Champions St Cross Symondians are 35 points clear at the top of the ECB Southern Premier League after a 77-run win over Alton – but they left it late before securing their fifth straight victory.
Only four balls of the Time pennant match at the Jubilee Ground remained when Australian Sam Beer had Alton’s Bash Walters caught at close quarters.
It left the Brewers 214 all out in response to Symondians’ powerful 291-7, last pair Walters and Michael Salmon having thwarted the title holders for seven overs in a desperate bid to salvage a draw.
Jack Bransgrove (31) featured in a platform building 58-run start by St Cross, though it was Joe Lewis, taking advantage of an early spill, who caught the eye with some crisp stroke play, hitting eight fours before being dismissed for 51 at 112, left-arm spinner Tom South (4-72) taking the credit.
South wheeled away for 18 decent overs either side of lunch as Charlie Mumford (57) and Charlie Gwynn batted St Cross into a powerful position.
Mumford notched his fifth successive St Cross fifty before being caught and bowled by off-spinner Dan Sumner.
The left-handed Gwynn (67) continued to accumulate runs, being the third St Cross batsman to make fifty before Simon Beetham flayed a tiring Alton attack with 45 runs off 26 balls, five of which he swatted to the boundary.
Alton had hoped to reach the tea interval unscathed but lost South and Howard Gadsby, both to Sam Beer.
Trouble
Moving into the final session of the day, things immediately got worse for the Brewers. The first ball after tea saw Dan Harris bowled for 14 and Scott Myers follow soon after to leave Alton in trouble at 57-4.
Teenager Sam Ruffell looked in good touch striking five boundaries in his 24 before being stumped by Mumford off the left-arm spin of Gwynn, who was carving through the Brewers order. He then added Mark Heffernan to his casualty list to leave Alton 82-6.
Tom Andrews joined Michael Heffernan as the pair set about trying to rebuild and find a way back into the game for the Brewers. They managed to frustrate St Cross as overs began to tick down.
Beer returned with no success, likewise a brief spell from Bransgrove failed to make the breakthrough. Heffernan (41) had been watchful, but it was Harry Foyle who made the breakthrough. He got the ball to nip back and trapped Heffernan for 41, the Brewers a far healthier 171-7, but with plenty of survival work still to do.
Gwynn, who finished with 5-44, ended the Andrews (47) counter-attack leaving St Cross 11 overs to complete the win.
Overs ticked down but when Dan Sumner was caught behind off Foyle Alton were facing defeat at 189-9, but Salmons and Walters added 25 for the tenth wicket before Beer (3-63) grabbed that crucial last wicket at 214 all out.
Only four balls of the Time pennant match at the Jubilee Ground remained when Australian Sam Beer had Alton’s Bash Walters caught at close quarters.
It left the Brewers 214 all out in response to Symondians’ powerful 291-7, last pair Walters and Michael Salmon having thwarted the title holders for seven overs in a desperate bid to salvage a draw.
Jack Bransgrove (31) featured in a platform building 58-run start by St Cross, though it was Joe Lewis, taking advantage of an early spill, who caught the eye with some crisp stroke play, hitting eight fours before being dismissed for 51 at 112, left-arm spinner Tom South (4-72) taking the credit.
South wheeled away for 18 decent overs either side of lunch as Charlie Mumford (57) and Charlie Gwynn batted St Cross into a powerful position.
Mumford notched his fifth successive St Cross fifty before being caught and bowled by off-spinner Dan Sumner.
The left-handed Gwynn (67) continued to accumulate runs, being the third St Cross batsman to make fifty before Simon Beetham flayed a tiring Alton attack with 45 runs off 26 balls, five of which he swatted to the boundary.
Alton had hoped to reach the tea interval unscathed but lost South and Howard Gadsby, both to Sam Beer.
Trouble
Moving into the final session of the day, things immediately got worse for the Brewers. The first ball after tea saw Dan Harris bowled for 14 and Scott Myers follow soon after to leave Alton in trouble at 57-4.
Teenager Sam Ruffell looked in good touch striking five boundaries in his 24 before being stumped by Mumford off the left-arm spin of Gwynn, who was carving through the Brewers order. He then added Mark Heffernan to his casualty list to leave Alton 82-6.
Tom Andrews joined Michael Heffernan as the pair set about trying to rebuild and find a way back into the game for the Brewers. They managed to frustrate St Cross as overs began to tick down.
Beer returned with no success, likewise a brief spell from Bransgrove failed to make the breakthrough. Heffernan (41) had been watchful, but it was Harry Foyle who made the breakthrough. He got the ball to nip back and trapped Heffernan for 41, the Brewers a far healthier 171-7, but with plenty of survival work still to do.
Gwynn, who finished with 5-44, ended the Andrews (47) counter-attack leaving St Cross 11 overs to complete the win.
Overs ticked down but when Dan Sumner was caught behind off Foyle Alton were facing defeat at 189-9, but Salmons and Walters added 25 for the tenth wicket before Beer (3-63) grabbed that crucial last wicket at 214 all out.
