lton are coming up hard on the outside in the weather affected chase for a spot in the Southern Premier League Cup final on September 19.
The 39-run win at Rowledge was their third in succession and moved them into second place in the East group table behind leaders St Cross Symondians II, who they visit on August 29. They host Sarisbury Athletic at the Jubilee on Saturday.
It was touch and go whether the game at Church Road would start, with grey skies overhead and a distinctly damp feeling in the air.
Captain Dan Harris won the toss and decided to bat first on a strip that looked like it might give some assistance to the bowlers.
In the first over Covey punished Will Ryman with a four before driving him straight back – but the teenage all-rounder got a finger on the ball and as it clattered into the stumps at the non-striker’s end, Harris realised his innings was over without facing a ball.
Covey then departed for a run-a-ball 12 with the score on 28, caught behind by Ben Wish off the bowling of Joe Randall in the fourth over.
The fifth over yielded 14 runs as Tom South set about punishing anything that was not on a perfect length or line, and he and Scott Myers added 28 for the third wicket.
Academy starlet Tom South made an enterprising 38, not afraid to put his hands through the ball or play over the top, only to be undone by a beautiful delivery from the emerging Ethan Martin [left above](2-10), who bowled a superb spell, extracting significant movement and bounce.
This brought in Jude Wright (23) to partner Myers and they added 47 in just over ten overs before the Churcher’s College prospect was caught behind by Wish off the bowling of Lloyd, who removed Abhay Gonella soon after he leave the Brewers 131-5.
In form Mark Heffernan joined Myers, but Lloyd and fellow spinner, left-arm teen Ollie Baker were bowling a tight spell, and Heffernan followed Wright in being caught behind by Wish off Lloyd without scoring. Lloyd finished with three for 14 from his eight overs.
Partnerships
At this stage Alton were 134-6 with 12 overs left, and in need of partnerships to push them up to the 200 mark.
Jack Myers joined brother Scott and they progressed the score past 150, before Scott was caught at cover by Sam Plater off Will Ryman (2-58) for a well-made 57 from 63 balls.
Brother Jack was then bowled by the returning Randall (2-37) for 15 with the score at 164, and with the last two wickets adding only Alton, were all out for 173 in the 39th over – a good total on a testing track, but considerably fewer than what it could have been, seeing Alton were 100-3 after 15 overs.
In response Rowledge were content with their start at 42-0 after ten overs, with Sebborn and 15-year old Ethan Martin making a good impression, the latter hooking Toby Salmon for two sixes.
But once Martin was dismissed on the drive off Covey, and then Sebborn went leg before on the back foot to Jack Myers, the Alton experience came to the fore.
Myers, Covey and South all bowled economic spells, and whenever Rowledge looked to get a partnership together, they were quickly repelled by the Alton efforts.
Covey had Martin (24) caught by Harris in the 12th over with the score on 42. With South (1-12) having come on to support Covey, the runs had started to dry up and when Harris introduced Jack Myers (1-10) into the attack at the start of the 14th over the impact was immediate.
Full toss
With runs hard to come by, Marshall (nine) was caught by Harris off South, and in the 13 overs – from the end of the ninth over to the end of the 23rd over – Rowledge had only added 25 runs for the loss of three wickets.
For over 24 Alton introduced Holybourne raised Xavier Bochereau into the attack and Plater (ten) was run out by Salmon attempting a quick single, leaving Rowledge needing a further 107 runs to win with five wickets left.
Baker (six) was next to go, pulling a full toss from Bochereau (3-25) straight to South on the boundary with the score on 72-6, before Lloyd (six) was also caught by South, this time the bowler being youngster Ellis Ballinger, claiming his first Southern Premier League scalp, with the score on 86.
Experienced Ian Metcalfe and Will Ryman then added 32 for the seventh wicket before Ryman was caught in the deep by Scott Myers off of Bochereau for 12.
Randall was then bowled by one of Alton’s other youngsters, Jude Wright, for five and two runs later Metcalfe was bowled by Bochereau for a well-made 28 from 37 balls and the score was 127.
Metcalfe, in his first game of the season, looked to target boundaries but the task became too much.
Captain Wish and Ollie Ryman then added seven for the last wicket before Ryman (five) top edged a slower-ball bouncer from Wright and was caught by Salmon.
Rowledge, giving plenty of home grown youngsters their opportunity in this 40-over competition, will take heart from competing with another Premier Division club. Farnham Herald.
