BASHLEY duo Neil Thurgood and Nick Baker battered Alton with a 141-run partnership to inspire the hosts to an eight-wicket victory at the BCG.

Although Alton made a promising start, they were pegged back by some impressive bowling and Bashley made light work of chasing their 205 for eight with Thurgood (74*) and Baker (83) sharing a boundary-strewn stand.

Once Baker had departed, Ryan Higgins (17*) joined Thurgood and wasted no time in finishing the job, rattling off three boundaries from his 11 balls.

The visitors had been stoic and scored slowly before lunch. Openers William Phillips (57) and Scott Myers (29) put on 60 but rarely ramped up the rate before wickets started to fall at regular intervals.

Spinner Simon Watkins (4-48) led Bashley’s charge with Simon Ridley (1-11) and Andrew Neal (0-14) helping to stifle any momentum.

Robert Heywood (41) gave the visitors hope, providing more than a run-a-ball before teaming up with tail-ender Jack Myers (21*) for a partnership of 55. But it did not prove to be a patch on Bashley’s belligerent batting with Baker delighted with his day’s work.

“It was a pretty good batting pitch,” said Baker. “They won the toss and it wasn’t the best for us to start fielding on, but we did a good job in keeping them down and felt we had every chance once we had held them.

“Neil (Thurgood) and I played sensibly until tea and really took the game away from them.

“It was one of those days where you put a plan in place and it all comes together for you to execute it.”