Rowledge got back to winning ways in Division 1 of the Southern Cricket League as they put in a superb fielding display to beat New Milton.

Having won the toss, spin at both ends put the New Milton top order under immediate pressure, with Max Martin drawing a false shot out of Hall and then bowling Humphrey through the gate in what was an impressive opening spell.

James Adams and Lee Beck looked to repair the initial damage, batting patiently and accumulating calmly.

It would be the Ryman brothers who would stop their progress as Will had Beck caught expertly on the run by Jake Wish, and then Olly Ryman removed Adams, caught behind by captain Ben Wish.

The Rowledge fielding continued to be superb, in what was the youngest first team in the league in memory with Ben Wish and the experienced David Lloyd being the only two players over 23.

It was Lloyd who continued the superb standards, bowling a luckless ten overs for just 20, and with Martin finishing with two for 21 off his ten, the spin bowlers were in fine form.

After Ollie Baker trapped Naylor lbw, New Milton looked to counter attack through Ed Bartlett and Dan Loader.

The pair added 50 for the seventh wicket, but the returning Will Ryman dismissed Loader, and Bartlett was very much left stranded as he looked to be positive with little support.

When he fell for 46 off Ollie Ryman, New Milton subsided to 171 all out in the last over of the innings with Will Ryman finishing with four for 36 and Ollie Ryman two for 25.

In response New Milton dropped Jonty Sebborn when he hadn’t troubled the scorers, and that would prove costly as he looked to finish the season in positive form.

His opening partner Max Martin played two sumptuous cover drives, only to be trapped lbw by George Watts.

Sebborn, joined by Zac Le Roux, was in fine touch on a wicket which was slow and even paced.

Le Roux, arguably Rowledge’s form man for the second part of the season, drove firmly until he perished, caught behind off Bartlett having put together a 67-run partnership.

Ollie Baker continued the momentum, dismissive of any short-pitched bowling on offer.

While his dismissal for 22 – closely followed by Sebborn, caught on the leg-side boundary for 64 – gave New Milton some interest, Ryan Littlewood was in no mood to let the game get close as he struck a quick 27 to take Rowledge past the target with ten overs to spare.

With one game to go Rowledge will look to finish on a high as they travel to already-relegated Sparsholt this weekend.