Jason Laney, St Cross Symondians century in vain [James Robinson]
Former Hampshire opener Jason Laney answered a late St Cross Symondians’ call up to play against Alton and hit a century – but was unable to prevent the overnight leaders being dumped off the top of the ECB Southern Premier League.
Alton chased down a towering 281 to win by six wickets with nine balls to spare – Julian Ballinger, the Brewers’ chairman, pictured left celebrating his 600th SPL victim in the process.
Laney had been due to play for St Cross seconds in a best forgotten six-wicket defeat by Sarisbury Athletic at the Green Jackets, but with Ed Ellis and Felix Organ unavailable and Harry Came gone to Derbyshire his experience – and runs – were needed alongside the Watercress steam railway line.
Laney, who scored over 4,000 first class runs for Hampshire and is now a qualified plumber, didn’t disappoint, his 102 (two sixes and nine fours) largely underpinning the St Cross total which wobbled a little at 105-4.
But Laney added a substantial 156 with Harry Foyle (77) which took the visitors to 261-4 before Ballinger’s milestone 600th scalp triggered a massive collapse.
Laney, trapped leg before, fell at 261, a victim of the evergreen off-spinner, who finished with 5-40 and South African Bash Walters 4-38 as St Cross lost their last six wickets for 20 runs and were 281 all out.
Abhay Gonella (73) led the Alton run chase which began with handy contributions from Tom South (26) and Fletcha Middleton (29), and really clicked into gear when skipper Dan Harris (56) came to the crease. The pair added 102.
Gonella’s key knock, which ended at 221-4, may only have contained four boundaries, but was vital to the Alton cause as the Brewers’ headed towards their first win in four starts.
After he had gone, Scott Myers, with a six and seven fours in his unbeaten 60, and Ryan Hale got Alton home with nine balls to spare.
The win lifted them off the bottom and dropped St Cross Symondians, nursing a second consecutive defeat, to fourth place, 12 points behind leaders Bournemouth ahead of Saturday’s visit of unpredictable Burridge to the Green Jackets Ground, 11.30.
Alton chased down a towering 281 to win by six wickets with nine balls to spare – Julian Ballinger, the Brewers’ chairman, pictured left celebrating his 600th SPL victim in the process.
Laney had been due to play for St Cross seconds in a best forgotten six-wicket defeat by Sarisbury Athletic at the Green Jackets, but with Ed Ellis and Felix Organ unavailable and Harry Came gone to Derbyshire his experience – and runs – were needed alongside the Watercress steam railway line.
Laney, who scored over 4,000 first class runs for Hampshire and is now a qualified plumber, didn’t disappoint, his 102 (two sixes and nine fours) largely underpinning the St Cross total which wobbled a little at 105-4.
But Laney added a substantial 156 with Harry Foyle (77) which took the visitors to 261-4 before Ballinger’s milestone 600th scalp triggered a massive collapse.
Laney, trapped leg before, fell at 261, a victim of the evergreen off-spinner, who finished with 5-40 and South African Bash Walters 4-38 as St Cross lost their last six wickets for 20 runs and were 281 all out.
Abhay Gonella (73) led the Alton run chase which began with handy contributions from Tom South (26) and Fletcha Middleton (29), and really clicked into gear when skipper Dan Harris (56) came to the crease. The pair added 102.
Gonella’s key knock, which ended at 221-4, may only have contained four boundaries, but was vital to the Alton cause as the Brewers’ headed towards their first win in four starts.
After he had gone, Scott Myers, with a six and seven fours in his unbeaten 60, and Ryan Hale got Alton home with nine balls to spare.
The win lifted them off the bottom and dropped St Cross Symondians, nursing a second consecutive defeat, to fourth place, 12 points behind leaders Bournemouth ahead of Saturday’s visit of unpredictable Burridge to the Green Jackets Ground, 11.30.
 |  Scott Myers (above) swept Alton to victory with an unbeaten 60 off 42 balls, while Abhay Gonella (left) anchored the run chase with a disciplined 73. Howard Gadsby pictures. |
