Michael Heffernan in six-hit mode [[Howard Gadsby] Alton’s ten-year span as an ECB Southern Premier Division club ended with relegation last August, but a two-wicket win at Calmore Sports, where they chased down 206 with seven balls left suggests they could be in the mix to reclaim their lost slot.
Calmore are on a high, rightly so after winning the Voneus Village Cup at Lord’s in September, and overhauling 200 at Loperwood Park has often proved difficult for visiting sides in the past. Chasing that target proved far from straightforward for the Brewers, who owed much to Michael Heffernan’s big hitting.
Alton have lost several players over the winter, but significantly South African Basheer ‘Bash’ Walters has returned to take the new ball alongside debutant Arul Appavoo, arrived from Maidenhead& Bray.
Walters, tipped to take 50 wickets in SPL1 this summer, didn’t take long to strike, removing Lord’s batting hero Ben Johns and rookie Matt Bound in quick succession. NHS worker Will Brewster (32) steadied the ship, but spooned up a catch at 79-3 to leave ex-Bexhill all-rounder Shaun Johnson with added responsibility.
He added 42 with Max Bailey (20) and another busy 57 with James Manning (19) before the latter was run out by the dead-eyed Heffernan with a direct hit. His dismissal triggered a mass collapse as Johnson, with a six and seven fours in his 77, departed amid six wickets falling for 28 runs -Toby Salmon taking 3-53 – as Calmore tumbled to 206 all out
The slow nature of the pitch meant free scoring was not easy and by the mid-point of their reply the Brewers were 59-3 (Ben Perry 2-46). The Heffernan brothers got the show on the road, adding a run-a-ball 50 to leave Alton 107 to get off the remaining 17 overs. Mark (48) eventually fell to Dan Croft (4-33), but elder brother Michael was launching a six-hit blitz, clearing the Loperwood boundary rope six times, hitting 78 off 49 balls to take Alton to 170-4.
The Brewers were within in touching distance as they required a further 37 runs for victory, but there was to be a final twist in the tail. Three wickets at 170 put the outcome back in the melting pot. Walters and Matt Crane added 15 (185-8) before Calmore twice crucially dropped Salmon in the deep, his 19 not out winning the day with seven balls and two wickets to spare.
Calmore are on a high, rightly so after winning the Voneus Village Cup at Lord’s in September, and overhauling 200 at Loperwood Park has often proved difficult for visiting sides in the past. Chasing that target proved far from straightforward for the Brewers, who owed much to Michael Heffernan’s big hitting.
Alton have lost several players over the winter, but significantly South African Basheer ‘Bash’ Walters has returned to take the new ball alongside debutant Arul Appavoo, arrived from Maidenhead& Bray.
Walters, tipped to take 50 wickets in SPL1 this summer, didn’t take long to strike, removing Lord’s batting hero Ben Johns and rookie Matt Bound in quick succession. NHS worker Will Brewster (32) steadied the ship, but spooned up a catch at 79-3 to leave ex-Bexhill all-rounder Shaun Johnson with added responsibility.
He added 42 with Max Bailey (20) and another busy 57 with James Manning (19) before the latter was run out by the dead-eyed Heffernan with a direct hit. His dismissal triggered a mass collapse as Johnson, with a six and seven fours in his 77, departed amid six wickets falling for 28 runs -Toby Salmon taking 3-53 – as Calmore tumbled to 206 all out
The slow nature of the pitch meant free scoring was not easy and by the mid-point of their reply the Brewers were 59-3 (Ben Perry 2-46). The Heffernan brothers got the show on the road, adding a run-a-ball 50 to leave Alton 107 to get off the remaining 17 overs. Mark (48) eventually fell to Dan Croft (4-33), but elder brother Michael was launching a six-hit blitz, clearing the Loperwood boundary rope six times, hitting 78 off 49 balls to take Alton to 170-4.
The Brewers were within in touching distance as they required a further 37 runs for victory, but there was to be a final twist in the tail. Three wickets at 170 put the outcome back in the melting pot. Walters and Matt Crane added 15 (185-8) before Calmore twice crucially dropped Salmon in the deep, his 19 not out winning the day with seven balls and two wickets to spare.
