It was the final round of time matches, which have taken up the last nine weeks of the campaign, with clubs reverting to limited overs games for the final five matches. Richard Spiller reports
Reigate Priory v Sunbury
Amar Virdi’s 5-43 destroyed Reigate Priory’s batting as champions Sunbury flexed their muscles to hammer the leaders by 134 runs.
Rajan Soni’s men have rarely looked like the team of last year but have also seen comparatively little of Surrey off-spinner Virdi, who missed much of the early stages through a serious finger injury.
Sunbury’s batting has rarely fired of old either and at 14-2 another difficult day beckoned. Sam Burgess rediscovered his commanding best to hammer 136 – including 14 fours and two sixes – although he had to retire hurt on 107 after a blow to the lower arm, returning as the visitors reached 277-8 from their maximum 66 overs. Soni (53) and Conor Fulton (39no) made valuable contributions, leg-spinner Michael Munday’s 3-71 coming from 15 overs.
Priory had reached 44 before Surrey-contracted left-hander Ollie Sykes was bowled for 10 by Kelly Smuts, the seamer removing Luke Haughton (43) as well in his 3-45. But Virdi would prove Reigate’s greatest problem in his 17 overs, combining with leg-spinner Colby Dyer (2-15) to bowl them out for 143 despite resistance from James Crosthwaite (42).
Sunbury moved up to seventh spot while Reigate stayed top, having missed a chance to open up a large gap in their pursuit of a first title for 10 years.
Banstead v East Molesey
Depth of batting has so often been East Molesey’s key in recent times but they suffered a middle-order meltdown at Banstead, costing them the opportunity to go top.
Moles looked in good shape for a competitive total at 99-2 but the loss of Marco Campopiano for 52 started the slide. Hussain Tallat (33) went at 120, a second victim of Paul Byrne whose 4-49 in 19 overs combined with Tyler Meyer’s 3-30 to dismiss Moles for 162 in the 47th over.
At 33-2 the reply was in danger of falling into danger but Harri Aravinthan’s sterling 57no, absorbing 141 deliveries, blunted the visitors as Patrick Rowe (38) and Neil Baker (31) formed valuable partnerships in ensuring victory by four wickets.
That left Banstead looking increasingly secure in sixth place, 33 points ahead of ninth-placed Guildford, while Moles are 11 points off the summit.
Weybridge v Guildford
Two wins in three weeks probably won’t save Weybridge from the drop but it has certainly put a smile back on faces at The Green.
They followed a 10-run victory over Banstead last month with a much clearer cut success by seven wickets over a Guildford side now looking increasingly likely to join them going down. Olly Birts’s side took just 15 points in July – six through an abandoned match – and have not passed 200 since mid-June.
They chose to bat first at Weybridge, on a dry pitch, but soon crumbled to 62-7 and their predicament might have been worse had two straightforward catches been taken. As it was, James McMillan – showing vim and vigour otherwise in short supply – made 39 as a doughty partner to David Scott (71), the pair adding 116 for the eighth wicket. Phil Mann finally ended their stand, left-arm spinner Eddie Campion and George Compton both claiming three wickets to dismiss the visitors for 189.
Runs have been much easier to come by in recent weeks for Weybridge, Nick Compton underlining his international calibre by making 44 at the top of the order. Zac Donohue’s belated introduction to the attack saw him remove both Compton and Nathan Tilley (12) but Stuart Van Der Merwe’s’ mix of enterprise and caution, making 78no from 89 balls, saw the hosts home comfortably alongside Craig Meschede (21no).
Still 55 points below eighth-placed Sutton, it is almost certainly too late for Weybridge. Guildford, last year’s runners-up are now 23 points off safety.
Ashtead v Esher
Jake Martin’s best figures at Premier level rushed Ashtead to their second victory in three weeks, perhaps fatally damaging Esher’s title ambitions.
Chasing a modest 139 for victory, they were routed for 108 and slipping to fifth – one place below their hosts.
