A career best score by Ricky Rawlins, coupled with a vintage seven-wicket return by Dan Goldstraw, has brought an end to Sarisbury Athletic’s miserable five-match losing run.
Opener Rawlins made 139 and Goldstraw took 7-60 as Sarusbury celebrated an emphatic 121-run win over Alton at the Jubilee, writes Mike Vimpany.
It was their first success in the all-day Time pennant format and their thumping 311-8 comfortably the highest score on Alton’s ground.
The victory brought relief to skipper Matt Journeaux.
“When you have lost four or five in a row, you do start to worry a bit. We knew it was a massive game - it was must-win really,” he said.
“If we didn’t win that one, we knew we were going to be in a dogfight so it was a key game.
‘But it’s gradually been getting better over the past few weeks so it was good to be able to put it all together.
Ironically, the day began badly for Sarisbury with Ryan Covey caught behind for a second ball duck.
Rawlins and Dave Banks (24) added 86 for the second wicket and further runs with Ryan Burl (26).
Leg spinner Jack Myers (4-93) left Sarisbury‘s innings at a potential crossroads at 164-6, but Rawlins continued to lay the foundation for a sizeable score.
He went on to hit a six and 16 fours in only his second SPL century – his only previous one came against New Milton in 2012 – a splendid 139.
His seventh-wicket stand with Jack Lovett (44), which realised 113 runs, aided by a few handy clouts from Goldstraw, sent Sarisbury’s score soaring past 300.
“‘Ricky obviously batted really well. All year he has been getting himself in and then getting out,” Journeaux added.
‘He got himself in and as wickets started to fall around him, he was happy to stick around.
‘He got to 50 quite quickly but then slowed it down as the wickets fell around him, which he needed to do”.
Alton lost three wickets getting to treble figures but from 117-3 (Scott Myers 33), it was the Dan Goldstraw show.
The evergreen left-armer did the damage in his second spell, swinging the old ball prodigiously and taking seven of the last eight wickets to fall as Alton collapsed to 191 all out.
Opener Rawlins made 139 and Goldstraw took 7-60 as Sarusbury celebrated an emphatic 121-run win over Alton at the Jubilee, writes Mike Vimpany.
It was their first success in the all-day Time pennant format and their thumping 311-8 comfortably the highest score on Alton’s ground.
The victory brought relief to skipper Matt Journeaux.
“When you have lost four or five in a row, you do start to worry a bit. We knew it was a massive game - it was must-win really,” he said.
“If we didn’t win that one, we knew we were going to be in a dogfight so it was a key game.
‘But it’s gradually been getting better over the past few weeks so it was good to be able to put it all together.
Ironically, the day began badly for Sarisbury with Ryan Covey caught behind for a second ball duck.
Rawlins and Dave Banks (24) added 86 for the second wicket and further runs with Ryan Burl (26).
Leg spinner Jack Myers (4-93) left Sarisbury‘s innings at a potential crossroads at 164-6, but Rawlins continued to lay the foundation for a sizeable score.
He went on to hit a six and 16 fours in only his second SPL century – his only previous one came against New Milton in 2012 – a splendid 139.
His seventh-wicket stand with Jack Lovett (44), which realised 113 runs, aided by a few handy clouts from Goldstraw, sent Sarisbury’s score soaring past 300.
“‘Ricky obviously batted really well. All year he has been getting himself in and then getting out,” Journeaux added.
‘He got himself in and as wickets started to fall around him, he was happy to stick around.
‘He got to 50 quite quickly but then slowed it down as the wickets fell around him, which he needed to do”.
Alton lost three wickets getting to treble figures but from 117-3 (Scott Myers 33), it was the Dan Goldstraw show.
The evergreen left-armer did the damage in his second spell, swinging the old ball prodigiously and taking seven of the last eight wickets to fall as Alton collapsed to 191 all out.