IT SPEAKS volumes for Alton's confidence that they used a potential banana skin of a match at South Wilts for a bit of batting practice ahead of this Saturday's top-of-the-table showdown with Ventnor.

The usual suspects excelled in Alton's 122-run hammering of the Wiltshire side's second string at Salisbury, with the off-spin duo of Julian Ballinger and Ben Jansen claiming eight wickets between them.

And the side's third – and arguably their most effective – spinner, Matt Ireson, struck an inventive 48 from 49 balls to put the game out of the home side's reach. He didn't even have to bowl.

Skipper Ballinger will no doubt be hoping that the versatile Ireson's pending knee operation will be postponed as the season enters its crucial stage.

Alton's perennial July yips have not yet re-appeared and even rare failures with the bat by 'big-game' players fail to impede their serene progress.

Ballinger's decision to bat was vindicated as openers Mike Heffernan (58 from 65 balls) and Richard Morgan (54 from 51 balls) provided a crackerjack of a start, plundering 113 from the first 16 overs.

Their dismissals allowed Mark Heffernan and Howard Gadsby some time in the middle and they added a useful 40 before four wickets from the admirable seamer, Lysander Wolf, left Alton wobbling slightly at 179-6. However, Ireson's timely intervention saw Alton into the comfort zone at 257-9.

South Wilts openers Jon Williams and Eddie Abel at first showed willing by taking 20 from the first three overs, but then proceeded to 50 in unambitious fashion before John Halfacre broke the stand.

Jansen dismissed Abel and then ripped the heart out of the middle-order with four quick wickets, leaving Ballinger to clean up the tail with four victims of his own.

Easy enough, but Ventnor will provide a much sterner test this weekend. The Isle of Wight side includes inspirational Australian-born Italian leg-spinner Orazio Santalucia and the 20-year-old West Indies 'B' and Leicestershire all-rounder Chaka Hodge. Start 1pm at the Jubilee Playing Field.

l Young all-rounder Dain Sherborne cracked his first century for Alton as the Sunday 2nd XI cruised to a 9-wicket win against Basingstoke in the Three Counties League. Sherborne hit an unbeaten 118 and 13-year-old Scott Myers (35) lent valuable support as Alton romped to victory with more than five overs to spare. Earlier, Basingstoke had made a challenging 197-8. Andy Tapp (4-35) was the pick of the Alton bowlers.

The Sunday 1st XI suffered their first league defeat when they went down by 4 wickets at Hartley Wintney.

ALTON

M P Heffernan c Steedon b Abel 58

R Morgan c Webb b Holewell 54

M J Heffernan c Webb b Wolf 28

H Gadsby c Shepherd b Wolf 12

H Ross c Shepherd b Abel 3

J Ballinger lbw Steedon 13

B Oliphant c Shepherd b Wolf 4

B Jansen c Shepherd b Wolf 0

M Ireson c Holmes b 48

J Halfacre b Steedon 9

Extras 28

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Total (for 9 wkts) 257

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Bowling: L Wolf 4-38, C Steedon 2-53, A Holewell 1-64, E Abel 2-40.

SOUTH WILTS II

J Williams c Gadsby b Halfacre 35

E Abel c Ireson b Jansen 21

D Webb b Jansen 6

J Chandler Ibw Jansen 2

M Holmes c P-Kessler b Jansen 29

A Holewell run out 0

G Shepherd c Ireson b Ballinger. 0

L Wolf c M J Hefffernan b Ballinger 3

S Benbough b Ballinger. 13

C Steedon not out 11

C Moody Ibw b Ballinger 0

Extras 15

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Total 135

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Bowling: J Halfacre 1-34, J Pang-Kessler 0-33, B Jansen 4-34, J Ballinger 4-31.