A BREAK for rain was the turning-point in this game as Alton had to settle for a losing draw after being in a prime position to beat the SPL Premier Division leaders.

At 170-3, Alton were closing down fast on South Wilts’ hefty total of 264. But then came the rain and, on the restart, it was a different game as the Brewers contrived to lose seven wickets for 30 runs.

Alton had elected to bowl first on a Lower Bemerton wicket that promised to help the seamers. Hard-hitting Tom Morton was soon crashing anything short and wide to the fence, but Alton had better luck at the other end. Tom Cowley edged Ben Mortimer to Toby Salmon at second slip and, two runs later, Salmon himself trapped William Wade in front; the home side 24-2.

Jack Mynott was then dropped before he had scored ­– a miss that proved rather expensive.

Morton reached an attacking half-century before being caught behind down the leg-side by Mark Heffernan off Julian Ballinger. But the score continued to mount as Mynott and Ben Draper added 93 for the fourth wicket.

Mortimer returned to have Draper caught for 39 and with Michael Salmon and Ballinger taking further wickets, South Wilts were six down for 210.

But Mynott stood firm and completed a fine hundred after lunch. Michael Salmon, bowling unchanged after the interval, took 4-47 off 15.2 overs and had Mynott caught for 108 (171 balls) by brother Toby in the deep. Some late blows from Ryan Murray lifted South Wilts to 264 all out in the 62nd over.

Alton needed a strong start and Michael Heffernan and Abhay Gonella obliged with a superb opening stand of 112. Young Gonella dispatched anything off line with sweet timing. The home seamers were struggling in the wind and turned to the spin of Mynott, but Alton made it to tea without loss.

Heffernan, needing three for his 50, misjudged a ball from Mynott and was bowled, but Gonella and Alex Hammond saw up the 150 and when the latter was caught off a leading edge, Dan Harris helped the opener take the score to 179 before rain forced the players off, Alton requiring 86 for victory with eight wickets intact.

When play resumed, Alton’s adjusted target for the winning draw was 224, with 12 overs left. What transpired was a fightback by the league leaders that almost left Alton empty-handed.

The pitch now played very differently, although Alton did not help their cause with some poor shots. With the ball moving off the surface, James Hibberd immediately had Harris caught behind and when the impressive Gonella – 10 runs short of his first Alton 100 – was trapped in front by Arthur Godsal, Alton were 196-5.

Godsal (4-16) and Luke Evans ripped through the later batting and with thoughts of a winning draw long gone, Dan Scott was left to survive the last two deliveries to deny South Wilts victory. This he did, and the Brewers were left to muse on another ‘if only’.

• Alton host rock-bottom New Milton this Saturday. On Sunday, they travel to Horsham to play Kent T20 champions Lordswood in the Vitality Club T20 Area Finals Day (12 noon start). The victors will meet the winners of the other semi-final between the Sussex and Surrey T20 champions.