A week which saw four graduates of the Surrey Championship – Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith, Ollie Pope and Shoaib Bashir – help England to victory over West Indies, brought another hard-fought round of Premier Division matches. Richard Spiller reports:
Sunbury v Weybridge
Matt Harpur’s four wickets in five balls – including a hat-trick – secured victory for Sunbury and deepened Weybridge’s gloom.
Colby Dyer’s 102 from 105 balls had led the hosts to 277 all out, Kelly Smuts making 32 and skipper Rajan Soni 37. There were three wickets apiece for George Compton and Eddie Campion.
Marooned at the bottom, Weybridge’s shortage of runs would have rated them a 100-1 outsider just up the road at Kempton Park, not least when they lost Sarel Erwee (25) and Haydir Ali (21) at 48. It was Erwee’s final match of his latest stay, the South African Test opener having flown in as a rushed replacement for Australian Will Pucovski, and it will have hurt the popular left-hander to be departing with his adopted club in such a precarious position.
But Surrey Academy youngster Stuart Van Der Merwe offered hope in adding 100 for the third wicket with former England opener Nick Compton. Losing Compton (36) and Nathan Tilley (6) – who stepped down as captain in midweek – for 10 runs meant Weybridge were in trouble again but far more so after the 50th over, bowled by Harpur.
From the first delivery, wicketkeeper Oliver Pascall (36) was caught down the legside, Eddie Campion surviving the next ball but then edging behind to Srivishnu Datla. From the fourth, Phil Mann chipped a catch to Smuts on the legside, leaving new captain Harshil Patel to face the hat-trick ball. That castled him, Weybridge having tumbled from a comparatively comfortable 208-4 to 208-8.
When Van Der Merwe walked across a Smuts delivery to be bowled behind his legs for 86, defeat looked certain with the visitors all out moments later for 225.
Victory lifted champions Sunbury out of the relegation zone but Weybridge are now 64 points behind the rest and must feel they are looking at them through the wrong end of a telescope.
Banstead v Ashtead
Nathan Barnwell’s 5-38 proved instrumental in Banstead’s victory by seven wickets, moving them into the top half of the table.
The young Surrey paceman struck early to remove Marcus Caprano-Wint (8) and then returned for a double hit which took out Pranav Khera and Simon Keene, leaving the visitors in trouble at 54-4.
Former England opener Mark Stoneman held the key but his 28 was terminated by bottom-edging a pull on to his stumps off Harri Aravinthan. Barnwell struck another key blow in bowling Conor Young for 37, also having Jevan Kher caught behind, the Stags not waiting to see if last man Aaron Rose could eke out more runs by declaring at 130-9 in the 41st over.
Ayush Patel fell for a third-ball duck at the start of the reply, giving Simon Keene his 27th victim this season, but Arjun Gill (44) and Harri Aravinthan (39) – returning to his old club and playing against brother Ragu – added 76. Australian Patrick Rowe (30no) and Neil Baker (11no) saw Banstead to a valuable victory.
With just 13 points dividing fifth and ninth, a major scramble is building up to avoid virtual certainties Weybridge down to Division One, Ashtead’s home clash with Guildford (sixth) on Saturday holding extra importance for both sides.
East Molesey v Wimbledon
Top at the start of the day, Wimbledon’s reign lasted just a week as East Molesey overhauled them by three wickets in a tightly fought encounter which took them to the summit.
Moles’ new ball pair Toby Porter (4-67) and Jason Moore (4-40) did most of the damage in dismissing the visitors for 166 in the 50th over, Porter responsible for taking out much off the upper order and his partner dealing with the tail. Chief obstacles were opener Adam Fox (58) and Billy Sewell (41no), who could find little support from the lower order.
Although James Cake (1) departed early in the reply, Sam Burge (29) and Michael Shean (20) prevented further incursions, Pakistani all-rounder Hussain Tallat’s 68 taking the hosts within nine runs of victory.
Esher v Sutton
Promoted Sutton won three of their first four matches – but since then it’s been a different story, a four-wicket reverse at Esher pushing them into the drop zone.
A batting order which has introduced rationing has been a major factor in that slide, Australlian Ryan Hackey’s 53 gaining little support as the visitors were bowled out for 166. At 80-1 it was looking promising but when Surrey’s Josh Blake departed for 11 it began the slide. Seamer Will Means (2-26) claimed two valuable wickets but it was spinners Don Bouchart (5-41) and Freddie Harrison (3-34) who did most of the damage.
Fabian Cowdrey’s left-arm wrist spin threatened to get Sutton back into the match when he removed both Australian Teague Wylie (31) and Sheridon Gumbs (40) to make it 67-3, Esher once more putting success in doubt by slipping to 136-6. But all-rounder Bouchart – who moved from Guildford last winter – proved the key in making an unbeaten 51, Ben Townsend (14no) helping him sew up the points which keep Esher, currently fourth, 26 points off the summit.
