A magnificent unbeaten century from Michael Heffernan guided Alton 2nd XI to a convincing seven-wicket victory over Trojans in Southern Premier Cricket League Division Three.

After losing the toss and being asked to field, Alton stuck to their task well despite Trojans opener Syed Agha producing an excellent 92 at the top of the order. Agha dominated the innings with 14 boundaries before Matt Crane finally removed him just short of a deserved century.

Alton's bowlers continued to chip away at the hosts' batting, preventing any of the middle order from building on Agha's efforts. Wilf Bridger was the pick of the attack, returning excellent figures of 3-34, while Arul Appavoo and Cameron Beal each claimed two wickets. Tom Andrews and Crane also picked up a wicket apiece as Trojans were dismissed for 229 in 45.2 overs.

Although Alton will be disappointed to have conceded 23 wides, they recovered well after Agha's departure, taking the final six wickets for just 51 runs to leave themselves a manageable chase.

The reply began steadily, with Sam Bridger departing early, before Michael Heffernan took control of the contest. After Sam Crook and Joe Paul both made useful contributions to support the innings, Heffernan accelerated superbly, combining patience early on with clean, powerful strokeplay as the target came into view.

His unbeaten 142 from just 100 deliveries included 20 fours and five sixes in a remarkable innings that dominated the chase. Mark Heffernan provided the perfect foil at the other end, finishing unbeaten on 27 as the pair shared an unbroken stand of 112 to seal victory with 14 overs to spare.

Alton reached 232-3 in only 36 overs, completing an emphatic chase and collecting 22 valuable league points. Michael Heffernan's outstanding century will rightly take the headlines, but the disciplined bowling display and clinical finish underlined an excellent all-round team performance that keeps Alton building momentum in Division Three.