Andover got back to winning ways in Southern Premier League Division One against Hambledon and moved back to the top of the table.

The first XI, sponsored by Nordlock, named an unchanged team on their return to London Road, against a Hambledon side still in search of their first win of the season.

On a hot Saturday in June, Johnny Nyumbu won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first in front of a large crowd at London Road.

Andover’s opening pair of Glyn Treagus and Harri Williams got the innings underway. Treagus (0) was adjudged LBW in the first over bringing Ollie Banks-Williams to the crease to join Williams.

The pair fended off the Hambledon opening bowlers, who restricted Andover well and found some good sideways movement in the pitch.

READ MORE: Zimbabwe international Richmond Mutumbami joins Andover cricket club

Just as the pair started to build a platform with the scoreboard ticking over nicely, Banks-Williams (11) was well caught at slip with the score on 43.

This brought Zimbabwean international Richmond Mutumbami to the crease who immediately looked to score, punishing any bad bowling which took Andover to 62-2 at the first drinks break with Williams still in on 29.

After the drinks break Williams and Mutumbami started to increase the run rate, both rotating the strike nicely, putting away the bad balls from the opposition spinners and Hambledon had to rotate their bowlers.

Both batsmen went to 50 just after the halfway stage, with Williams notching up his first Southern League half-century.

With both Williams and Mutumbami past 50, the pair continued to increase the rate as the pair found the boundary with ease. Mutumbami was particularly brutal on anything slightly overpitched or short.

The pair motored along in the middle overs, scoring 129 in 17 overs which took Andover to 191-2 at the second drinks break with eight wickets still in hand and 16 overs left.

In the second over after the drinks break, Williams was dismissed LBW for a well-made 74 to end his lean start to the season.

With the score on 200, Matt Hooper came to the crease and he rotated the strike well as Mutumbami reached his maiden Southern League ton, coming off just 82 balls.

After passing his century Mutumbami looked to push on whilst Hooper was dismissed for 11.

Babu Veettil, the power-hitter, joined Mutumbami briefly as he hit two sixes before being dismissed for 12. Josh Banks-Williams came and went for eight.

Mutumbami was finally dismissed for a brilliant 135 off 104 balls, that included 17 fours and 5 sixes.

Matt Knight (15) moved the score nearer 300 through some inventive batting before going for one flashy shot too many.

Some hard running from captain John Nyumbu (9*) and Aidan Jansen (1*) took Andover to 299-8 off their allotted overs.

This was a good total that would need something very special from one of the Hambeldon batsman to chase down, despite the fantastic pitch at London Road.

The Andover opening bowlers of Babu Veettil (2-42) and Ollie Banks-Williams (1-37), knew they had to stick to their lines on a great batting pitch.

After a tight first three overs, Banks-Williams struck with the first ball of the fourth over to dismiss Hambledon’s Norwegian international, Henry Glanfield, LBW for a first ball duck.

Hambledon’s other opener, Pratt, latched onto a few loose balls from the Andover opening bowlers but a change of bowling to the left armer, Aidan Jansen (2-19), worked perfectly to dismiss Pratt LBW for 27 with the score on 47.

Jansen and Josh Banks-Williams (0-25) bowled tightly and kept the Hambledon run rate down as they reached the first drinks break with the score 72-2, 10 runs ahead of where Andover were at the same point.

In the 19th over, captain Nyumbu (1-20) brought himself onto bowl and the change worked once again – Nyumbu striking with his second ball to dismiss the Hambledon overseas LBW, plum in front of all three stumps.

Both Nyumbu and Jansen continued to squeeze the Hambledon batsman, giving them no loose deliveries.

The introduction of Mike Adams (2-40) saw him dismiss the Hambledon captain LBW with a cunning back of the hand slower ball.

By the halfway stage Hambledon were well behind the rate needing 202 to win off 25 overs. Adams struck again in the 28th over, well caught by Ollie Banks-Williams at mid on.

The Hambledon batsman found runs hard to come by, with Butcher eventually reaching his half-century off 94 balls in the 32nd over by which point the rate was over 9 an over.

Hambledon were 128-5 at the second drinks break as result of a tight 17 overs from the Andover bowlers, yielding only 56 runs. A stark contrast to the same period in the Andover innings.

Veettil returned and struck twice in an over to remove the fighting Primmer (9) and the set Butcher (55) to leave Hambledon staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat at 136-7, requiring at 164 off the final 12 overs.

Some lower order resistance from Mugford (27) was ended when Jansen returned in the 46th over with the score on 184.

A late wicket for Matt Hooper (1-25) of Bembridge (30) gave Andover a glimpse off taking full points but unfortunately Andover could not get the final wicket. Hambledon ended on 218-9 with Andover taking the victory by 81 runs.

Andover picked up 21 points in a good Saturday for the town side which saw them return to top of the table following Basingstoke’s loss to Hook.

The top three (Andover, Basingstoke and Hook) are separated by two points at the top of the table, with all three sides only losing one game.

Andover are back in action this Saturday with a top of the table clash, away to Basingstoke (12.30pm start) at the Mays Bounty cricket ground.

Andover will be looking to continue their strong start to the season and give themselves some breathing space at the top of the table.