Andover beat potential runners-up Sarisbury Athletic in emphatic seven-wicket fashion to jump to fifth place and guarantee Southern Premier League Division 1 cricket for another season.
A disciplined bowling performance followed by a brutal Max Romer-Lee inspired run chase gave the town side a much needed maximum point victory.
Matt Hooper lost the toss and was asked to field first on a London Road pitch drying from the previous day’s deluge. A slow and steady 102-run opening partnership between Sam Floyd (51) and veteran Colin Day (37) underpinned the Sarisbury innings that never really got going and ended at 184, with Hooper (4-35) and Charlie Ayers (2-35) causing most of the problems.
The Andover reply made a stuttering start losing Josh Ballantine-Dykes and Will Carr with just 22 runs on the board, but a superb partnership from evergreen Glyn Treagus and big hitting Max Romer-Lee saw Andover over the 100 mark.
Treagus (46) fell agonisingly short of a deserved half-century thanks to a wonderful diving catch from Floyd, the Sarisbury captain, off the bowling of Phil Jewell.
Will Arnold (33) entered the fray and a rapid 80 run partnership with Romer-Lee saw the town side over the line.
Romer-Lee (pictured) was at his destructive best, following his 150 against Hartley Wintney a few weeks earlier. He smeared four huge sixes on his way to a splendid 90 not out, winning the game in just the 30th over. Arnold closed on 33 not out, playing some typically classy shots along the way.
A disciplined bowling performance followed by a brutal Max Romer-Lee inspired run chase gave the town side a much needed maximum point victory.
Matt Hooper lost the toss and was asked to field first on a London Road pitch drying from the previous day’s deluge. A slow and steady 102-run opening partnership between Sam Floyd (51) and veteran Colin Day (37) underpinned the Sarisbury innings that never really got going and ended at 184, with Hooper (4-35) and Charlie Ayers (2-35) causing most of the problems.
The Andover reply made a stuttering start losing Josh Ballantine-Dykes and Will Carr with just 22 runs on the board, but a superb partnership from evergreen Glyn Treagus and big hitting Max Romer-Lee saw Andover over the 100 mark.
Treagus (46) fell agonisingly short of a deserved half-century thanks to a wonderful diving catch from Floyd, the Sarisbury captain, off the bowling of Phil Jewell.
Will Arnold (33) entered the fray and a rapid 80 run partnership with Romer-Lee saw the town side over the line.
Romer-Lee (pictured) was at his destructive best, following his 150 against Hartley Wintney a few weeks earlier. He smeared four huge sixes on his way to a splendid 90 not out, winning the game in just the 30th over. Arnold closed on 33 not out, playing some typically classy shots along the way.
