Alton fell to a 34-run defeat against Lymington in the Southern Premier Cricket League Premier Division on Saturday.

Alton skipper Scott Myers won the toss and bowled first. His decision looked vindicated as Bash Walters removed Ben Rogers with the 13th ball of the day and when Jude Wright removed ex-Hampshire all-rounder Gareth Berg, caught behind by Mark Heffernan, the Brewers were in buoyant mood. A few overs later Wright (two for 24) took his second to leave Lymington on 44 for three.

Mohammad Abbas and Kamran Dhariwal put on 57 and then Dhariwal and Saqlain Choudhary added 88. Once Dhariwal (76) fell to the bowling of Tom South the Lymington innings fell away and they crashed from 189 for four to 215 all out. Walters returned to grab four for 34 alongside South’s three for 34.

The Brewers had an hour to negotiate before tea and the reply couldn’t have started in worse fashion when Aarav Rajnikanth was trapped leg before wicket by Berg in the second over. Wright followed in the eighth, also leg before wicket to Berg. Alton moved to 42 before Berg bowled Myers to grab his third. Dan Harris (34) dragged on to left-arm spinner Asad Abbas to leave Alton on 42 for four. Sam Ruffell and Ben Rolfs came together and a nervy seven balls followed through to the tea break. After tea the pair put on 39 before Ruffell departed for 22, top edging a pull shot. When South was then caught at cover Alton were 97 for six and the victory looked a long way off.

Mark Heffernan (28) and Rolfs (45) took the total to 146 with a partnership of 49, but when both were dismissed leg before wicket Alton were 163 for eight with 20 overs remaining and hopes of any kind of result were fading.

Walters, Dan Sumner and Thomas Varney got the total to 181, and in the process secured another batting point, but it was too big of an ask for the tail as Alton fell to a fifth successive defeat.

The Brewers travel to Havant on Saturday.