ALTON recorded a hard-fought victory over Bashley (Rydal) on Saturday and jumped to fifth in the SEPL Division One table.
The 15-run margin shows it was a close-fought contest, but the Brewers put in a controlled and committed display to earn a second successive victory while denying Bashley a third straight success.
Deciding to bat first on a dry-looking pitch in the New Forest, Alton started positively against the new ball. Scott Myers went early, but Ryan Hale revelled in his new opening role and he and Dave Taylor regularly beat the infield and were quick to punish any loose deliveries.
However, Taylor became Kevin Nash's second victim when he nicked one behind and Aarron Williams' run of bad luck continued when he was adjudged lbw to the same bowler.
At 57-3, Alton needed to consolidate. Howard Gadsby duly dug in with 25 from 71 balls, while Hale played some meaty shots to bring up his half-century. The pair, in their contrasting styles, had added 50 when Hale fell to a rising delivery from Bashley skipper Anthony Neal, having made an invaluable 55.
Michael Heffernan looked in fine touch, only to hit one off the middle straight to Chris Jones at deep mid-wicket. Gadsby's dogged effort came to an end and Darren Vann's dismissal left Alton with a lot to do at 158-7.
Skipper Mark Heffernan was just the man to keep his head in a tense situation and with some excellent running, deft touches and clean striking, he edged his side up to 200 all out in the last over, finishing 37 not out.
The confidence was flowing after last week's win and new-ball pair Taylor and Jeremy Pang-Kessler made the Bashley openers play and miss regularly. Soon, Pang-Kessler trapped Neil Thurgood bang in front.
Former Hampshire man Andy Sexton and Chris Jones, Somerset's classy youngster, kept the score ticking over as Alton rotated their bowlers. The tactic paid off when Taylor bowled a superb over at Sexton, setting him up with several deliveries before having him smartly caught by Vann at first slip off a superb outswinger.
The player-coach repeated the trick on 61, dismissing Jones with an unplayable leg-cutter that clipped the top of off-stump.
With the home side needing six per over, Richard Morris and Nick Baker moved them closer towards the target, without ever dominating, due to tight spells from Dave Evans, Pang-Kessler and Hale, plus committed work in the field.
Mark Heffernan stumped Morris off seamer Pang-Kessler to put Alton back in control and Taylor returned to trap Baker leg before.
Neal rallied his side, though, and he and Bailiff batted sensibly to take the New Forest men to within 40 of victory with five wickets intact.
Alton still had a trick up their sleeve. Welsh wizard Julian Ballinger deceived Bailiff into chipping a catch to Vann at cover. Then Neal skied the off-spinner to Williams at long-on.
Bashley could not match the asking rate as Ballinger varied his pace and gave the tail-enders no room to score. Within moments, he had done a demolition job on the lower-order and claimed a five-wicket haul to seal victory for a jubilant Alton.
It is a measure of Alton's progress that this victory follows a heavy beating by the same opposition in the final game of last season.
The Brewers hope to continue their winning run at home to Andover this Saturday (start 1pm).