HAVANT emphatically avenged their opening-day defeat with a seven-wicket victory at Alton’s Jubilee Ground on Saturday.

After previous successes batting first in the Southern Premier League, Alton looked to replicate the formula and Scott Myers inserted a strong Havant side. The plan backfired badly.

The Brewers lost newcomer Abhay Gonella second ball, caught behind by Jez Bulled off Cameron Prentice.

Alex Hammond and Dan Harris looked in decent touch and put on 20 before the former cut Richard Jerry hard, but straight to Chris Morgan at gully, leaving Alton 20-2.

Harris continued his good form this season and the home side looked like they might weather the storm as he and Scott Myers took the score past 50.

But then Myers, looking to take the attack to the spinners, was stumped off Hampshire player Brad Taylor and the rot really set in.

Harris counter-attacked with a flurry of boundaries, but wickets fell at an alarming rate to Andy Gorvin and Morgan.

Harris was finally ninth man out for a well-crafted 45 off 86 balls, bowled by off-spinner Taylor, a former Eggar’s School and Holybourne player, who returned superb figures of 11-4-18-3.

The Brewers were blown away for a meagre 95 in 35 overs. Three wickets each for Morgan and Taylor really did put a spin on the innings.

Alton regrouped and, third ball of Havant’s reply, South African Sean Jamison had skipper Ben Walker caught behind for a duck. Off Jamison’s next ball, Stuart Ransley was dropped at second slip by Scott Myers.

It was an expensive miss as Ransley went on to score 44, including ten boundaries, before leg-spinner Jack Myers had him caught at slip by brother Scott.

With 52 on the board, opener Taylor was clean-bowled for 29 by Jack Myers. But that was Alton’s last success. Chris Stone and Richard Hindley settled in and steered Havant home in the 23rd over.

Alton will be looking for a much-improved performance when they travel to third-placed Lymington this Saturday.