AMMIR Tahir took his best figures of the season as unbeaten Merstham rattled out another opposition quickly, on their way to another comprehensive victory, overcoming Newdigate's 110 at Quality Street for the loss of three wickets.

The Magics have won seven from eight games - the other rained off - in their 150th anniversary season and now lead the Fuller's County League Division Two by 31 points.

Winning the toss, captain Naveed Saeed had no hesitation in asking the visitors to bat at Quality Street, knowing Tahir had several fine performances this season behind him already.

The opener duly helped reduce the visitors to 33-7 and ended with season-best 5-18, including a caught and bowled, in his eight overs that included two maidens.

Fellow opener Wasil Mohar took 2-29 off seven overs. Newdigate rallied in the middle order number seven Bill Turner scoring 28 (bowled Jafferi) and number nine Mike Deloford finishing on 38 not out. They were, however, dismissed in the 29th over. Asim Jafferi finished with 3-28 off 7.2 overs.

Mestham had Asher Syden run out on seven but sensible run accumulation was pursued by Jason Kyte (bowled by Deloford, 1-38 off eight), Andy Rivers who compiled 35 not out and Noman Javeed, who was also run out after scoring 33. Arsalan Abass then scored three as he and Rivers put Merstham over the line in the 30th over, winning by seven wickets.

Victory gives Merstham 144 points, extending their lead over Chaldon (101). On Saturday they host mid-table Caterham, the side against whom the game was rained off earlier in the season.

The second team won for the fifth time this season, beating Shepperton on their own ground, in the Fuller’s Second XI Premier Division.

The hosts elected to bat but were 29-2 after Safyan Aslam trapped one opener lbw for 2 and Gus Locke (2-33, 14 overs) had the other caught for 17.

Craig Elvin top scored for the hosts with 52 but fell lbw to Manish Patel (5-17 off 11 overs) and Shepperton were dismissed in 49 overs for 175. Imran Aslam also took 2-31 in eight overs.

In reply, Merstham made an excellent start, scoring 54 for the first wicket and eventually winning with five wickets to spare. Opening bat Jason Drewett notched 54 and Glen Mollan finished on 58 not out as he and Patel (27 not out) saw Merstham past the required total after 35 overs.

At leaders Battersea Ironsides, the third team won the toss and chose to bat. They made a good start with Ben Carter top scoring on 38 and fellow opener Ameer Pasha striking 26, until the latter was out to a very good caught and bowled leaving teh score 61-1.

But after a middle order collapse to 93-6 - inlcuding Carter's exit - Merstham picked up with a late flourish from Asim Ashraf (34 not out) batting at number seven and ended on 137 all out in the 41st over.

In that form, Ashraf was surely ruing the fact that Merstham only had 10 players.

Merstham in their reply made the perfect start, Nabeel Ahmed picking up a wicket in the first over.

Despite the retirement of Brant Bibby on 15, Battersea’s batting proved strong, with Andrew Beecroft (35 not out) and David Clements (50 not out) securing victory by eight wickets after 35 overs.

Ahmed (1-17 off six overs) and Zeeshan Murtaza (1-38 off seven overs) were the wicket takers for Merstham among the six bowlers who worked tirelessly as the visitors set about trying to restrict their hosts. Carter bowled economically, his seven overs going for 17 runs and two maidens and the game was a lot closer than the score made it look.

The fourths lost by seven wickets at The Ring, after being asked to bat by visitors Beddington Park, a club with five Saturday teams but who, like the hosts, took to the field with 10 players.

Opener Kashif Noon made a top-scoring contribution of 28, having been fourth highest scorer with the same total a week before in a narrow defeat at Banstead.

However, nobody could stay with him this time and it was left to skipper Mike Wadsley, batting at eight and scoring 19 not out, and Tony Rickards on 12 to give the score a measure of respectability as Merstham were dismissed for 93 in the 35th over, Sheehan Fernando doing the early damage taking 4-16 off 10 overs for the visitors.

Late in the innings, Jack Ainslie took 3-8. Two catches were taken off Duncan Carter (dad of Ben) who finished with 2-24 off 10 overs. Rickards – dad of Gus Locke – took the other wicket earlier in the innings, but the visitors reached the target in the 28th over.

On Sunday, a combined team visited Trinity Oxley, a new opponent.