Alton’s first team crashed to an eight-wicket defeat at South Wilts in the Southern Premier Cricket League Premier Division on Saturday.

Alton took the long trip to South Wilts in good spirits as they looked to back up their vital win from the week before.

Despite missing key personnel, the Brewers welcomed back the experience of Howard Gadsby and Joey Paul into the side. Tom Andrews also came back in after a week off with injury.

On an overcast morning with rain in the air the toss would prove crucial, and once again Alton came out on the wrong side. Home skipper Ben Draper chose to bowl first.

Michael Heffernan joined Ryan Hale at the top of the order for the Brewers.

In difficult conditions the pair looked to just survive the new ball, with conditions most definitely in the bowlers’ favour – drizzle continued to fall, spicing up what was already a lively surface. With runs hard to come by Hale looked to take advantage of a loose delivery from Ben Huntley, but he could only drive to mid-off where he was caught for nine.

Heffernan then fell to the very next ball – Matthew Burton was the bowler as Heffernan played on for eight. Alton were now 18 for two.

Gadsby and Scott Myers managed to see off what was an extremely testing opening spell from Burton without any further loss.

Gadsby and Myers moved Alton past 50 before Tom Grant got his first, trapping Gadsby in front for 11. Myers was seemingly getting used to conditions, but with the pitch still offering a lot to the bowlers he received a unplayable delivery from Grant – the ball seaming away and finding the edge of Myers’ bat with Draper completing the catch behind as Alton slumped to 61 for four. Myers had made 30.

Matt Crane joined Mark Heffernan as the pair looked to rebuild – both were looking comfortable as they edged the Brewers towards three figures.

With lunch approaching Alton lost Crane for 11 and then Joe Paul for one as Alton went into lunch six wickets down. Heffernan remained unbeaten on 23, and with the pitch still offering uneven bounce Alton knew if they could somehow post something to bowl at, they would be in the game.

Like Myers earlier, Heffernan was managing to negotiate the inconsistent bounce and lateral movement.

South Wilts introduced Robert Pittman into the attack, and from just his second ball his gentle spin somehow managed to get the ball to leap off a length, and Heffernan was powerless as the ball struck his gloves and looped up to Huntley to complete a simple catch. Heffernan was gone for 29 and Alton were now 109 for seven.

Andrews soon followed for seven, and the visitors were staring down the barrel at 109 for eight. Bash Walters struck a maximum, but when Dan Sumner became Grant’s fifth wicket Alton were 127 for nine.

Tom Varney added six more but Grant grabbed his sixth wicket, ending with fantastic figures of six for 32, and Walters was left not out on 12 with Alton all out for 135.

Alton were disappointed with their efforts with the bat, but with the pitch offering variable bounce early wickets could still keep the visitors in the game.

Things did not go to plan for the visitors, though.

Edges went through third man for four and a tough chance went down, and with the league’s leading wicket taker Walters going down to injury in the seventh over of the innings with a hamstring issue, it would prove to not be Alton’s day.

James Degg and Jack Stearman added 67 for the first wicket before the latter fell to the off spin of Sumner leg before wicket for 27.

Alton took a quick second when Myers trapped Harry Broderick in front for six, but any brief glimmer of hope for the Brewers was put out as Peter Rowe and Degg added 62 for the third wicket to see the home side ease to an eight-wicket victory.

Degg made a gritty 55 not out off 84 balls, and Rowe made 33 not out off 55 balls.

The Brewers will need to bounce back when they travel to fellow strugglers Bashley on Saturday.