ALTON and Liphook & Ripsley both won their SPL T20 Cup first-round matches in some style on Sunday.

Cup holders Alton entertained Hampshire Academy – their league oponents of the day before – in a re-run of last year’s T20 quarter-final. Again, it was the Brewers who came out on top.

Academy skipper Felix Organ elected to bat, but excellent opening spells from Alex Hammond (1-24) and Dan Scott (2-15) reduced the visitors to 14-3 inside the power-play overs.

The visitors rallied, though, and a hard-running, unbroken stand of 71 between Scott Currie (53 not out) and Fletcha Middleton (43 not out) took Hampshire to a useful 139-4 in the 20 overs.

Alton looked to use the power-play to get ahead of the clock and after losing Alex Hammond early, Marco Marais and Dan Harris did just that.

Marias smashed the ball to all parts as the Brewers plundered 72 off six overs. Harris fell for 23 (83-2) and then Scott Myers (15) supported the unstoppable Marais as Alton closed in on the target.

Marais struck his fourth maximum at the end of the 18th over and with four runs wanted from two overs, the South African managed to hit a no-ball full-toss over the keeper’s head for the winning boundary. His 93 not out had come from just 55 balls and included 10 fours and four sixes. It was brutal

A free-flowing partnership of 53 between George Neave and Grant Rouse clinched a fine six-wicket win for Liphook over Division One rivals Calmore Sports at Ripsley Park.

Opting to bat, the visitors, led by skipper Mark Lavelle (44) and James Manning (34), posted a competitive 145-6 in their 20 overs.

Not for the first time, Ryan Covey proved very effective in the T20 format, taking 3-21 in his four overs. Liphook, with Suman Ganguly making a welcome appearance, bowled well generally to restrict Calmore to seven an over.

At 69-3, with Ganguly gone for 17, Liphook were in a spot of bother. But then Neave was joined by Rouse and Calmore were unable to stem the flow of boundaries.

Neave’s 55 not out contained seven fours and a six, while Rouse hit eight fours before finishing the onslaught with two sixes to end 59 not out. Liphook powered to 151-4 with an over to spare.

• Alton will travel to Portsmouth in the next round, while Liphook visit Bashley.