There was a change of leadership in the AJ Sports Surrey Championship Premier Division. Richard Spiller summarises the round seven results
Sunbury v Reigate Priory
Amar Virdi bowled Sunbury to the top of the Premier Division, taking his tally to 12 wickets in two matches.
Fresh from 7-63 at Esher, the Surrey off-spinner grabbed 5-37 which maintained Reigate Priory’s sluggish June and put his side 13 points in front of the rest.
A typically robust 73 from Sam Burgess, including seven fours and four sixes, sent the hosts cruising towards 293 all out from 63.3 overs, Surrey’s Nico Reifer (43) and Matthew Arnold’s 86 from 116 following up, only seamer Richard Stevens (3-58) and leg-spinner Michael Munday (4-76) limiting the damage.
Richie Oliver’s 49 at the top of the reply was easily the highest score, becoming one of Virdi’s victims, as Priory were finished off for 157 to give Sunbury victory by 136 runs in their bid to win the title for the first time since 2016.
Wimbledon v Esher
The good news for Esher is that Justin Broad has earned a contract with Northamptonshire.
But the bad news is that they may see little of the 22-year-old all-rounder, who made his T20 debut for the county against Lancashire on Friday after impressing in a series of second team matches.
Broad has been a key figure in Esher’s return to the upper reaches of the Surrey Championship. Even with him on board they had suffered a heavy defeat to Sunbury and, now without him – although Broad did his best to play, arriving an hour into the game onto the find that the team had already been named – Esher suffered a 10-wicket drubbing at Wimbledon which cost them the leadership of the Premier Division.
At 12.-3, having been sent in, they were in danger of being back home in time to watch the Coral Eclipse just down the road at Sandown Park. And even with Nicholas Smit making 45, the visitors were still bowled out for 92 in the 39th over. Ollie Pike (3-16) and Matthew Benning (2-26) did the early damage but it was Ben Twine’s 5-15 from 11 overs which terminated hopes of recovery.
Surrey’s Ryan Patel dominated the reply, his 65no – allied to Ben Coddington’s 26no – completing victory from just 17 overs, a result which pushed defending champions Wimbledon up a place to third but saw morning leaders Esher drop to fifth.
Guildford v Weybridge
Victory off the final ball pushed Guildford into second place, winning by four wickets.
Delight was tinged with relief for the home side, who had made hard work of chasing a very gettable 216 in 56 overs against a limited but spirited Weybridge attack well marshalled by Nathan Tilley.
Openers Tilley (34) and Haydir Ali (30) had given the visitors a start of 60, Ben Curran looking dangerous for 35. But Weybridge were hit hard by losing two wickets either side of lunch, Tilley caught in the slips and Australian Test player Will Pucovski brilliantly run out for a duck by Alex Sweet at midwicket. Ajmal Allahdad (41) and Sam Burnley’s 33no extended the innings into the 64th over, seamers Jono Merlo and Zac Donohue – back from a strained side – both claiming three wickets.
Guildford made a sluggish start to their reply, only Merlo’s 42 from 69 balls providing much momentum before he was run out by a direct throw from Brent Kay in the covers, Harshil Patel’s outstanding stint of 21 overs deserving much more than 2-62. With 9.5 overs remaining, Weybridge could sniff a first win of the season at 136-6 as their opponents made a dog’s breakfast of the chase. But Alex Sweet (43no) and Jason Soames (34no) transformed the match, busily finding gaps in a way their team-mates had failed to earlier.
There were still 14 needed from the final over, Kay making it easier by delivering a wide and then Soames smashing a six over midwicket. Sweet took two from the penultimate delivery to level the scores and they ran a bye from the last, Weybridge at least knowing that the four points they gleaned kept them just outside the relegation zone.
Ashtead v East Molesey
Someone was going to suffer for East Molesey’s slow start to June and it was as Ashtead as they find themselves in the bottom two.
Inserting a side whose batting form had deserted them lately, the hosts must have had regrets when Moles stormed their way to 305-7dec from 58 overs. At the heart of that was a third wicket stand worth 197 between Mac Wright (128) and Marcus Campopiano (96), coming together in the dangerous position of 35-2. It took 2-90 from 21 overs by Tom Homes to prevent things running completely out of control.
Ashtead might have taken confidence from achieving the league record of 444-8 against Weybridge a week earlier, although it had only gained them a losing draw. But young paceman Toby Porter (3-32) made early incisions, including Surrey’s Ben Geddes (8), returning later to remove Paul Harrison for 54 while off-spinner Jamie Southgate hastened the end with 4-7 from 11.5 overs which finished off the hosts for 164 to secure victory by 141 runs.
That pushed East Molesey back up to fourth place.
Normandy v Cranleigh
A blistering assault from Olly Batchelor condemned Cranleigh to a fifth defeat in seven outings, leaving them bottom of the table by 18 points.
The mercurial opener had found his touch in cracking 90 at Reigate Priory a week earlier and his 162 dominated Normandy’s 269 all out from 60.4 over after choosing to bat. George Barlow removed Arya Khedekar (4) and Chris Jones (5) but by then Batchelor had stroked 52 out of 61 and maintained his dominance in a third wicket partnership with Harry Nielsen (57). The home side fell away sharply against Barlow (4-77), Jack Scriven (4-40) and George Ealham (2-51).
Cranes fancied their chances of a breakthrough victory while Clyde Fortuin (91) was at the crease but he lacked support – opener Bruno Broughton’s 34 the next best – and his exit was part of a collapse from 173-3 to 215 all out, the final four wickets going down for two runs as off-spinner Jones cleaned up with 5-68 from 20.5 overs.
Normandy’s third victory of the season, which sees them sixth, will put them in good heart for Saturday’s trip to neighbours Guildford at Woodbridge Road.
Best of the rest
Banstead have taken up the running in Division One, crushing Valley End by eight wickets to dethrone them.
Charlie Dunnett’s 41 was the best of 177 all out after the morning leaders those to bat first, Paul Byrne and Arsalan Abbas notching three victims apiece. An opening stand of 89 between Neil Baker (65) and Ayush Patel proved the ideal platform for success and Banstead, who were relegated from the Premier Division two years ago, have a lead of 20 points.
Sutton moved into third place, 27 points behind the pacesetters, following speedy eight-wicket victory at Chipstead, Coulsdon & Walcountians. Surrey paceman Conor McKerr’s 3-16 from 11.2 overs was backed up by Fabian Cowdrey’s 3-24 to dismiss the hosts for 137 in a miserly 54.2 overs but Cameron Tanner’s express 106no from 56 balls ensured the target was achieved in a speedy 16.2.
Results, tables and fixtures and live scores are all available at www.surreychampionship.play-cricket.com.
