Bournemouth fall to crushing nine-wicket loss at strugglers Alton

BOURNEMOUTH crashed to a nine-wicket defeat at ECB Southern Premier League strugglers Alton, after having their top order torn apart before lunch.

Bowled out for 139, they lost a wicket to the fifth ball of the morning session and later plunged to 35-7 against Alton's teenage pace attack.

In-form Dorset captain Luke Webb, who had made 245 runs in his previous three innings, was among four morning victims for Jude Wright (4-20) who, like Zac Gadsby (3-33), extracted life and lift out of the Jubilee Ground surface.

South African Aidan Meyer weathered the storm, underlining his skill with a run-a-ball 87, which included two sixes and nine fours.

His ninth-wicket stand of 81 with Ross Gardner (24) lifted Bournemouth from the depths of 57-8 to 139 all out.

Alton took just 20 overs to polish off the target, Dan Harris cracking an unbeaten 73. His century opening stand with Aarav Rajnikanth (41) contained 21 boundaries, Harris hitting a six and 12 fours.

Alex Nippard hit 109 and Tom Saunders 91 as SPL3 promotion pushers Parley posted 281-8 in the 113-run win over Havant II (168-9).