UNDETERRED after seeing their Southern League clash washed away 24 hours earlier, triumphant Alton beat Portsmouth to clinch a place in the final of the T20 Cup on Sunday.

They secured their place at the Ageas Bowl against Bashley on September 22 with a cool six-wicket win.

Chasing 112 to win for a second final appearance in three years, Alton eased into the final thanks to an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 46 between skipper Scott Myers and wicketkeeper Mark Heffernan.

After more rain on Sunday morning, which caused further damage to the already wet square, a huge clean-up operation worked wonders and the game began on time.

Myers won the toss and put Portsmouth into bat, and they spectacularly lost key player Australian Fraser Hay run out to the first ball of the match, bowled by leg spinner Jack Myers, without facing a ball.

And Alton’s fast start got even better when New Zealander Matt Bacon (1-24) had Ben Duggan caught behind by Heffernan off of a well-directed short ball to leave Portsmouth 11-2.

Myers continued to keep things tight and finished his spell by going for just 16 from his four overs, but Portsmouth started to get a bit of momentum as William Smitherman (24) and James Christian (30) progressed the score to 59 before Smitherman was caught at long on by Abhay Gonella off the spin of Tom Paul (1-18).

Toby Salmon (2-18) then reduced Portsmouth to 72-5 by removing James Christian, caught by Joe Paul, and then bowling captain Jack Marston for four.

Portsmouth batsmen Alex Hammond and Joseph Kooner-Evans then batted into the last over before Kooner-Evans was run out by Heffernan for 11, and when Hammond (23 not out) hit the last ball of the innings for four it left Portsmouth on 111-6 at the end of their 20 overs.

Alton replied in strong fashion with Alex Hammond (18) and Dan Harris (24) scoring at a good rate and putting on 48 for the opening wicket before Hammond was run out backing up by bowler Andrew Marston in the eighth over.

Marston (1-13) then accounted for Harris as he was caught at long off by Smitherman and suddenly Portsmouth could sense an opportunity – an opportunity that came more into focus when the sides went off for bad weather after 9.1 overs, at which point Alton were less than a run in front of the required score.

When play resumed Alton moved steadily onto 67 before Gonella (ten) was caught by Christian off of Vikram Dawson (2-18), and three balls later it was 67-4 as Bacon was out leg before wicket to the same bowler.

This left skipper Myers (22 not out) and keeper Heffernan (28 not out) to control the run chase, which they did superbly, and for Heffernan to finish the game off with a straight six off Henry Woolf.