Carlin Joy 67 Portsmouth's top scorer : James Robinson
Portsmouth’s openers both scored half-centuries before rain had the final say on the opening day of the new Southern Premier League cricket season. Put in at St Helens by Alton skipper Scott Myers, the hosts posted 316-5 off their 50 overs in the top flight curtain-raiser.
Alton, last season’s runners-up to champions St Cross Symondians, were 1-1 when their reply was ended after just eight balls.
Home openers Carlin Joy and Ben Duggan put on 141 before the former was dismissed off the final ball of the 26th over. Having hit 13 boundaries in an 85-ball innings, Joy fell for 67 when he was caught by Dan Sumner off the bowling of Fred Egleston. Duggan had hit just four fours on his way to 63 when he was also dismissed by past Winchester College captain Egleston.
That was the catalyst for Portsmouth to lose three wickets in as many balls. It was a hat-trick of sorts for spinner Egleston, who trapped skipper Harry Gadd leg before for a golden duck.
That brought former Basingstoke & North Hants cricketer George Metzger to the crease, who was immediately run out by Myers off his first delivery. Metzger has scored only 60 runs in five knocks since joining Portsmouth.
Watching helpless at the other end was Nazim Siddiqui, Portsmouth’s overseas replacement for ex-Bangladesh Test skipper Mohammed Ashraful.
Having made a big impact already with an unbeaten ECB Club Championship century against Windsor, the Indian hit four fours and two sixes in a breezy 36-ball knock. He was just another boundary away from a half-century when Egleston (3-32) rearranged his stumps.
A third Portsmouth league debutant, Ray Reynolds (a recent ECB indoor sixes winner at Lord's with Waterlooville), hit 44 in sharing a 72-run stand for the sixth wicket with Dan Wimble (36).
There was also some success for Siraj Ali Zaidi, making his 1st XI league debut after impressing last year in the 2nds, when Alton replied.
He struck with only his second ball, having Abhay Gonella caught by Rakshith Rao, after Joe Kooner-Evans had opened the bowling. Due to rain, Zaidi didn’t get the chance to bowl a third delivery.
Alton, last season’s runners-up to champions St Cross Symondians, were 1-1 when their reply was ended after just eight balls.
Home openers Carlin Joy and Ben Duggan put on 141 before the former was dismissed off the final ball of the 26th over. Having hit 13 boundaries in an 85-ball innings, Joy fell for 67 when he was caught by Dan Sumner off the bowling of Fred Egleston. Duggan had hit just four fours on his way to 63 when he was also dismissed by past Winchester College captain Egleston.
That was the catalyst for Portsmouth to lose three wickets in as many balls. It was a hat-trick of sorts for spinner Egleston, who trapped skipper Harry Gadd leg before for a golden duck.
That brought former Basingstoke & North Hants cricketer George Metzger to the crease, who was immediately run out by Myers off his first delivery. Metzger has scored only 60 runs in five knocks since joining Portsmouth.
Watching helpless at the other end was Nazim Siddiqui, Portsmouth’s overseas replacement for ex-Bangladesh Test skipper Mohammed Ashraful.
Having made a big impact already with an unbeaten ECB Club Championship century against Windsor, the Indian hit four fours and two sixes in a breezy 36-ball knock. He was just another boundary away from a half-century when Egleston (3-32) rearranged his stumps.
A third Portsmouth league debutant, Ray Reynolds (a recent ECB indoor sixes winner at Lord's with Waterlooville), hit 44 in sharing a 72-run stand for the sixth wicket with Dan Wimble (36).
There was also some success for Siraj Ali Zaidi, making his 1st XI league debut after impressing last year in the 2nds, when Alton replied.
He struck with only his second ball, having Abhay Gonella caught by Rakshith Rao, after Joe Kooner-Evans had opened the bowling. Due to rain, Zaidi didn’t get the chance to bowl a third delivery.
Alton
Standing (from left): Ethan van der Linde, Freddie Egleston, Scott Myers, Wilf Bridger, Tom South, Bash Walters. Front: Olly Boulton, Abhay Gonella, Sam Ruffell, Michael Heffernan, Dan Sumner.
Standing (from left): Ethan van der Linde, Freddie Egleston, Scott Myers, Wilf Bridger, Tom South, Bash Walters. Front: Olly Boulton, Abhay Gonella, Sam Ruffell, Michael Heffernan, Dan Sumner.
