Howzat? The bails fly as Alan Kruger claims yet another wicket for South Wilts. THE first all-day game of the season proved to be the shortest so far as South Wilts routed sorry OTs & Romsey at Wilton Road.

By 3.20pm the game was over as the hosts stormed to a ten-wicket success to make it three wins in a row.

In contrast, the visitors have now lost all five of their fixtures and on this evidence are in for a long season.

On one of the hottest days of the summer so far, OTs' skipper Jody Brown won the toss and took the positive decision to bat first on what looked another flat track at the Lower Bemerton ground.

However, he was soon regretting that decision as South African paceman Alan Kruger found the edge of Lockey's bat in the first over and then Lysander Wolf, 2-7, nipped out Brown and the overseas player Shirley in quick succession.

Kruger was causing all sorts of problems for the batsmen and found the edge of the bat regularly.

But this also caused problems for the South Wilts' slip fielders, with the ball flying past, through and over them to the boundary.

Finally an edge went to hand as Jason Laney took a spectacular diving catch at second slip to dismiss Long-land and when Lamb's stumps were sent flying soon after, OTs were reeling at 25-5.

However, the strugglers then found some steel. Max Smith, a former winner of the Southern League batting prize, got stuck in and together with Faisal Iqbal enjoyed a partnership that was threatening to make a game of it, until at 86-5 James Hayward found Smith's edge and 'keeper Cranch took a fine catch to remove Smith for 40.

Off the next ball, a mix-up left Iqbal, 20, stranded out of his ground and he was duly run out.

South Wilts now moved in for the kill and the batsmen merry-go-round continued as rash shots off the next two Eddie Abel, 2-10, deliveries brought him a brace of wickets.

Four wickets had fallen in four balls and OTs had plunged to 86-9.

Kruger was brought back into the attack and he instantly finished the innings off with a yorker to leave OTs all out for just 87 in 39 overs.

The South African closed with 4-37, knowing that 29 of the runs had been to the vacant third man boundary.

South Wilts stayed focussed after lunch and Laney, fresh from his award as the Southern League's player of the month for May, and Abel, opening up in the continued absence of Russell Rowe, set about their task.

With barely a false shot, the two eased South Wilts to victory inside 18 overs.

Laney's 54 not out, marked his fourth successive fifty, while Abel was unbeaten on 33, as South Wilts took the maximum points available.