Alton’s second team lost by seven wickets at Hursley Park in Division Three of the Southern Premier Cricket League.

On the back of back-to-back wins, Alton travelled to a Hursley Park side who had also started the season strongly. On another hot day, Alton elected to bat after winning the toss.

Alton opener Michael Heffernan (68) picked up where he left off the week before and immediately began piling on the runs.

Heffernan fell with the score at 107 for two, but Ethan van der Linde (86) timed the ball crisply from the off and accumulated runs through the middle overs.

However, Alton failed to fully capitalise at the death, despite a useful 42 not out from Mark Heffernan and 20 from Arul Appavoo. The Brewers were bowled out for 265 in the 50th over.

Alton had a decent total on the board, but needed to bowl well to keep a good Hursley batting line-up in check. Hursley opener Ollie Spink (73) came out firing, and after riding some early luck his explosive innings took the game away from the Brewers.

Spink got the hosts ahead of the required run rate, and they then played risk-free cricket to knock the runs off in the 45th over.