ALTON snatched a tie from the jaws of defeat after being bowled out for 168 in the Southern Premier League match at Lymington on Saturday.

Scott Myers elected to bat first and then played a true captain’s innings after Alton’s top four had failed to adapt on what proved to be a difficult surface.

The ever-consistent Matt Metcalfe took full advantage of the batsmen’s poor shot selection, picking up four wickets in a superb 10-over spell that cost a miserly nine runs.

Alton were reeling at 31-4 when Mark Heffernan joined Myers and they looked to see off Metcalfe and rebuild the innings. This they did with a vital partnership of 64, but just as the batsmen were gaining the initiative, a mix-up saw Heffernan run out for a patient 26 and Alton were 95-5.

With the pitch giving uneven bounce, Alton knew that anything over 150 would keep them in the game. Joe Paul and Ben Mortimer went cheaply, though, and a competitive total seemed a long way off at 104-7.

But Myers was still there and with the support of the lower order, he expertly steered his side to a defendable score. He and Julian Ballinger shared a crucial 32-run partnership for the ninth wicket and Myers had reached 71 off 98 balls when he was bowled by Simon Beetham. It had been a fantastic innings in testing conditions.

Ballinger and Xavier Bochereau added useful runs and Alton clawed their way to 168 all out in the final over.

Alton needed to start well in the field and Mortimer and Toby Salmon delivered by removing Lymington’s openers for just 13, with Joe Paul taking a sharp catch at short cover.

Thereafter, it was Alton versus Ryan Scott, the number 3 holding firm while wickets tumbled at the other end. A three-wicket blast from off-spinner Ballinger reduced the New Forest side to 68-5, but Scott reached a masterful 50 and the Brewers were fast losing the initiative, when Mortimer returned to dismiss Ross Whyte and then Conor Moors was run out by a superb direct hit by Marais; 127-7.

Scott and Metcalfe kept the game in the balance and Alton looked finished when Lymington required only six with three wickets in hand.

Then Salmon landed the big one with a low full-toss which Scott – five short of his hundred – miscued to Mortimer. It was his first and last mistake.

With three runs needed, the drama was only just beginning. Josh Proctor, having been warned, was run out backing up by Mark Heffernan who then bowled two wides to level up the scores. He managed to close out the over, leaving No 11 George Willis to face Myers with one run wanted.

Three balls outside off-stump were followed by a straight one and the umpire raised his finger. Alton had scrambled a tie.