Rowledge held their nerve to win by one run at home to St Cross Symondians in a thrilling Southern Premier Cricket League Twenty20 North Group match on Sunday.

Rowledge’s good form continued as the Southern Premier Cricket League Division One outfit claimed the scalp of Premier Division St Cross to make it two wins from two games in the group stage.

The game probably should have gone the Premier Division side’s way, but Rowledge produced a spirited bowling and fielding performance to defend a low total and get over the line.

Rowledge skipper Ben Wish won the toss and elected to bat first, but the home side’s innings got off to the worst possible start when opening batter Zac Le Roux was bowled by Matt Haworth for a golden duck off the first ball of the game.

Archie Redfern and Ollie Ryman put on a quickfire 19 before Ryman fell for 13 and another couple of quick wickets put Rowledge on the back front at 40 for four.

Ryan Littlewood joined Redfern at the crease and steadied the ship, but when Redfern was stumped for 28 trying to accelerate the run rate it was left to Littlewood (16), Joe Ryman (13), Will Ryman (16) and Ollie Baker (14 not out) to scramble Rowledge to a final total of 121 for eight off their 20 overs.

St Cross openers Sam Kendall and Mohammad Abbas scored 19 off the first two overs to get the visitors’ run chase off to a positive start.

Kendall fell for 21 and Charlie Gwynn followed for a duck, and when Abbas fell for 17 the visitors were 52 for three and the game appeared to be in the balance.

Gareth Schreuder (41) and St Cross captain Ed Ellis (28) built a partnership that looked like it would take the visitors to victory, with 13 runs required off the last 12 balls with seven wickets in hand.

However, Will Ryman bowled an excellent 19th over which only went for six runs.

Oscar Young bowled the final over and dismissed Schreuder with the first ball of the over, caught in the deep by Ollie Ryman.

Young struck again with his second ball when he had new batter Rory Acheson-Gray caught behind first ball by Wish.

Navashen Dubey joined Ellis at the crease with seven runs needed off the final four balls, and the pressure was on.

Young’s next ball was a wide, before singles off the next three balls meant Ellis faced the final ball with three runs needed for the visitors to win and two runs to tie.

Ellis hit the final ball through the covers into the deep and turned for the second run, but Will Ryman ran in and threw the ball to keeper Wish, who dived to his right to take the bails off and run out Ellis to seal a dramatic one-run win.

Rowledge won by 16 runs at Odiham & Greywell in their opening Southern Premier Cricket League Twenty20 North Group game.

Openers Archie Redfern (47) and Zac Le Roux (34) top scored as Rowledge scored 161 for six off their allotted 20 overs. Odiham & Greywell scored 145 for nine in reply.

Rowledge’s next Southern Premier Cricket League Twenty20 North Group game is at home to Basingstoke & North Hants on Sunday, June 21.