ALPHINGTON were on the losing end of a last-ball thriller at Whitchurch.

New player-coach Mark Halse signed in with 78 and with Mark Porter making 54 and Andy Shepherd 40, Whitchurch were asked to improve on 230 for eight.

Stands of note were 69 between Halse and Porter and 41 between Porter and Shepherd.

Darren Sambells had three Alphington wickets for 44 runs. Charlie Barriball, Rob Bone and Hammy Kerswill all bowled tightly at four an over or lower.

Whitchurch went off in hot pursuit, led from the traps by openers Billy Barriball (55) and Bone (47).

Nathan Bright (3-37) slowed things briefly, but Charlie Barriball (33) and Ben Powell (30)  kept Whitchurch just about up with the clock.

Then spinner Paul James (5-36) bowled Alphington back into the game. Four wickets fell for 18 runs and when Kumar Ahmed  made it 212 for nine it seemed Alphington’s game.

Last pair Sambells and Kerswell had other ideas though and got down to the final over needing seven to win.

The scores were level with one ball to go and a scrambled leg-bye was enough to do it for Whitchurch.

Dave Haysom, who was acting as captain in the absence of Stuart Shaw, said one more player may have made the difference.

“On paper we were a bowler short but Bright bowled a great spell of spin taking important wickets,” said Haysom who praised Ben Newcombe, Ahmed and Javed Mahmood for their spells.

“It was a great team effort to take the game to the last ball with Whitchurch nine wickets down.”

Alphington are at home to Bridestowe this Saturday.