Rain Saves Academy Against Alton

Match Report: Hampshire Academy v Alton

Hampshire Academy v Alton
Southern Electric Premier League
Saturday 16 July
The Rose Bowl Nursery Ground

Summary: Rain Abandoned
Hampshire Academy: 139
Alton: 71-2 (10.2 ovs)

Rain saved the Hampshire Academy from a potentially heavy defeat against Alton in the only ECB Southern Electric Premier League match to get started on Saturday.

The visitors agonisingly ran out of time 26 runs short of chasing down a rain trimmed 97-run target having bowled the Young Royals out for 139. Requiring 97 off 28 overs, Alton were cruising along at 71-2 off just 10.2 overs when the match was abandoned.

The Rose Bowl groundstaff did remarkably well to get the Nursery playable for an intended 38-overs per side match, but Dave Taylor (4-28) and Matt Ireson (2-25) soon reduced the Academy to 35-5 after Tim Ravenscroft had surprisingly chosen to bat.

A fine half-century by Chris Stone, who hit two sixes and five fours in his 51, and Ollie Green (21) steadied the ship. They lifted the score to 82-6 before Green gave Mark Heffernan his third victim behind the stumps.

Stone and Tom Alsop (13) added a further 37 but the last four Academy wickets fell for only 20 runs, leaving the youngsters 139 all out.

Taylor had more than one eye on the weather, opening Alton's reply with a flurry of big hits.

He blasted 44 off 28 balls, twice smashing Jack Sheppard for huge sixes and hitting another seven fours. One of Taylor's pull shots sailed high into the adjoining golf links.

Forty of his 44 runs came in boundaries as Alton raced to 54-0 before losing Taylor and Scott Myers in quick succession.

But twice heavy rain sent the players scurrying from the field, sufficient play being lost to the elements to deny Alton a likely victory.

Not a single ball was bowled in any of the other 17 scheduled Premier League matches.

Words and Images: Mike Vimpany

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