Joe Oates revelled in the responsibility that goes with captaincy and hit a match winning 83 as Basingstoke & North Hants chased down Alton’s 242 at May’s Bounty to win by three wickets with nine balls to spare.

The Bountymen were in trouble at 33-3 having just lost three wickets for seven runs when Oates joined opener Richard Vinn (27) at the crease, writes Mike Vimpany.

Skippering Basingstoke for the first time, albeit for the time being on an interim basis, Oates shared a 70-run partnership with Vinn, which altered the course of the match.

Oates departed at 140 having hit two sixes and 11 fours and doubled his run tally for the season, but his knock paved the way for Brad Neal (32) and later young Neil Shelar (36 not out) and Matt Donaldson (19) to polish off the target.

Alton were conscious that they were probably 25 or so runs shy of a competitive target, having been restricted to 56 off the last ten overs of their innings.

They batted steadily after a 44-run start by Ryan Hale (20) and Dan Harris (22), with Scott Myers (25) and Mark Heffernan (24) taking the score on to 93 before Michael Heffernan weighed in with boundary strewn 52, including a six and eight fours.

Dubs Wood (2-30) produced a tidy eight-over spell, removing Michael Heffernan and Tom South before Donaldson (4-56) enjoyed a four-wicket spell as Alton stuttered through those final overs.

Basingstoke seconds have fallen 21 points behind the nearest safety rung in Division 3, where they lost by 89 runs to Havant II, who comfortably defended 279.

Basingstoke were 8-2 and later 33-3 before Harry Smith (37), Harith Jayakpody (36) and Steve Bucksey (34) put some runs on the board. Stoke were always to finish adrift at 190 all out.