STAND-in skipper Simon Ridley raised a glass to Matty Metcalfe after revealing the secret to his success – a can of diet cola.

Metcalfe was the toast of Bournemouth, starring with bat and ball as the champions recorded a tense 37-run win over bottom-placed Andover.

The all-rounder, who hit a rapid 50 in Bournemouth’s 277 for seven, found a second wind after he had experienced fluctuating fortunes at the start of the Andover reply.

His pre-tea figures had been nothing to write home about, while the usually reliable Metcalfe also spilled two presentable catches.

However, after downing his favourite tipple at the break, Metcalfe (5-75) returned to ensure Bournemouth would land the spoils, albeit with only five balls to spare.

Ridley said: “Matty has been in really good nick with the bat, both for us and Dorset, so we put him up the order and he scored a good 50. He struggled with the ball to start with a took a bit of a tonking. He has got the safest pair of hands at the club so it was a big shock to see him drop a couple of catches.

“He always eats well and had a good tea! He always has a diet cola as well and he came back a different person. He came up trumps and showed what a good bowler he is with a lovely second spell. I might ask him if he put anything in his drink and we can all have some next week!”

Metcalfe (50) and Alex Butler (68) put on 106 for the sixth wicket after teenagers Michael Porter and Ryan Scott had given Bournemouth a solid platform.

Porter (64) and Scott (30) shared a second-wicket stand of 60 before Mark House (31) also chipped in with valuable runs.

Butler’s club-best knock came off 56 balls and included seven fours and two sixes, while Metcalfe hit eight fours during his 41-ball stay.

Having declared, Bournemouth then reduced Andover to 49 for three before Jonty Hadfield and Will Prozesky repaired the early damage with a stand of 89.

A sharp run-out by wicket-keeper Chris Ridley accounted for Hadfield, although Prozesky (124) continued to make hay under the Chapel Gate sun.

Ridley added: “I was always confident they wouldn’t reach our score but they needed 248 for a winning draw and it looked like they would get it. But wickets tumbled after Prozesky had gone and Matt cleaned them up.”

• An heroic last-wicket stand of 31 between Adie Hunt and Eddie Freeman ensured Lymington would hold on to claim a battling draw at St Cross.

Hunt (22) and Freeman (18) rescued Lymington after tail-ender Guy Layman (19) had also thwarted St Cross.

Having dismissed the hosts for 236 (Glyn Treagus 3-68), Lymington lurched to 151 for eight, despite the best efforts of Darren Cowley (51) and Rob Lammiman (31). But after the tail had wagged, Lymington closed on 206 for nine to earn some precious extra points.

• Bashley were on the receiving end of a heavy 168-run defeat by Hampshire Academy at the Rose Bowl Nursery.

Andy Neal’s men were put to the sword by an opening stand of 285 between teenagers Jacob George (154) and Rob Gibson (123) – just nine shy of an SPL record.

And after the young Hawks had declared on 365 for six, Bashley were reduced to 41 for four before Nick Baker (90) ensured some respectability as they were dismissed for 197.