It’s the halfway point of the M Zaidi Surrey Cricket Championship. Richard Spiller sizes up the Premier Division race
East Molesey v Wimbledon
It may only be halfway but can anyone stop East Molesey claiming the title?
A lead of 33 points over second-placed Esher is large enough but they have now opened up a 61-point gulf over Wimbledon in third place, hammering the champions by 119 runs.
There only ever seemed to be one likely winner on Saturday at Graburn Way, Moles cruising smoothly – like one of those boats which slides down the Thames, past the ground – to 268-7 after being sent in. Sam Burge’s punchy 34 was followed up by a patient 70 from opening partner Michael Shean and Serbian international Luka Woods making 26. But if Wimbledon’s depleted attack thought they were making headway, skipper Tom Cullen’s unbeaten 80 disappointed them.
A pitch offering encouragement to both seam and spin was little problem for the 34-year-old, born in Perth and more recently with Glamorgan. A touring group from Radford College in Canberra – occupying their final hours before heading to Heathrow for the flight home by using the Hitz cricket centre on the ground – received ideal tuition by watching the way he placed the ball, three times in one over running two without the ball leaving the square.
Cullen also deserved credit for declaring at 60 overs, ensuring his bowlers would get just as many back at Wimbledon, given so many teams bat the full 66 and then run out of time to dismiss their opposition.
Andy Westphal underlined his supremacy among seam bowlers in the league with a testing early spell of nine overs for 16, the first three maidens and barely a ball wasted. Toby Porter gained the reward at the other end, trapping Alex Barrett for a duck and bowling Tim Lloyd (2) but Wimbledon could still save the match while Jack Boyle (50) and his aggressive partner Adam Fox (37) were adding 59 for the fourth wicket. Westphal’s return ended that, having Fox caught behind and bowling James Cronie first ball. Anuj Malik (4-53) wheeled away at the other end, the left-arm spinner having added an extra dimension to Molesey’s attack.
He tempted Boyle down the pitch, Clyde Fortuin completing a smart stumping, after which only Kit Derrick (27) resisted for long. He was bowled by the returning Porter to dismiss Wimbledon for 149, finishing with 3-22.
Esher v Guildford
Chasing down 286 ensured Esher kept East Molesey within their sights – albeit using a telescope – and dumped Guildford into bottom place.
The hosts had chosen to bowl first and were kept in the field for the full 66 overs, Finn Gordon rediscovering his early-season form to make 94 out of his side’s 285-9. He added 57 for the second wicket with Australian Blake Macdonald (25) and 94 for the third with Fred McMillan (40) but there were no other major contributions to make Esher’s chase that much harder, Joe Lavender’s 4-37 being chiefly responsible.
Missing three seamers, Guildford were reliant on Duncan Selmes (3-66) for breakthroughs, a third wicket partnership worth 99 between Surrey’s Nikhil Gorantla (76) and Alex Chambers (46) setting Esher on their way before David Brent (64no) and Ollie Hunt (44no) ensured the chase was completed with 4.3 overs in hand in an unbroken fifth wicket alliance worth 98.
That was Esher’s third win in four outings, encouraging for a side who only escaped the drop on the final day of last season. Guildford’s third defeat over the same period, though, leaves them needing a dramatic upsurge of form to avoid an immediate return to Division One. A visit to leaders East Molesey on Saturday does not offer immediate promise of a resurgence.
Normandy v Reigate Priory
Ollie Gibson’s 7-26 wrecked Reigate as they slumped to a fourth successive defeat.
The right-arm seamer ensured Priory were dismissed for a paltry 92 by a Normandy side who rose off the bottom of the table ini completing a win by six wickets.
Far more accustomed to battling it out at the other end of the table, Reigate are a sickly seventh, just 10 points off the bottom. Only opener Richie Oliver (27) and skipper George Ealham (31) lasted for long, both falling to Gibson in his 9.1 overs.
