It was the second round of matches in the M Zaidi & Co Surrey Cricket Championship. Richard Spiller picks out the highlights
Normandy v Wimbledon
Champions Wimbledon flexed their muscles in despatching newcomers Normandy – but not before getting a scare along the way.
Victory by 59 runs was clear cut in the end but when the hosts, chasing 314, were 220-3 an upset was conceivable.
Much of that was down to a fourth wicket partnership of 130 between skipper Chris Jones and Tom Haynes (54), coming together at 90-3 in the 13th over after Jones had made an enterprising start while wickets fell at the other end. Their stand lasted into the 39th over, when Haynes was bowled by Kit Derrick, precipitating a sharp decline.
Jones, whose 135 from 115 balls was his maiden Championship century, followed three overs later and it precipitated a sharp decline to 254 all out, chief beneficiary being Wimbledon captain Steve Reeves (5-24), backed up by Ollie PIke (3-61). Having lost to Sutton following a late slide, it was a relief for the visitors.
A century for prolific Kiwi Jack Boyle was the centrepiece of Wimbledon’s 313-6 after being sent in, adding 91 with opener Adam Fox (44) and then 122 for the third wicket with James Cronie (47). Boyle’s 105 was his 14th ton for the club, coming off 105 balls, and provided the ideal platform for former South Africa Test wicketkeeper Dane Vilas – now heading Wimbledon’s academy – to crash 44no from 31 balls.
Ramesh Ahmed’s 2-51 was the best of the bowlers. Having been heavily defeated a week earlier at Spencer, Normandy can take some encouragement from the match. But with just six two points from two games, they will be even more desperate than usual to beat Guildford at Woodbridge Road on Saturday.
Reigate Priory v Spencer
Richie Oliver’s sparkling double-century led Reigate to a massive 159-run victory over Spencer.
The former Worcestershire left-hander has been a major force for Priory since 2012, spoiling many an opposing bowler’s weekend.
Spencer were left to regret giving their hosts the chance to bat first, Oliver not allowing the early departure of Seth McDowall – bowled by Harshil Patel for nine – to disturb him as he stroked an unbeaten 201 off 178 balls, which included 22 fours and seven sixes, in guiding Reigate to 311-1.
He was aided in an unbroken second wicket stand of 282 by Tommy Bates (81no) to put their side out of sight barring a remarkable fightback by the Wandsworth side.
It was the second double-century in the Championship this season – Guy Harper’s 213 for Maori Oxshott against Cranleigh in Division Two coming a week earlier – and only the second in the new Premier Division, Simon Keene making 201 for Ashtead against Sutton last August.
Toby Pratt’s 44 was the best of Spencer’s modest 152 all out in the reply, Surrey off-spinner Tommy Ealham (3-27) and Bates (3-28) doing much of the damage to give their side two out of two and hold joint top spot.
Sutton v Guildford
Two new recruits earned Guildford their first win since returning to the Premier Division, a comfortable seven-wicket success at Sutton.
That looked unlikely when the hosts were ticking along nicely at 80-0 in the 18th over after being sent in, Cameron Tanner (46) finding form while Australian left-hander Ryan Hackney ticked over at the other end. James McMillan struck in successive overs, Jayden Broodryk (7) playing on to Olly Birts soon after and George Valentine claimed his first two wickets to leave the hosts in trouble at 99-5.
They were missing key man Josh Blake – in the Surrey side at Headingley – but skipper Hackney finally found a reliable ally in predecessor Sam Seadon (30) for an alliance worth 86. Both fell to the returning Valentine, who switched from Oxted & Limpsfield during the winter having played for Cheshire previously, the 25-year-old going on to claim 6-33 in 9.4 overs – his best in league cricket – as Sutton were wrapped up for 214.
