ANDOVER Cricket Club followed on from their five wicket win over Totton and Eling with a fine victory away at Rowledge.

Skipper Matt Hooper won the toss and put his Nordlock-sponsored side in to bat, hoping to make the most of a misbehaving newly laid pitch.

Opener David Taylor was in no mood to hang around as he plundered 35 in just 19 balls, hitting three huge sixes.

With a watchful Ali Hooper at the other end, Andover raced to 55 in seven overs before Taylor was caught lbw by the spin of Yates.

Will Arnold and Darron Augustus both joined Hooper for brief periods but Arnold was bowled off by a delivery that kept low and Augustus was run-out after a mix-up.

It was therefore left to the Glyn Treagus to guide Andover through the middle overs with Hooper as the pair put on a crucial 60 to steer their side towards a 200 plus total.

Hooper brought up his third half century of the season in a more restrained manner than his usual approach to batting.

The opener had to adapt his game to the pitch but still found the boundary on nine occasions.

When he was caught in the 38th over for a well made 65, big hitting Max Souter joined Treagus and the side started to move through the gears with Souter being particularly brutal in his 28 before he was stumped.

Matt Knight and Dylan Augustus paired up with Treagus who ended on 52 not out thanks to a large six off the last ball of the innings and Andover finished on a competitive 221-6 off their 50 overs.

The Rowledge run chase started badly as they struggled to handle the pace of Darron Augustus and Mike Adams.

Augustus ripped out Gleave’s middle stump before Adams trapped Metcalfe lbw with a slower ball and clean bowled Taylor with the next to leave the home side languishing on 31-3 off just ten overs.

Hooper then brought himself into the attack with immediate effect, finding the edge of Davies and Matt Knight taking a superb catch stood up to the stumps.

A rebuild ensued with captain David Lloyd and overseas player Alex Bloomfield playing a sensible innings.

Hooper rotated his bowlers but knew that patience was going to be key as they waited for the pair to launch their assault.

When they had notched an 80-run partnership, Andover started to fear the worst but Darron Augustus removed the dangerous Bloomfield thanks to another Knight catch and then quickly followed that up, snaring the wicket of Forbes.

Hooper took a fine return catch to dismiss Wish and Dylan Augustus then took two wickets in an over to leave Rowledge requiring 35 off seven overs with a wicket remaining.

Lloyd had no option but to take the Augustus brothers on but with no avail as Darron toppled his wicket in the 46th over and gave Andover the victory they deserved.

As a consequence, the town side have leapfrogged Rowledge in the league table and now sit comfortably in fifth place.