Alton beat Purbrook by 52 runs to continue their promising start to the season.

Alton lost two wickets for 29, but by 20 overs they had made steady progress to 65-2. Bruce Oliphant and Paddy Heffernan continued the good work and took the townsmen to 97 off 26 overs, before Pay took the first of his three wickets in a good spell.

Most Alton batsmen made a good start on the flat Jubilee track, but were unable to consolidate as Purbrook applied the pressure.

However, crucial late-order runs, and a last-wicket partnership between Tapp and Jackson, took the Alton total to a respectable 181-9 from the full 50 overs.

Purbrook made fair progress before Tapp made the breakthrough at 27. Hunter and Pay then continued to score steadily to take the score into the 60s.

The turning-point came when Howard Gadsby dismissed Hunter and then completed a sharp caught-and-bowled to dismiss dangerman Pay.

Alton continued to turn the screw. Ballinger bowled tightly, while sharp fielding from Jackson accounted for Repsold. Change-bowlers Chalkley and Oliphant put the game beyond doubt by mopping up the later batting.

The signs are promising for the townsmen, as both victories to date have been built around solid team performances with everyone making a contribution.

alton

G Billington c Cleeve b Charles 6

J Ballinger b Charles 15

P Heffernan b Pay 32

B Oliphant c McCoy b Pay 31

M P Heffernan run out 0

G Chalkley c Repsold b Hunter 18

I Mears b Pay 2

H Gadsby c Mengham b Brewer 19

H Jackson not out 17

B Gillingham c McCoy b Brewer 2

A Tapp not out 11

Extras 28

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Total (for 9 wkts) 181

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Bowling: R Charles 2-7, C Pay 3-24, S Brewer 2-34, B Hunter 1-30.

purbrooK

M Hennessey c Ballinger b Tapp 16

B Hunter c Gillingham b Gadsby 19

C Pay c and b Gadsby 24

J Repsold run out 17

G McCoy lbw Ballinger 3

A Hellyer c Gillingham b Chalkley 6

D Cleeve b Oliphant 16

A Mengham c and b Chalkley 0

M Stanley c Tapp b Oliphant 3

S Brewer st Gillingham b Chalkley 2

R Charles not out 0

Extras 23

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Total 129

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Bowling: A Tapp 1-31, H Gadsby 2-43, J Ballinger 1-22, G Chalkley 3-10, B Oliphant 2-2.