Sixth win for unbeaten Magics: weekend round-up
Ammar Tahir took his third haul of four wickets this season as leaders Merstham struck victory again in the Fuller's County League Division Two, this time at bottom team Warlingham.
The ‘Magics’ have won all six games they have completed in their 150th anniversary season (the other lost to rain) and lead the title race from Chaldon.
Opening bowler Tahir finished with 4-26 and nine maidens from his 12 overs as the hosts were all out for 103.
He was responsible for removing the first four in Warlingham’s order, including the top scorer M Patel for 41.
Humayoon Nasir, a new player this season, also took four wickets – his best return so far – for just 23 runs in 7.5 overs. Wasil Mohar took the other two, finishing with his best return of the season, 2-18 off six overs with two maidens. He now has 104 wickets in total for Merstham in the past six seasons.
Asim Jafferi bowled economically in his 10 overs, including four maidens, but was unrewarded, finishing with 0-22.
In reply, Ashar Syed made a positive start – going for his shots. He struck 30 before being caught. Having played five innings this season, it was his second highest score and took his tally for 2014 to 92.
Jason Kyte (10) and Ali Pervaiz (5) were out cheaply as the visitors suffered a bit of a wobble. But Noman Javed notched his best league total of the season before being bowled by N Patel.
As Merstham bore down on the total with wickets and overs in hand, captain Naveed Saeed came in to score nine as Merstham got themselves over the line in 19 overs.
Quality Street will host mid-table Newdigate on Saturday.
The second team were undone at Quality Street by Battersea Ironsides, who elected to bowl. The first three batsmen made decent starts, Jason Drewett 17, Liam Powell 19 and Shakir Khan 34.
The hosts reached 38 before Drewett was caught. Wickets fell on 45, 63, 87 and 105 as decent partnerships began. The tail wagged as 22 was managed before Neil Maplesden was the eighth wicket to fall, with Battersea’s Adam Gibson returning best figures of 4-27 off 8.3 overs. Merstham’s innings finished in the 49th over.
The hosts struck with Battersea on 33, Ben Fewson caught by Lithon Tarofder off Safyan Aslam, but wickets fell far less frequently than in Merstham’s innings and the visitors won in the 38th over, with Imran Aslam bagging 2-20 off four overs as the visitors won by five wickets.
The third team won, with James Lowe leading the run-scorers after Streatham and Marlborough asked Merstham to bat, at the Ring. Opener Ben Carter also contributed well with 26. Extras accounted for 37 also as Merstham’s 50 overs finished on 166-9 declared.
Merstham took early wickets and used eight bowlers as they tried everything to get Streatham out, duly succeeding in the 39th over with the visitors on 139.
Chris Clayson (2-28 off 8) trapped top scorer Babar Khan (42) leg-before, while Jonathan Hogg took 3-16 off 11.4 with five maidens. Nabeel Ahmed took 3-13 off four.
The fourth team lost on the final ball, having notched 175 on a lovely batting track at Banstead. Asked to bat, they started well with Kashif Noon bagging 28 – including a four off the first ball over the slips – and Kanchana Kahakachchi striking a measured 58.
Alex Goodey, promoted to bat third after a stoic innings at No 8 last week, played sensibly for 31 and, like Ian Lamont (37 not out) at the end of the innings, struck his best ever score as Merstham finished on 175-6.
In reply, Merstham made a great start, reducing Banstead to 30-3, but found Seb Pearce (66) and Ian Estall (68) troublesome. Eventually both were out, Pearce caught and bowled with a diving catch by Tony Rickards (3-64 off 18 overs) and Estall bowled by Omer Shuja (4-41 off 16, two maidens).