Teenager Harry Came produced a quite remarkable all-round performance – unquestionably the finest ever in Southern League cricket – to set up St Cross Symondians’ 56-run victory over Alton at the Jubilee Ground.
The 19-year old from Basingstoke stroked a career-best 151 and, once he’d got his breath back, followed it up by taking seven wickets for 52 runs with his off-spin.
It enabled St Cross to successfully defend 305-6 after Alton, at one stage, had threatened to challenge their daunting total.
Having hit an unbeaten century on trial for Kent second against Sussex at Hove in midweek, Came (left) arrived at the crease full of confidence and was soon seeing the ball like the proverbial football.
Initially, he played a support role to Tom Foyle (44), but from 85-3 took centre stage, cracking two sixes and 15 fours in his third Premier Division century for St Cross in the past 12 months.
“It was unreal,” said St Cross skipper Foyle. “Alton dropped him on seven, but after that Harry didn’t give a chance and just everything he did he pulled off with perfection.”
Came went on to dominate a huge 187-run partnership with Billy Mead (70), with whom he spent a large chunk of the past winter at Gary Kirsten’s Cricket Academy in Cape Town.
Their stand was the second highest fourth-wicket Premier Division partnership behind the 193 Havant pair Paul Gover and Luke Sears put together against Andover in 2000.
Yet the daunting 305-run total was under threat for some time as Alton put bat to ball with some gusto.
Marco Marais, who hit the fastest First Class treble century on record for his native Border in South Africa in March, took up the challenge as Jack Bransgrove, Harry Foyle and Matt Stokes came in for a fearful hammering.
Michael Heffernan (24) helped Alton to 73-1 before Alex Hammond (40) took the Brewers’ reply on to 132.
Marais hit three sixes and six fours in his run-a-ball 73 before Tom Foyle whistled up his trump card – and handed Came the ball !
Bowling his off-breaks, the former Bradfield School captain, trapped both Dan Harris (13) and Marais leg before.
Scott Myers made 25, but the remainder of the game was the Harry Came Show – Part 2 !
He sliced through the Alton middle and lower order, finishing with his second career best return of the day, this time with the ball.
Mike Salmon hit 37 not out before Alton were dismissed for a creditable 249, 56 runs adrift.
The 19-year old from Basingstoke stroked a career-best 151 and, once he’d got his breath back, followed it up by taking seven wickets for 52 runs with his off-spin.
It enabled St Cross to successfully defend 305-6 after Alton, at one stage, had threatened to challenge their daunting total.
Having hit an unbeaten century on trial for Kent second against Sussex at Hove in midweek, Came (left) arrived at the crease full of confidence and was soon seeing the ball like the proverbial football.
Initially, he played a support role to Tom Foyle (44), but from 85-3 took centre stage, cracking two sixes and 15 fours in his third Premier Division century for St Cross in the past 12 months.
“It was unreal,” said St Cross skipper Foyle. “Alton dropped him on seven, but after that Harry didn’t give a chance and just everything he did he pulled off with perfection.”
Came went on to dominate a huge 187-run partnership with Billy Mead (70), with whom he spent a large chunk of the past winter at Gary Kirsten’s Cricket Academy in Cape Town.
Their stand was the second highest fourth-wicket Premier Division partnership behind the 193 Havant pair Paul Gover and Luke Sears put together against Andover in 2000.
Yet the daunting 305-run total was under threat for some time as Alton put bat to ball with some gusto.
Marco Marais, who hit the fastest First Class treble century on record for his native Border in South Africa in March, took up the challenge as Jack Bransgrove, Harry Foyle and Matt Stokes came in for a fearful hammering.
Michael Heffernan (24) helped Alton to 73-1 before Alex Hammond (40) took the Brewers’ reply on to 132.
Marais hit three sixes and six fours in his run-a-ball 73 before Tom Foyle whistled up his trump card – and handed Came the ball !
Bowling his off-breaks, the former Bradfield School captain, trapped both Dan Harris (13) and Marais leg before.
Scott Myers made 25, but the remainder of the game was the Harry Came Show – Part 2 !
He sliced through the Alton middle and lower order, finishing with his second career best return of the day, this time with the ball.
Mike Salmon hit 37 not out before Alton were dismissed for a creditable 249, 56 runs adrift.
