In a new series, Richard Spiller gives the ins and outs of the Surrey Championship.
A frantic last-ball finish saw Banstead come out winners in the battle of the promoted sides in the Travelbag Surrey Championship Premier Division on Saturday. They beat Sutton by one run in a magnificently fought match which launched the league’s 50th anniversary season.
The visitors had looked likely winners after making 213 – dismissed with the final ball of their 50 overs – which owed much to former Surrey opener Tom Lancefield (42) and Arsalan Abbas’s 43 late on. Harry Allen, once of the Pemberton Greenish Surrey Academy, claimed 3-37. And when Sutton slid to 101-6 their chase seemed doomed.
But former Northants wicketkeeper David Murphy (58) launched a counter-attack alongside Richard Sillars (51) which added 80 before Murphy was leg-before attempting to reverse-sweep. Sillars found a worthy ally in Aman Shinwari, forced to bat with a runner having suffered an injury in the field earlier.
With 13 needed from the final over – bowled by Abbas – and two wickets left, Shinwari (17) smashed a straight six off the first ball but skied the next delivery to midwicket. It came down to needing three off the last, or two for a tie, but although Sillars’ desperate dive to complete the second was in tie was in vain as a Tyler Meyer throw from mid-on saw wicketkeeper Craig Short remove the bails at second attempt. Lancefield’s 3-40 completed a fine match.
Champions Normandy made an accomplished defence of their first title in crushing East Molesey by nine wickets, dismissing the visitors for 152. Andrew Westphal (49) and Dominic Reed (38) had threatened a total of substance in a sixth-wicket stand worth 82 only for the last five wickets to slide for 11 runs. Will Pereira (4-31), Russell Withey (3-23) and Middlesex leg-spinner Nathan Sowter (2-26) did most of the damage.
Victory was wrapped up with a massive 19.1 overs to spare thanks to newcomer Tim Ward’s 82no plus Viggy Venkateswaran (35) and Chris Jones (28no).
Reigate Priory had to work a bit harder to see off the side who finished one place above them last season, runners-up Sunbury. It took 48 overs before Sunbury were bowled out for 166, of which Armaan Randhawa made 45, left-arm spinner Luke Beaven’s 4-30 the main reason.
At 24-4, though, Priory were in trouble only for Rory Haughton’s unbeaten 68 and 36no from Richard Stevens to add an unbroken 90 for the sixth wicket to win with 12 balls to spare, despite the efforts off seamer Kevin Smith (4-31).
Surrey’s Will Jacks, having switched from relegated Guildford, was the key to Weybridge’s seven-wicket success against Ashtead. His off-spin earned 4-27 in wrapping up the visitors for 192, opener David White having hit 56.
Andrew Curtis (63) and Tom Bruce – whose 71no included six fours and two sixes – completed the job in 35.5 overs.
Getting out to the first ball of any game is bad enough – poor Lewis Bedford departed to the opening delivery of Cranleigh’s campaign as they headed to Wimbledon.
Then the youngster had to watch Jack Scriven (62) and Andy Hollingsworth (74) put on 115 for the second wicket before former Surrey off-spinner Matthew Spriegel – now the performance director at the Kia Oval – pulled the hosts back into the game with 4-26.
It still proved too many, Wimbledon being dismissed for 179 with Will Rollings (3-20) and Jonathan Gonszor (4-46) the main protagonists, no batsman reaching 30.
There were very different fortunes for the two sides relegated from the Premier as they began their battles to bounce back.
Guildford marked the opening of their new pavilion with a nine-wicket hammering of Leatherhead, who would not have even reached 120 but for the donation of 26 wides. Wicketkeeper Ross Richardson, aged 17, hung on gamely to make 36, seamers Duncan Selmes and Tom Collins taking three wickets each. Then opener Jack Cunningham (62no) and Fred McMillan (48no) ensured the hosts needed only 16.5 overs for victory.
Valley End suffered the frustration of their ground being unfit for play after the intense rain of recent weeks, which meant the visit of Camberley had to be abandoned.