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ANDOVER picked up a vital win in a tense game against Hursley Park at the Quarters ground on Saturday, which saw them move up to sixth in the Southern Premier League.

Skipper Roger Miller lost the toss and was asked to bat first on a wet and green pitch and it was always going to be difficult to post a huge total and runs were hard to come by. Mark Miller (22) made a positive start but wickets fell at regular intervals as the Hursley Park bowlers were using the pitch to their advantage.

Andover found themselves reeling at 33-5 before Ali Hooper and Cil Van Der Merwe led a spirited fight back in the tough conditions. The pair added 60 before Van der Merwe was out for 25 going for one big shot too many. Hooper continued to put away the bad ball and was slowly taking the game away from Hursley until he was unfortunately run out, after a misunderstanding with Richard Taylor, for 47 from just 45 balls.

This match-winning knock was built on by Taylor and Alex Garman, on his first team debut, who added valuable runs late on in the innings when Andover were dismissed for 144. An excellent effort considering the conditions. Andover proved that it was indeed a bowler friendly pitch as the pace attack of Taylor, Garman and Roger Miller ripped through the Hursley Park top-order.

Garman's opening spell snared 3-28 off ten overs, showing what a good acquisition he is for the club. Andover bowled and fielded superbly, including another outstanding slip catch for Matt Hooper, taking his tally to nine for the season.

Andover reduced Hursley to 70-8 with Miller taking an impressive 4-30 off 16 overs. They offered a little resistance with the tail wagging but eventually they couldn't handle the spin trio of Chris Hadfield (1-3), Matt Hooper (1-20) and Uwe Birkenstock (1-10) and slumped to 110 all out.

This performance, together with last week's confident display, has given the town side a huge boost before their crunch match against local rivals St Cross Symondians at London Road tomorrow.

ANDOVER Sunday II beat Hungerford in Sunday's Border League game.

Batting first, Andover openers Jonty Hadfield (83) and Jack Andrews (38) put on 101 before Andrews was out, caught via the bowler's head. There were good contributions from the rest of the batsmen and the young Andover side finished on 265-7. A good opening spell from James Knight (1-32) and Dan Leavesley (3-30) put the Hungerford batsmen under pressure. Martin Roberts (3-9) bowled well, as did his younger brother Peter (2-30), and the game was finally wrapped up in the 26th over.

Andover Sunday were knocked out of the Southern Premier twenty20 Cup on Sunday by South Wilts.

Andover lost the toss and were asked to field and the South Wilts top order raced away with the game scoring at nearly ten an over for the first nine overs and at one stage looked as though they were going to post a huge total.

However, after leg spinner Chris Hadfield removed dangerman Hibberd and when Mark Miller grabbed the wicket of Morton, the runs started to dry up for South Wilts as Andover pegged them back with some superb bowling and fielding.

Inevitably wickets started to fall as the run rate dropped, the honours being shared around between Matt Hooper, Uwe Birkenstock, Mark Miller, Roger Miller and Alex Garman, again underlining what a good all round team Andover are this year. South Wilts eventually ended on 134-9 off their allotted 20 overs. A remarkable fight back which gave Andover a chance of victory.

Andover found runs hard to come by on a very low and inconsistent pitch and South Wilts bowled well on their home ground. Wickets fell at regular intervals and although the majority of the batsmen made contributions, no one really applied themselves for long enough to see them to victory.

Always behind the rate, it was left to Mark Jugs and Alex Garman to put up a valiant attempt in the last few overs but Andover fell 20 runs short finishing on 114-7.

THE thirds took a young side to Redlynch and Hale and emerged victorious against their relegation-threatened opponents.

On a bowler-friendly pitch, it was always going to be a close fought game that could have gone either way.

Problems for the town side stemmed from an indifferent batting performance that saw all of the top six get in, only to throw their wickets away trying to dominate. Andy Holman top scored with 27, but at 118-8 with 15 overs still to bat, Andover looked like they would post a very low total. But a great ninth wicket partnership of 32 between Jos Clarke and Pete Roberts took the score up to 150 all out from 40 overs.

Andover knew they would have to bowl and field well and having seen the ball turning for the Redlynch spinners, skipper Andy Sale chose to open with spin from one end in the form of converted seamer Martin Roberts who bowled a great 12 over spell of 3-27 and broke the back of the Redlynch batting.

Nick Dancer bowled a similarly impressive 12 over spell of 1-27 in the middle of the innings but it was the introduction of Pete Roberts following on from his brother that really turned the tide, taking three quick wickets in a five over burst.

Redlynch needed 50 from the last ten overs with three wickets remaining, they began to head towards an unlikely victory.

Jody Everett stepped in to take two wickets in his only over to end any resistance, leaving Omair to wrap up the innings from the other end for 124 and the thirds have now won three on the spin.

10:21am Friday 18th July 2008

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