There was no stopping Wimbledon as they swept aside Weybridge to make it a magnificent seven in group one.
The visitors could only muster 91 all out – a considerable advance on 40-7 – as Richie Lamb and Jack Palser both claimed four wickets, James Cunningham’s 24no extending the resistance into the 34th over.
But Wimbledon needed just 15.4 overs, David Scott 23 at the top of the order coming before in-form skipper Ollie Swann (19no) and Nick Welch (26no) finished the job.
That enabled them to finish a massive 48 points ahead of last year’s Surrey Championship Premier Division champions East Molesey, who were six-wicket victors over Esher.
Andrew McCallum (66) and Nathan Roberts (43) formed the bulk of Esher’s 192 all out, that proving insufficient when opener Marcus Compopiano (57no) rescued the reply from 47-3. His alliance was worth 144 with Cole Campbell, who smashed nine fours and two sixes in his 85 before departing two runs short of victory by six wickets.
Reigate Priory’s five-wicket success at Ashtead – Brad Scriven’s 74no taking them past an inadequate 138 all out – ensured they were third.
The top of the table clash between on Saturday between Chipstead and Leatherhead was the decider in group 5. The winners by 38 runs were Chipstead and as such topped the group. Sutton eventually finished equal 2nd with Leatherhead.
It’s been an even more testing year than most for Purley, confronted with worries about threats to their future at The Ridge. One challenge was seen off last winter while further concerns surfaced once the season started but it could not distract from claiming the group six title on the back of six wins in seven weeks.
In trouble at 59-4 on their trip to Addiscombe, they recovered to 225 all out through James Scott (54) and David Monckton (59). Then Razi Khan’s 5-32 swept away the Sandilands side for 140, Old Whitgiftians taking runners-up spot.
For a tight finish to the campaign look no further than group 11, where four teams claimed four wins and were covered by nine points. Morning leaders Normandy, having snatched a one-wicket victory against Farnham a week earlier, could not produce another recovery and went down by 73 runs at Cranleigh. The hosts had reached 170-7, Lewis Bedford hitting 42, and then rushed out their guests for 97 led by off-spinner Jack Scriven’s 3-15.
That enabled Stoke d’Abernon to nip in and steal top spot by inching to a 12-run victory over Camberley. Will Gudgeon’s hard-hit 63 was the centrepiece of Stoke’s 183-9, Camberley falling short despite Todd Hutcheson’s 74, through three wickets apiece for Toby Tarrant, John Vaughan-Davies and Ian Hopton.
An even closer finish came at Farnham, who shrank from 91-2 – Nathan Thorpe hitting 54 – to 128-9 against Guildford. Ben Garrett (20) and Fred McMillan (24) made early headway, Mike O’Mahony’s three early wickets followed by a treble for Alec Goldsworthy.
It took 15-year-old all-rounder Tom Humphreys to win the match for the visitors. His 3-25 earlier was capped by a remarkably mature 44no, despite running short of partners, winning the match by one wicket in the penultimate over by cracking a straight six.
It was a suitable way to finish a summer which at one stage threatened to see recreational cricket wiped out but which, owing to the ingenuity and industry of Surrey Championship and Fuller’s Brewery League administrators, provided much enjoyment and entertainment to so many cricketers.
