Richard Spillers reviews a gloriously sunny Week Five of the AJ Fordham Surrey Championship action across the county.
Wimbledon v Reigate Priory
Ryan Patel’s century nipped Reigate’s revival in the bud, delivering Wimbledon victory by a hefty 145 runs.
It took just 92 balls for the Surrey left-hander to making his commanding 110, which included eight fours and five sixes, alt at 64-4 he was still searching for a partner to stick around.
All-rounder David Scott answered that call with honours, cracking 127no – hitting 11 fours and four sixes along the way – as the pair put on 171 to deliver the hosts an imposing total of 321-5, their control such that Priory’s often dominant pair of spinners, Luke Beaven and Michael Munday, went wicketless.
The visitors made a promising start to their reply through Richie Oliver (43) and Sam Hall (33) putting on 75 but then faded away to 176 all out, Scott’s 4-28 underlining his all-round worth.
Wimbledon remain the leading challengers to defending champions but are still 18 points behind.
Weybridge v Sunbury
It’s been a while coming but Weybridge showed why they are still rated as one of the most dangerous teams in the Premier Division.
A first victory of the season was all the more welcome coming against close rivals Sunbury and by an overwhelming margin of eight wickets.
Having been inserted, Sunbury never got going, Alex Hughes’s 32 their best on the way to being bowled out for 159 in the 44th over as Joe Barrs, Brent Kay, Phil Mann and Steven Reeves all struck twice.
Two quick wickets for Matt Harpur left Weybridge ailing at 15-2 but Nathan Tilley showed his 99 in the National Championshiop last Monday was no fluke by stroking 74no in unbroken third-wicket alliance of 148 with Nick Compton, the former Middlesex, Somerset and England batsman making 64no to achieve victory in the 31st over.
Cranleigh v East Molesey
There was good news and bad news for Cranleigh.
The former saw them passing 200 for the first time this season as they reached 202-9, led by Jack Scriven (37) and Bruno Broughton (46), left-arm spinner Matt Tigg’s 5-35 the main danger.
But the bad news for Cranes was that it proved to be insufficient to prevent East Molesey overhauling it by five wickets to maintain their 100% record and maintain a lead of 18 points, leaving their hosts bottom of the table by 11 points.
The result looked in doubt when Moles slipped to 26-2, Ollie Sheen removing Cole Campbell for a duck and Jamie Southgate (3). Marcus Campopiano (23) steadied things down with Himmat Singh and then saw the Indian strokemaker crack on to 119 off just 82 balls, perforating the Common boundaries with 11 fours and five sixes so that victory was achieved with 17 overs in hand.
Ashtead v Normandy
Ashtead’s batsmen made short work of overhauling Normandy’s 153 all out.
The visitors saw off eight wicketless overs from Sussex seamer Sean Hunt but three victims apiece for Wayne White and Tom Homes did most of the damage. Jayanth Ganapathy’s 34 was the highest score.
Former Derbyshire and Leicestershire all-rounder White followed it up by making 55no and the absence of skipper Ben Geddes mattered little as youngster Harri Aravinthan cracked 80 to hunt down the target in the 34th over for victory by eight wickets. That kept kept Ashtead third and left their guests contemplating just one win in five outings so far to lie eighth.
Banstead v Esher
Back in the mists of time – otherwise known as 2019 – Banstead finished a highly competitive third but now they are ailing and are yet to claim a league win. Three washouts have been followed by a brace of defeats, Esher inflicting the latest by 36 runs.
The visitors had 52 from opener Justin Broad and Andrew McCallum’s 51 down the order to thank for ending their 50 overs at 242-9, Arsalan Abbas collecting 4-56.
Banstead’s batting is badly missing former Surrey opener Tom Lancefield and although Neil Baker made a typically forthright 76 off 75 balls – which included seven fours and two sixes – the hosts were dismissed for 206, Trishan Patel’s 4-36 the main reason.
Best of the rest
Spencer have gone 16 points clear at the top of Division One but had to fight hard to see off basement boys Camberley.
Hugo Darby (51), Lloyd Paternott (72no) and Will Harris (67) sped the Wandsworth side to 287-8 – leg-spinner Elliot Green’s action-packed 10 overs returning 5-70 – only for Todd Hutcheson (76) and James Crosthwaite (93) to put Camberley on track for a first victory of the season in a third-wicket alliance worth 131. But after being split at 226, they saw Spencer take back control to win by nine runs.
Previous joint-leaders Sutton crashed to a shock home defeat, despite having bowled out Stoke d’Abernon for 103, which owed much to Robbie Blackburn’s 33 down the order. Sutton plummeted to 45-8 and although Dan Edwards counterattacked for 31, his side were dismissed for 91 as Ben Townsend and Toby Tarrant claimed four wickets apiece.
Malden Wanderers moved over them and into second place thanks to a 37-run success against Valley End, Zac Elkin’s 110 out of 246 -5 the main reason. And Guildford had opener Oli Soames’s unbeaten 102 spearheading their march to an eight-wicket victory over Chipstead, Coulsdon & Walcountians, adding an unbroken 86 with his brother Jason (32no). Surrey Academy off-spinner Shoaib Bashir’s 4-34 was the main factor behind CCW sliding from 94-2 to 182-9.
Cup extra
Two appetising local derbies have been lined up for Sunday June 27 as the group stages of the ECB National Championship come to a climax.
Weybridge will host East Molesey in group 11, the Moles having earned their trip in an engrossing six-wicket victory over Teddington on Sunday. They dismissed the Middlesex side for 196 – Josh Knappett making 60 with three wickets apiece for Jake King and Dominic Reed – and then had Himmat Singh (46) and Cole Campbell (58no) to thank for pushing towards victory. It was Sam Burge’s typically hard-struck 45no which guided Moles to their target, in alliance with Campbell, with eight balls in hand on a delightfully sunny afternoon at Graburn Way.
Weybridge’s trip to Hampshire brought an overwhelming victory at Burridge, who were bowled out for 162. Josh Van Heerden followed a haul of 3-16 by making 61no, Harry Cripps hitting 39no.
Banstead gained immediate revenge for Saturday’s defeat against Esher by heading to New Road and beating them by 45 runs. That set up a visit from Reigate Priory, who saw off Preston Nomads by 23 runs.