Priory struck back by removing Oskar Kolk for 13 but the match was effectively ended by a second-wicket stand of 63 between Harry Bowen (32) and captain Chris Jones, who added an unbeaten 44 to two wickets earlier. Normandy lost three wickets near the end but knocking off the runs in 13.1 overs gave them plenty of time to enjoy their second win of the season, overtaking Guildford and just four points behind Ashtead in eighth.
Sutton v Spencer
Fabian Cowdrey’s 82 led Sutton to victory, preserving their place in the top four – albeit after a late wobble.
A much easier day looked in prospect when they had reduced Spencer to 119-7, Sam Seadon (3-26) doing the early damage with spinners Aneesh Jhalla (3-43) and Harry Gardner (2-42) following up.
The visitors were indebted to Phillip Miller (27) and Gus Grant (36), their stand of 61 augmented by Harshil Patel (18no) before Spencer were finally dismissed for 208 in the 61st over.
Seadon’s day darkened when he was dismissed for a duck early in the reply, off-spinner Grant adding Surrey’s Josh Blake (13) to his tally before skipper Ryan Hackney (76) and Cowdrey enjoyed a partnership worth 140 for the third wicket.
Apparently sailing to victory at 171-2, Sutton hit choppy waters as Grant removed both among his 5-99, Cowdrey’s 109-ball innings virtually the first time he has picked up a bat for two years, having only returned to the game a week earlier. Miller struck twice as well but Sutton – beaten by Spencer in a controversial finish on the same ground last year – inched in by three wickets. Spencer’s five points saw them staying in sixth spot.
Ashtead v Banstead
Scrambling home by two wickets in the final over gave Banstead their third win in a row.
Having spent the early weeks in the basement, it has been a resurgence in line with their finish of third last year.
Ashtead, having failed to finish off Guildford a week earlier, were frustrated once again, their 247-8 in the maximum 66 overs built around former England opener Mark Stoneman’s 84. Kiwi Lachie Stackpole returned from a broken finger, putting him out for two matches, to make 43 while Pranav Khera’s 44no held the lower order together.
Losing both openers to Sam Hunt, Banstead rebuilt through Alex Dodson (36) adding 45 with Patrick Rowe, the Australian going on to 50 as he added 92 with Alfie Haxton, whose 80 was punctuated by 11 fours.
Both fell to Stackpole, who also removed Ben Butterfield for 18 but Harri Aravinthan and Paul Byrne ensured the visitors made it to their target.
Ashtead’s six points in defeat at least ensured they stayed out of the relegation zone.
Best of the rest
Making it seven wins in nine games, Sunbury reached halfway with a lead of 34 points on the rest in Division One.
Malden Wanderers were their latest victims, Jack Victory’s 42 holding up an attack led by Kevin Smith (4-42) and Tom Burgess (3-44), the runs knocked off in 21.5 overs to win by five wickets.
Valley End remain second but it took a battle before they scrambled to victory at Beddington – pushing their hosts into the drop zone along the way. Dharam Vyas and Shamar Anderson made 54 apiece for Beddington, James Gilmore’s 5-52 providing the cutting edge in the absence of Ed Young.
Rishya Rawal (107no) dominated the response, ensuring Valley End just made it in the 60th over.
Tables – Premier Division (9/18)
1 East Molesey 180; 2 Esher 147; 3 Wimbledon 119; 4 Sutton 118; 5 Banstead 112; 6 Spencer 90; 7 Reigate Priory 80; 8 Ashtead 77; 9 Normandy 73; 10 Guildford 70.
Division 1
1 Sunbury 174; 2 Valley End 140; 3 Camberley 122; 4 Walton 115; 5 Weybridge 105; 6 Malden Wdrs 104; 7 Dulwich 100; 8 Rutlishians 82; 9 Beddington 78; 10 Hamptonians 68.
Coming on Sunday
It’s getting serious in the ECB National Club Championship with two Surrey sides in the last 16.
Sutton head to Peterborough Town on Sunday to take on the Northamptonshire League Premier Division side. Wimbledon have an extra seven days – their ground will still be a car park for the final stages of the tennis over the road this weekend – before hosting East Anglian Premier side Sawston & Babraham. Both matches start at 1pm with 40 overs per side.