Runs were a precious commodity all day, opener Ragu Aravinthan’s 33 terminated by a direct hit run out from mid-on by Ben Townsend and only a counter-attacking 47 from 43 balls from Simon Keene lifting Ashtead to a defendable score. David Brent claimed 3-24 in 8.3 overs to terminate the innings.
With hard-hitting Australian Teague Wyllie having gone home and Justin Broad absent on Northants duty, Esher needed a good start and got one from Krish Patel (25) and Sheridon Gumbs (17). Once they were separated, at 47, no one else could get going as seamer Martin’s 5-29 from 9.5 overs was augmented by Keene (2-20) and left-armer Sam Hunt (3-29).
That secured victory by 30 runs, both sides probably safe now but probably wanting one more win to be sure.
Wimbledon v Sutton
Stern resistance from the Sutton tail saved them from defeat at Church Road, putting another dent in Wimbledon’s bid for a second title in three years.
Aiming to avenge defeat by 39 runs when the sides met for the first half of the Thameslink derby, Wimbledon ran up 332-4dec, led by skipper Jack Boyle’s unbeaten 123 – his second century in eight days – alongside notable contributions from Tim Lloyd (64) and Joe Baldwin (50).
Boyle appeared not to learn the lesson of taking up 66 overs for a similar score at Sunbury a week earlier, occupying 65 but again running out of time to bowl out the opposition.
With Australian Ryan Hackney having returned home and Josh Blake on Surrey duty, Sutton never got going and slid to 136-8 in the 48th over, Matthew Benning claiming three wickets with two apiece for Ollie Pike and Kit Winder.
The visitors were grateful to Chris Swanson (38no) and Sahil Sheth (13no) – the young off-spinner who has impressed for Surrey U18s in recent weeks – batting out the final 11.1 overs to frustrate their hosts, finishing at 164-8.
Sutton only gained three points in the process, sliding three places to eighth, but they could prove very handy in the end. Wimbledon’s 13 leaves then 11 points off the summit and at least the switch back to limited overs games will save them from any more declaration decisions.
Best of the rest
Dulwich have taken up the running in Division One, capitalising on Spencer’s defeat as they beat Malden Wanderers by six wickets.
The hosts, who still hold promotion ambitions of their own despite slipping one place to fourth, were going well at 84-1 after being inserted. But once Ahmed Khan separated Zac Elkin (72) and Will Legg (29), there was little resistance as Wanderers crumbled to 138 all out. Khan (4-28) and Harvey Booth (4-29) caused most of the problems.
Two early wickets threatened to make the chase difficult, Robert Gibson (39) and Apoorv Wankhede (44) stabilising the innings before Sam Seecharan’s rapid 42no secured victory.
Spencer came undone against strugglers Walton, losing by 79 runs. Christian Oberholzer (71) was mainly responsible for Walton’s 196 all out in the 61st over – off-spinner Gus Grant claiming 5=63 from 23 overs – but the home side came unstuck against spin too. Wicketkeeper Archie Macpherson (53) read it better than most, his side crumbling to 117 all out as former England U19 captain Mark Bainbridge (4-34) ran through the tail.
While Cranleigh’s 132-run victory leaves Old Wimbledonians on the brink of relegation, Valley End slipping into ninth spot after losing to Old Hamptonians by six wickets.
And finally….
Graham Thorpe, who has died aged 55, is the most illustrious player to make his way from the Surrey Championship into international cricket, playing 100 Tests and 82 ODIs. Having played his earliest cricket at village side Wrecclesham, Thorpe moved along the road to Farnham alongside alongside older brothers Ian and Alan.
They helped to make Farnham into a formidable Championship side, punching well above their weight and frequently getting the better of the bigger town clubs. More experienced team-mates like Chic Stedman and Rodney ‘Rabbit’ Warriner ensured the ideal blend, competitive on the field with plenty of humour off it.
Nowadays you will find Farnham at the foot of Division Two but it’s often possible to spot a Thorpe or two there, whether it’s on the field or watching from the boundary.
The latest England Test team contained four players who had made their way up with the help of the league – Ollie Pope, Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson and Shoaib Bashir.
There may be a future Graham Thorpe – of Farnham, Surrey and England – at the next game you’re playing in or watching.
