Rain spoilt the opening week of the Premier Division and when the sides met for the return matches in week 10, it got involved again. Happily the weather didn’t have the final say this time, reports Richard Spiller.
Normandy v Sunbury
Usurped by Guildford seven days earlier, the Premier Division’s only positive result of the day saw Sunbury retake the summit as they won by six wickets.
They overcame a Normandy side who have only enjoyed one victory since May and are struggling for runs, being bowled out for 98 in a rain-interrupted innings. Australian wicketkeeper Harry Nielsen made an unbeaten 45 – taking his tally to 449 runs at 56 so far this season – but once again he got little support, openers Harry Towler and Olly Batchelor the next best with 15 each. Kev Smith, Sam Burgess – both absent against Guildford – and Colby Dyer took three wickets apiece.
Burgess (25), Matthew Arnold (26) and Dyer’s 28 not out ensured victory was achieved in 21 overs, just in case the rain came back, putting Sunbury back on top with a 12-point advantage while Normandy stand sixth but are only 14 points outside the drop zone.
Ashtead v Cranleigh
Without a victory in the opening half of the campaign, Cranleigh may reflect that they missed an opportunity to get off the mark at last.
Rain interrupted the visitors at 99-2 from 20 overs, a two-and-half-hour delay seeing the match reduced from 120 overs overall to 84, leaving Cranleigh a maximum of 48.
Their hitherto unreliable batting unit amassed 305-4 from 47 thanks to South African U-19 international Clyde Fortuin (80), George Ealham (86) and Bruno Broughton’s unbeaten 80 from 49 balls, which included seven sixes. Tom Homes, so often Ashtead’s leading bowler, found his 17 overs being despatched for 129, Cranes declaring after 47 overs.
Three Surrey players plus West Indies international Kieran Powell perhaps explained Cranleigh’s caution, despite their desperation for a victory. But George Barlow removed Powell for a second-ball duck and trapped Ben Geddes lbw for 12. Dominic Sibley (53) and Harri Aravinthan (54) added 50 for the third wicket but George Ealham followed Sibley’s wicket by bowling county colleague Nick Kimber for seven.
In the end, the hosts were left hanging on at 184-8 from their 35 overs back, held together by Conor Young (27no), Barlow finishing with 3-39 while Ealham’s hectic 11 overs brought 4-64. Cranes took 13 points for the winning draw but still trail Ashtead, who gained four, by a mighty 32 points.
Guildford v Wimbledon
Champions Wimbledon flexed their muscles to knock Guildford off the top.
Stern resistance from the hosts saved them from a first defeat since mid-May but they were thoroughly outplayed by Jonathon Webb’s side, who picked up 13 points for the winning draw, having been unable to take the three wickets they needed to wrap up victory.
It all looked so good for Guildford when they inserted the visitors and had them 14-2, removing Leicestershire stroke-maker Nick Webb for a duck with the third ball of the match. But Webb and Ben Coddington settled down – despite a rain break which saw 12 overs lost – and took advantage of the hosts attempting to emulate England’s short-pitched tactics, which proved costly.
They put on 164 in 33 overs before Webb departed for 122, his second league century for the club, Coddington’s 103 also the second time he has reached that landmark for Wimbledon. David Scott’s 35 added to an already impressive total, the only surprise being that Webb chose to use 59 of the adjusted 60 overs before declaring at 297-7. Jono Merlo and Olly Birts both finished with three wickets.
Guildford hit deep trouble from the start, collapsing to 24-4 as Matthew Benning and Oliver Pike made better use of the conditions with two wickets apiece. Left only with the option of trying to save the game in the 49 overs back, Guildford had Merlo’s patient 37 and a restrained 23 from Jason Soames, which occupied 93 balls, to secure a losing draw at 108-7. That meant they took four points – Webb surely wishing he had given his bowlers more time – and are second in the table. Wimbledon moved into third place, a dozen points behind.
East Molesey v Reigate Priory
Epic resistance from Priory’s’ last pair saved them from what threatened to be an ignominious defeat at East Molesey.
Chasing 161 for victory, Reigate collapsed horribly to 30-6 and then 49-9, with three wickets apiece for Andy Westphal, Toby Porter and Oliver Haley. Only Alex Ross (10) of the upper order made it into double figures.
Richard Stevens has launched so many rescue bids over the years that he’s close to being registered as an emergency service and found a doughty partner in last man Michael Munday, the pair batting through 24 overs to finish on 84-9. Stevens finished with 20no while Munday’s 18no was his highest league score for Priory and best overall for a decade. Saving his side is becoming a Munday speciality, having performed a similar task last month against Normandy.
Batting was not easy all day, East Molesey’s rain-interrupted innings stuttering along to 120-8 until James Cake (51) and Porter (17) put on 40, their side finishing 160 all out in the 51st over.
Hoping to make up ground, Moles had to settle for 10 points and lie fourth while Priory, who took five, may be casting nervous glances downwards from seventh given they are just 13 points ahead of the drop zone.
Esher v Weybridge
Paddington might have been the popular victor just up the road at Sandown Park in the Coral Eclipse but no one was really satisfied by a damp draw in the Elmbridge derby.
At least Justin Broad was happy about making 104 at the top of Esher’s order, having been much missed by the New Road club since signing for Northamptonshire last month. The all-rounder cracked 10 fours and five sixes, putting on 164 for the fourth wicket with David Brent (81) as Esher were bowled out for 267 in the last of their adjusted 50 overs. There were three wickets each for Harshil Patel and Brent Kay.
Any fears of Australian Test bat Will Pucovski were terminated when left-arm spinner Dan Taylor had him stumped for 11 to make it 83-3. Opener Nathan Tilley battled through an albow injury suffered fielding to make 73 while Craig Meschede cracked 57 as Weybridge completed their 37 overs back at 173-5, taking six points for a losing draw while their hosts collected 12.
Esher stay in touch with the leaders, albeit 41 points off the summit, but Weybridge are just seven points ahead of the relegation zone in eighth.
Best of the rest
Banstead bounced back from a smashing by Sutton to reaffirm their lead at the top of Division One.
They beat Walton by four wickets, the visitors reaching 159-7 in their adjusted 52 overs thanks to opener Jimmy Greenslade’s 49 and Rhythm Bedi’s 39no which led a recovery from 120-6. Josh Stainer’s unbeaten 58 piloted Banstead to victory.
Sutton remain their closest challengers, thrashing Dulwich by 135 runs at Cheam Road, after Fabian Cowdrey cracked 111 out of 251-6dec from 48 overs. Mid-table Dulwich were in immediate trouble at 13-3 and shrank to 116 all out with Cowdrey’s wrist spin earning him 3-16. Conor McKerr, who had been fielding as substitute for Nottinghamshire against Somerset the previous night at Taunton as part of a T20 loan spell from Surrey, took 1-14 in six overs.
Don’t write off Valley End yet, not least after their 117-run triumph over Spencer, Josh Dodd smashing 162no out of 303-6dec. He also claimed 3-41 to roll the Wandsworth side for 186.
And Malden Wanderers moved into fourth place in thrashing Old Wimbledonians by 10 wickets.
Sunday fun day
It’s the climax of the Surrey Championship’s T20 competition – for the Edwards Cup – next Sunday (July 16), with East Molesey playing hosts this year.
Wimbledon take on Cranleigh in the opening semi-final at 10am, Reigate Priory meeting Weybridge in the second match at 1pm with the climax to follow at 4pm.
Fixtures, results and live scorecards can be found at www.surreychampionship.play-cricket.com.
