First team top league but exit cup: weekend round-up

Merstham took a fourth straight win on Saturday to continue to set the pace in the Fullers Surrey County League Division Two, but their league cup adventure ended in the last 16 on Sunday.

On Saturday at Chobham, Naveed Saeed’s side were asked to bat by their hosts and were all out for 151 from 42.2 overs.

Openers Jason Kyte (25) and Andy Rivers (20), along with Saeed (26) and Humayoon Nasir (24) all made starts but none could push on to help Merstham post more than a moderate total.

But the Magics clawed victory from the jaws of defeat as all look lost, with the hosts having wickets and overs in hand, up until an inspired decision to ask Noman Javed to bowl. The sixth bowler used, Javed took 3-14 off 3.3 overs to leave Chobham nine runs short of Merstham's total.

The visitors made a fantastic start with the ball, pinning their hosts to 1-2, Ammar Tahir taking both wickets. He finished with 3-28 off nine overs.

When Wasil Mohar pinned Matt Morrison, Chobham’s other opener, lbw for seven the hosts were 21-3 and soon after 25-4, staring defeat in the face.

However, Ryan Morris proved more troublesome, scoring 50 before Asim Jafferi (3-21 off nine) trapped him leg before. Alex Orme also struck 40 and looked like he would put Chobham past the total required, before Javed intervened clean bowling the number seven, as Chobham were dismissed in 38.3 overs.

In the cup match, against Premier Division Weybridge Vandals at Quality Street on Sunday, Merstham decided to bat.

However, despite a quick-fire 28 off 35 balls from opener Suliman Younis - including the only six - the hosts’ run making was restricted and they found themselves 57-5.

Lithon Tarofder and Saeed then put on 52 for the sixth wicket before they both became victims of Dan Fenton, who took the last five wickets for 12 runs, including Tarofder caught and bowled. Merstham were all out for 118. The Vandals knocked off the runs for the loss of two wickets, Seb Hall (48 not out) and Amandeep Singh (59), doing the damage.

In other league action on Saturday, the second team bowled extremely well against West End Esher, having invited the visitors to bat at Quality Street.

Opener Safyan Aslam took 3-13 in nine overs. Imran Aslam and Justin David both took two wickets, and the Aslams teamed up for the important one. Wayne Jones was caught by Safyan off Islam’s bowling for 40 and was the only player to register more than a dozen as the visitors were all out for 96 in 37.3 overs.

Newly-wed Jason Drewett was 33 not out at the close, after opener Glen Mollan had also posted 29, as the runs were knocked off for the loss of two wickets in the 29th over.

The third XI elected to bowl at The Ring and restricted Kempton to 66 all out of 24 overs, Asim Ashraf taking a tremendous 8-11 off seven overs (five men bowled out) in spells which included three maidens.

Wicketkeeper Rory Crouch opened with 19 and Merstham lost five wickets in the run-chase, but got over the line with Nimit Shah (10) and Mark Robson (2) not out at the close after 23 overs.  

The fourth team were all out for 100 in the 35th over against Trinity Mid-Whitgiftian, Bahat Sahari top scoring with 17 and then taking 3-32 in eight overs as the hosts knocked off the runs for the loss of seven wickets, having been 70-7.

Tony Rickards also took 2-23 in eight overs in his return to action after a hand injury.