Alton beat Portsmouth in a final-ball thriller in the quarter-finals of the Southern Premier Cricket League Twenty20 Cup on Sunday.
After the recent persistent rain and the deluge suffered on Saturday which had washed out all cricket in Hampshire, it was in the balance if the match would go ahead.
The mass of sheeting was removed at the Jubilee Cricket Ground early on Sunday morning to get the game on.
The pitch was dry but some damp surrounding areas meant it was a race against the clock for the playing area to be ready for the 3pm start.
Bash Walters (two for 15) and Tom Varney (two for 22) opened the bowling and regularly beat the bat with speed and skill. It was Varney who struck first, removing the dangerous Fraser Hay with a well-targeted short ball that was gloved behind to Mark Heffernan. Varney then bowled Jack Marston with a late in-swinging delivery.
There was no let-up for the Portsmouth batting as Zack Gadsby was introduced into the attack and bowled with menacing pace. Dan Sumner (one for 23) was brought on and his off-spin captured the aggressive Sujeeth Daini with Daniel Harris taking a steepling catch on the ring.
Carlin Joy and William Smitherman put a partnership of 55 together with some smart batting and excellent running between the wickets.
Alton skipper Scott Myers (two for 27) brought himself on to bowl, and this proved an inspired change as he removed Joy and Smitherman in the same over in similar fashion – smartly taken by the bucket hands of Varney at long-on.
Walters came back on to bowl the 19th over and took two wickets as he had Thomas Wallis caught down the leg side by Heffernan and trapped Billy Eales leg before wicket.
The visitors scored 17 runs off the final over to finish on 130 for seven.
Rain fell during the interval but no overs were lost. Harris (14) and Sam Ruffell (17) opened up, with Harris punishing the short ball and taking ten from the first over.
Tight bowling from Joseph Kooner-Evans and Hay stopped Alton from getting away, and Harris was caught behind in the sixth over.
Alton fell behind the Duckworth-Lewis target score for the first time and needed 34 when the players left the field because of rain at 31 for one after six overs.
The clouds filled in and it looked like Alton’s fate was sealed as the Jubilee Cricket Ground was surrounded by grey all around.
The clock was ticking and overs were lost from the game.
A change of wind and some blue sky brought hope for the Brewers as a rainbow darted across the field.
With six overs left Alton needed 50 off 36 balls to reach their revised target of 81.
Alton lost Ruffell and Jude Wright (11) lofted a six and a four before being undone by a slower ball. Heffernan then came and went for four, chopping on to his own stumps.
This brought Freddie Egleston (three not out) to the crease and the Portsmouth spinners proved difficult to get away. The strike was hard to rotate, and Portsmouth sniffed blood.
With 29 needed from 18 balls, Myers (21) had other ideas as he took the seamers on and scored 17 from ten balls in a 25-run partnership with Egleston. A 19-run over in the tenth meant ten were needed from the last two overs.
That became eight from the last over as another tight over of spin yielded only two runs.
Four runs off the first four deliveries meant four runs were needed off the final two balls. A run out followed on the penultimate ball as Myers scampered back, looking to take responsibility. Walters strode out for the final delivery and blasted the ball out of the ground and over the road for six to spark jubilant scenes at the Jubilee Cricket Ground.