Guildford lost Ben Garrett (7) early in their chase but Finn Gordon, who had made a century on his debut in the one-run defeat against East Molesey a week earlier, was soon picking up runs freely alongside Tom Geffen (36) as they busily added 104, running crisply between the wickets. Geffen was a victim of Aneesh Jhalla but Sutton badly missed off-spinner Harry Gardner, recovering from a stress fracture to the back suffered while playing in Australia last winter.
Gordon missed a second century by only 10 runs, Victoria’s Blake MacDonald stroking the ball delightfully in making 60 from 50 to complete the chase in 35.4 overs, having always been well ahead of the DLS rate with drizzle getting thicker.
Sutton face another potentially tricky game on Saturday when they head to Ashtead, Guildford hosting neighbours and fellow promoted side Normandy.
East Molesey v Ashtead
Two out of two puts East Molesey joint top of the table, rain shortening the game at Graburn Way.
Moles – beaten by the visitors when they clashed on the same ground 12 months ago – were given the ideal start, after being sent in, by Michael Sheen’s 92 .
Sheen had missed the thriller at Guildford seven days earlier but played a leading part in his side’s ECB in his innings of 113 balls.
Sam Burge’s typically forthright 32 out of the first 42 had given East Molesey a speedy launch and Tom Cullen made 54 down the order, Moles being propelled to a formidable 311-7 by Ashtead donating 50 extras, 40 of them coming in wides.
Openers Dylan Church and Will Christophers made 29 apiece in putting on 55 to start the reply while Kiwi Lachie Stackpole upped the momentum by lashing 22 from 11 but it always looked an unlikely chase against an attack strengthened by the return of experienced duo Andy Westphal and Matt Tigg.
Ashtead had reached 104-3 in the 26th over when the drizzle got thicker and players left the field, well short of the DLS target of 154, to lose by 49 runs (DLS).
Esher v Banstead
When it comes to tight games, Esher are the team to watch.
Defeated by two wickets by Ashtead in the opening round, they stole past Banstead by an even thinner margin.
Visions of a rather more comfortable afternoon were understandable after reducing Banstead to 7-2 after sending them in, Australian Patrick Rowe showing the form which has seen him score more than 2000 runs for the club over four seasons by making 48. His alliance of 97 for the fifth wicket with Ben Butterfield (57) inspired Banstead to reach 220-8, seamer Ben Townsend (3-41) underlining the value of his winter labours in Perth.
Surrey left-armer Seb Stuart-Reckling struck with the second ball of the reply, bowling Travis Norris for a duck, but Esher rebuilt through Ollie Hunt (29) and Andrew Whaitts (48), both trapped LBW by Ralphie Albert. David Brent (35) and Alex Chambers (51) rebuilt again, Don Bouchart’s unbeaten 21 navigating a nervy route to victory for the visitors, who still needed four when the final pair came together but finished the job with 5.5 overs in hand.
It left Banstead, third last year, as one of two sides without a win so far.
Best of the rest
Three teams are setting the pace at the top of Division One.
Camberley followed a narrow win over Old Hamptonians with a 126-run stroll at Beddington, Will Hale’s 95 – adding 133 with wicketkeeper Michael Bates (72) in driving the visitors to 272-7. Beddington could only muster 146 all out in reply.
Malden Wanderers followed a 90-run success against Weybridge on the opening day with a rather tighter 14-run victory at Walton, Zac Elkin’s 113 mainly responsible for Wanderers reaching 226-8. Although Dan Roberts launched the response with a rapid 77, which included five sixes, Toby Pattemore’s 5-55 had the final say.
Fresh from overcoming Valley End, Sunbury strengthened their bid for an immediate return to the Premier Division through a six-wicket success at Weybridge, Colby Dyer maintaining his early-season form by claiming 4-39 in the home side’s 209 all out. He went in with Sunbury in some difficulty at 94-4, Australian Hugh Weibgen motoring nicely towards 112no, and an unbeaten 60 completed the chase in 32.2 overs.
You can find live scores, results, fixtures and tables at surreycricketchampionship.play-cricket.com.