Guildford v Reigate Priory
A prolonged downpour at Woodbridge Road drowned out Reigate Priory’s bid to recapture pole position.
They were in prime position for victory – and a double over Guildford – after making 271 all out and then reducing the hosts to 15-3 in the 10th over.
James Crosthwaite’s muscular 34 gave Priory early momentum against an attack offering frequent loose deliveries, yet at 68-4 in the 14th over Reigate still needed a major innings. It came from Kiwi Fraser Sheat, who rode his luck early on to dominate a fifth wicket alliance worth 81 with George Ealham (47).
Sheat made the most of a short boundary on the road side of the ground to crash 12 fours and five sixes in his 112, Guildford taking the final five wickets for 27 as Zac Donohue, James McMillan and Olly Birts all finished with three wickets.
But given 55 overs to score the runs, they lost wicketkeeper Tom Geffen – pushed up the order with Guildford badly missing his older brother Freddie, who is taking a break from the game – for a second-ball duck. Sheat had Jono Merlo (11) caught behind while Jacques Sharam’s 23-ball stay for two was ended by Richard Stevens castling him.
A team which the previous week had lost six wickets for two runs was in danger of meltdown again in the murky conditions only for rain to arrive and make any resumption impossible.
Priory had to content themselves with six points, Guildford’s half-dozen keeping them sixth but just nine in front of ninth-placed Sutton and in serious danger of being sucked into a relegation fight unless they can rediscover the cohesion and fight which saw them go close to the title last year.
Best of the rest
Dogged resistance from Beddington prevented Spencer extending their lead at the top of Division One.
The Wandsworth club had cruised to 321-6dec from 60 overs as William de Cani (91) and Troy Johnson (65) led the way. They might have regretted not pulling out before the 60-over mark, bowling the same number back but seeing Beddington finish on 202-8 with opener Parth Vyas making 63.
Spencer still took 13 points but lead by just seven from south London rivals Dulwich, who inflicted a 166-trouncing on bottom side Old Wimbledonians. Sam Seecharan’s 102no from 75 balls sped them to 263 all out. OWs crumbled to 97 all out, chiefly against Kaif Ramzan (6-17), and are now 44 points behind the rest.
They are looking all the more isolated after Old Hamptonians enjoyed a shock seven-wicket victory over Malden Wanderers, dismissing them for 84.
A typically aggressive 110no from Oscar Kolk ensured Normandy overtook Walton’s 284-9 and they are just 13 points off the pace in third.
Propping everyone up at the foot of Division Five are Churt & Hindhead – but they gave mid-table Byfleet a nasty surprise.
Jon Palmer (86no) and Jayme Crouch (50) conspired to ensure C&H reached 244 all out, then Cam Baker (5-17) and George Bath (3-37) rolled the visitors for a mere 48, earning their side victory by a whopping 196 runs. Churt & Hindhead remain bottom of the table but are just 12 points off safety and will face the remaining eight weeks of the campaign with renewed vigour.
Sunday extra
Defeats for the two Surrey Championship sides remaining in the ECB Club Championship mean there will be no representation in the quarter-finals.
With Wimbledon having gone out a week earlier, the two rain-delayed ties involving clubs proved fruitless.
Sutton found themselves on the wrong end of a tour de force from Australian Jordan Silk, who showed why he is such a force in the Big Bash League by crashing 157 for Brentwood. It came off just 91 balls, including 11 fours and eight sixes, leading the Essex side to an impressive 291-5 from their 40 overs.
At 29-2, the visitors were in trouble but Silk found the ideal partner in former Essex player Will Buttleman, whose 98 from 101 helped Silk put on 155. George Jackson’s eight overs yielded 5-61.
Sutton lost Cameron Tanner for a duck but were still hopeful while Ryan Hackney (60) and Josh Blake (85) were adding 102. Once they were separated, though, Sam Seadon’s 40 proved the main delay on the way to 251-9.
Runs were harder to come by at Bushy Park, East Molesey’s trip across Hampton Court Bridge looking holed below the waterline when they were 120-8 against Teddington.
Jamie Southgate’s unbeaten 59, helped by Toby Porter (12no), dragged the visitors up to 151-8 and Moles made their hosts fight all the way. At 118-6 a place in the last eight still looked possible, Niel Botha’s 30no sealing victory by three wickets for Teddington with six balls to spare.
Coming up
They have had to dodge the downpours, like everyone else this year, but the Surrey Championship T20 is coming to a climax this week.
Wimbledon clash with Esher at Church Road on Thursday evening (6pm) for the right to play Sunbury in Sunday’s first semi-final, host club Weybridge – who could do with some good news – taking on Reigate Priory in the second, followed by the final.
Elsewhere on Sunday, it’s the quarter-finals of the Conference Cup, East Molesey heading to Harrow Town and Camberley hosting Bromley while an all-Surrey Championship encounter sees second division Horsley & Send at home to Banstead.
