It’s been an agonising wait – he’s previously been out four times in the nervous nineties and once on 99 – but Ryan Covey can at last celebrate his maiden ECB Southern Premier League century.

It came with a match-winning 100 not out, which carried Alton to a rain-affected seven-wicket win over Havant at the Jubilee.

His 11-boundary hundred, scored off 110 deliveries, eased Alton past Havant’s 200-8 with eight balls of a truncated 44-over affair remaining.

Covey was run out for 99 at Bournemouth in June but wasn’t prepared to allow a second opportunity to slip from his grasp as he delighted in making the winning hit to bring up his ton.

Havant captain Chris Stone won the toss and elected to bat first on what looked like a good wicket, and his decision was vindicated early on as openers Stuart Ransley and Harry Gadd took the score along to 29 before Gadd became the first of two victims for Toby Salmon (2-35).

Ransley and Peter Hopson then moved the score along to 64 before Dan Scott removed Ransley for a well made 43, both openers having been caught at first slip by Alton captain Dan Harris.

Former Hampshire man Richard Hindley joined Hopson in a stand of 77 before Hopson was then caught by Michael Heffernan off Salmon, and with the score at 141-3 Havant looked well placed to post a sizeable target. Hindley and skipper Stone moved the score along to 176 before Stone was caught by a fantastic catch by Salmon off Matt Bacon and within two runs Hindley had been run out by Scott attempting to come back for a second.

And 178-5 soon became 199-8 as Alton tightened the grip and Bacon produced a fiery spell which saw him finish with 4-28.

Alton began their reply in positive fashion with Harris scoring 37 from 31 balls, including four fours and two sixes, before he was caught by Hopson off the spin of Chris Morgan with the score at 53.

Opening partner Covey and Abhay Gonella then progressed the score to 79 before Gonella was caught behind by Jeremy Bulled off the bowling of Alfie Taw.

The reply was well paced at this stage and this continued with Covey and Michael Heffernan enjoying a stand of 56 before Heffernan was caught on the boundary off Hindley for 15.

With 66 required, still at the original rate of four-and-a-half runs per over, Covey and Scott Myers (31) then set about ensuring that the runs were knocked off without too many alarms while controlling the run rate.

In the end they put on an unbeaten fourth-wicket stand that saw the Brewers home by seven wickets.

With bottom side Basingstoke losing at home to league leaders Bashley Rydal, the victory moves the Brewers 15 points further in front of their local rivals, and now takes them to within eight points of sixth with three games left.

Tomorrow, the Brewers host Basingstoke & North Hants at Jubilee, and on Sunday they host Portsmouth in the semi-final of the Southern Premier League T20 competition (start 3pm).

For scorecard and latest standings, see this week’s Herald.