Bowlers set up first team win
Merstham’s Saturday first XI took a comprehensive victory against Chaldon CMO on a damp wicket at Quality Street on Saturday, earning maximim win points from their opening two games of the Fuller's Surrey League Division Two season.
They won the toss and decided to bowl. Chaldon began well and were 38 for 1 but No 2 Mohsin (11) and No 3 Aqeel Arshad (23) proved to be the visitors’ top scorers as they were all out for 62 in the 20th over.
Suliman Younis (2-32 in 7 overs) and Ammar Tahir (4-3 from 3.1 overs)
both bowled really well. There were two great run outs, first by a great throw
from Norman Kiyani from the boundary and a direct throw from Jason Kyte. Manish
Patel also took a great catch at short third man.
Merstham batted well, with only an early loss of Ashar Syed. Jason Kyte struck
a steady 17 and Norman Kiyani complied a sensible 40 not out, which included an
extra cover six towards the pavilion. Merstham won comfortably by 8 wickets and
the game was completed by 4.30pm. See scoredcard here
The second team lost a rain-affected game at Hampton Hill, having been asked to bat. They lost both openers, Olly Mayes and Mike Hanlon, with the score on four.
Justin David, fresh from winning the Combined Counties League Premier Division football title with South Park FC, led a fightback with 38 and Neil Maplesdon scored 22. In the tail, Imran Aslam, Safyan Aslam, Stuart Fielder and Jonathan Hogg all reached double figures in Merstham's total of 143-9 off 43 overs.
Hampton hit their revised target of 102 in 28.3 overs, losing seven wickets in the process, but a key partnership forming between the first wicket with 15 runs scored and the second on 56. Fielder (3-30) and Imran Aslam (3-19 two maidens) did the main damage with the ball and Hanlon claimed a run-out. Opening bowler Safyan Aslam also bowled economically (0-15 off six overs, one maiden).
The third XI's season begins next week, but the fourths began with a winning draw at The Ring, against Purley who will be looking for promotion from the Surrey Championship central division.
The visitors won the toss and decided to bat, troubling the scorers through opener Nick Hunt (33) and middle order men Ben Cox (27) and M Bilal (29) on their way to 127-8.
Sumair Quasim (3-23 off 12 overs, three maidens) and Nabeel Ahmed (4-20 off 10, four maidens) and there were two run-outs.
Rain interruptions meant Merstham's 70-7 off 25 overs gave them a winning draw. Rory Crouch began positively with 10, before Kanchana Kahakachchi (29) and Chris Hearn (22) made key contributions.
On Sunday, Merstham put one team out, hosting Nutfield at Quality Street. Batting first, Jon White made 56 and Bobby Sharp 71 to set up a total of 163-5.
In reply, Nutfield made a good start but recently stepped down club treasurer Terry Garrett got the better of them, taking 6-41 off 11 overs, five of them catches and seeing another catch - on a hat-trick - put down by captain Bill Ash. The visitors were all out for 123.