St Cross Symondians held off a spirited Alton revival to secure an eight-run win over the Brewers, who have slipped to an anxious second-from-bottom place in the Premier Division.
Defending 205-7, they reduced Alton to 30-3 (Jack Bransgrove 3-37) before Scott Myers (39) and Dan Harris (34) shared a half-century rally – Harry Came (3-43) breaking the partnership with both scalps.
The teenager put Alton in further difficulty at 106-6, but the hosts refused to give up the ghost, with Mark Heffernan (45) and Sean Jamieson (21) adding another 61 for the seventh wicket.
Heffernan took Alton on to 197-9 when Dan Scott, shoulder strapped up and arm in a sling after suffering a dislocation in a fielding accident, came out to bat : scenes reminiscent of Colin Cowdrey (England v West Indies, Lord’s, 1963) and Malcolm Marshall at Headingley in 1984 !
Alton needed eight to win off two balls but, after a bye was run off the penultimate ball, Logan van Beek, back for his second spell, ended the fight-back by bowling Heffernan off the last ball of the innings.
Scott will be sidelined for the remainder of a season which could yet see the Brewers in a relegation battle – they visit Andover on Saturday – alongside their seconds who are fighting for survival in SPL3.
Earlier, the St Cross innings ebbed and flowed, with James Burridge (35), Tom Foyle (34) and Van Beek (34) all making decent starts.
Alex Hammond (3-22) checked their progress, but from 143-6 it needed Bransgrove (39) and Charlie Ayres (22) added important runs and lift the visitors’ to 205-7.
Defending 205-7, they reduced Alton to 30-3 (Jack Bransgrove 3-37) before Scott Myers (39) and Dan Harris (34) shared a half-century rally – Harry Came (3-43) breaking the partnership with both scalps.
The teenager put Alton in further difficulty at 106-6, but the hosts refused to give up the ghost, with Mark Heffernan (45) and Sean Jamieson (21) adding another 61 for the seventh wicket.
Heffernan took Alton on to 197-9 when Dan Scott, shoulder strapped up and arm in a sling after suffering a dislocation in a fielding accident, came out to bat : scenes reminiscent of Colin Cowdrey (England v West Indies, Lord’s, 1963) and Malcolm Marshall at Headingley in 1984 !
Alton needed eight to win off two balls but, after a bye was run off the penultimate ball, Logan van Beek, back for his second spell, ended the fight-back by bowling Heffernan off the last ball of the innings.
Scott will be sidelined for the remainder of a season which could yet see the Brewers in a relegation battle – they visit Andover on Saturday – alongside their seconds who are fighting for survival in SPL3.
Earlier, the St Cross innings ebbed and flowed, with James Burridge (35), Tom Foyle (34) and Van Beek (34) all making decent starts.
Alex Hammond (3-22) checked their progress, but from 143-6 it needed Bransgrove (39) and Charlie Ayres (22) added important runs and lift the visitors’ to 205-7.
