Alton got off to the perfect start in this season's SPL Premier Division as they defeated perennial contenders South Wilts away from home by 5 wickets.

The hosts won the toss and elected to bat, but Jude Wright made a double early breakthrough dismissing both openers with 22 on the board. Harry Broderick put the brakes on with Tom Cheater before the former was removed by returning overseas star Bash Walters. 

Cheater held the innings together for the home side, finding some support from skipper Ben Draper (12), but he was removed by Tom South, who then bagged Archie Fairfax-Ross next ball, and Tom Varney removed Rob Pittman for a duck, leaving the home side in trouble at 102-6

Dan Sumner got in on the act to leave South Wilts reeling at 122-7, but Tom Grant (32) helped Cheater advance the score towards respectibility, before Grant was removed by Ben Rolfs, and Cheater was finally removed by fellow Hampshire Academy graduate Wright for a well made 80.

Wright finished off the tail to end with 4-53 and leave the Brewers chasing 179 to win.

The home side would have hoped for early wickets, but Abhay Gonella and Fred Egleston, back from a summer in Sydney, eased the pressure with a fine partnership. They had made 76 together before Egleston was removed for 38.

Ben Rolfs (11) and Sam Ruffell (14) supported Gonella as he moved past 50, before he was dismissed for 69, although by this time Alton just needed a further 23 runs. 

Despite the loss of skipper Scott Myers (1), Mark Heffernan (4*) and Wright (11*) saw the Brewers home without further alarm, in what was a fantastic all-round performance which should give huge confidence for the season ahead.