh Hill. Dan Clouting (32), Chris Sanders and Phil Jewell kept SA in the hunt before they were dismissed for 178.
It was Sarisbury's fourth successive defeat since exiting the VC at Reed, who play Yorkshire's Houghton Main in Sunday's village final at Lord's.