The 39-run win at Rowledge was their third in succession and moved them into second place in the East group table behind leaders St Cross Symondians II, who they visit on August 29. They host Sarisbury Athletic at the Jubilee on Saturday.
It was touch and go whether the game at Church Road would start, with grey skies overhead and a distinctly damp feeling in the air.
Captain Dan Harris won the toss and decided to bat first on a strip that looked like it might give some assistance to the bowlers.
In the first over Covey punished Will Ryman with a four before driving him straight back – but the teenage all-rounder got a finger on the ball and as it clattered into the stumps at the non-striker’s end, Harris realised his innings was over without facing a ball.
Covey then departed for a run-a-ball 12 with the score on 28, caught behind by Ben Wish off the bowling of Joe Randall in the fourth over.
The fifth over yielded 14 runs as Tom South set about punishing anything that was not on a perfect length or line, and he and Scott Myers added 28 for the third wicket.
Academy starlet Tom South made an enterprising 38, not afraid to put his hands through the ball or play over the top, only to be undone by a beautiful delivery from the emerging Ethan Martin [left above](2-10), who bowled a superb spell, extracting significant movement and bounce.
This brought in Jude Wright (23) to partner Myers and they added 47 in just over ten overs before the Churcher’s College prospect was caught behind by Wish off the bowling of Lloyd, who removed Abhay Gonella soon after he leave the Brewers 131-5.
In form Mark Heffernan joined Myers, but Lloyd and fellow spinner, left-arm teen Ollie Baker were bowling a tight spell, and Heffernan followed Wright in being caught behind by Wish off Lloyd without scoring. Lloyd finished with three for 14 from his eight overs.
Partnerships
At this stage Alton were 134-6 with 12 overs left, and in need of partnerships to push them up to the 200 mark.
Jack Myers joined brother Scott and they progressed the score past 150, before Scott was caught at cover by Sam Plater off Will Ryman (2-58) for a well-made 57 from 63 balls.
Brother Jack was then bowled by the returning Randall (2-37) for 15 with the score at 164, and with the last two wickets adding only Alton, were all out for 173 in the 39th over – a good total on a testing track, but considerably fewer than what it could have been, seeing Alton were 100-3 after 15 overs.
In response Rowledge were content with their start at 42-0 after ten overs, with Sebborn and 15-year old Ethan Martin making a good impression, the latter hooking Toby Salmon for two sixes.
But once Martin was dismissed on the drive off Covey, and then Sebborn went leg before on the back foot to Jack Myers, the Alton experience came to the fore.
Myers, Covey and South all bowled economic spells, and whenever Rowledge looked to get a partnership together, they were quickly repelled by the Alton efforts.
Covey had Martin (24) caught by Harris in the 12th over with the score on 42. With South (1-12) having come on to support Covey, the runs had started to dry up and when Harris introduced Jack Myers (1-10) into the attack at the start of the 14th over the impact was immediate.
Full toss
With runs hard to come by, Marshall (nine) was caught by Harris off South, and in the 13 overs – from the end of the ninth over to the end of the 23rd over – Rowledge had only added 25 runs for the loss of three wickets.
For over 24 Alton introduced Holybourne raised Xavier Bochereau into the attack and Plater (ten) was run out by Salmon attempting a quick single, leaving Rowledge needing a further 107 runs to win with five wickets left.
Baker (six) was next to go, pulling a full toss from Bochereau (3-25) straight to South on the boundary with the score on 72-6, before Lloyd (six) was also caught by South, this time the bowler being youngster Ellis Ballinger, claiming his first Southern Premier League scalp, with the score on 86.
Experienced Ian Metcalfe and Will Ryman then added 32 for the seventh wicket before Ryman was caught in the deep by Scott Myers off of Bochereau for 12.
Randall was then bowled by one of Alton’s other youngsters, Jude Wright, for five and two runs later Metcalfe was bowled by Bochereau for a well-made 28 from 37 balls and the score was 127.
Metcalfe, in his first game of the season, looked to target boundaries but the task became too much.
Captain Wish and Ollie Ryman then added seven for the last wicket before Ryman (five) top edged a slower-ball bouncer from Wright and was caught by Salmon.
Rowledge, giving plenty of home grown youngsters their opportunity in this 40-over competition, will take heart from competing with another Premier Division club. Farnham Herald.
Xavier Bochereau [pictured in a past t20 match v Waterlooville] took 3-25. Howard Gadsby picture.
