Weekend round-up: Merstham still lead despite Chaldon defeat
Merstham 132
Chaldon 136-8
A DEVASTATING seven-wicket spell by Aamir Abbas condemned Merstham to a low score at Chaldon, who were able to take advantage and beat the leaders, cutting their lead to just 16 points.
Defeat leaves the Magics needing two wins from their final four games to finish in the top two and be promoted from the Fuller’s League Division Two in their 150th year.
Co-incidentally, that is how many Saturdays are left before they host a side made up of former Surrey professionals on Sunday August 24, part of their anniversary celebrations.
Having led the divisional all season, however, Naveed Saeed’s team will be determined to finish top, but now face three away trips on the bounce. Wandgas and Newdigate sit in mid-table, while John Fisher are facing relegation, as are Merstham’s final opponents at Quality Street on August 30, Warlingham.
The game at Chaldon was tighter than a simple ‘win or lose’ judgement might indicate, being a two-wicket defeat.
Asked to bat, Merstham started purposefully with opener Ashar Syed, who scored 60 against Woodmansterne a fortnight before, notching 48 before being bowled by Usman Chaudry (3-50, 5 maidens off 20 overs).
By the time he was out having struck eight fours and a six, however, he had lost several partners, with Shakir Khan (14) and Noman Javed (11) the only players to push over double figures.
They were but two victims – both leg-before - of Aamir Abbas (7-35 off 14.2 overs) who also bowled Arsalan Abass and had three caught later in the order as Merstham mustered 132 from 39.2 overs.
The Magics have defended such low totals, but to suggest that Chaldon waltzed to a win by using only 27.5 overs would give a false impression that they had things all their own way.
Losing a first wicket with the score on 19 – Mohammed Jamshed caught by Asim Jafferi off Ammar Tahir – set the tone for a tight contest.
Muhammad Mohsin Iqbal (18) was next to go, trapped lbw by Tahir, with the score on 32, then Wasil Mohar took two in an over with the score on 34.
Chaldon put on 21 for the fifth wicket, Tahir bowling out Zeeshan Gujjar to finish with 3-46 off 10 overs and take his tally to a top-scoring 30 wickets this season.
And then the match was all about Sheik Faiyaz. His 50 not out proved decisive as he steered the hosts through those troubled waters to secure promising partnerships of 29 with Aqeel Arshad (14) and 44 with Aamir Abbas.
Asim Jafferi (2-29 off 6) claimed both their wickets, the first caught and bowled and the second caught behind by wicketkeeper Saeed. Humayoon Nasir having Mohammed Irfan caught by Arsalan Abass was not quite enough as 18 extras proved decisive, Chaldon finishing victorious at eight wickets down.
The second team earned a winning draw with Hampton Hill at Quality Street, the only wickets the hosts taking were by Imran Aslam (a caught and bowled of opener Jamie Sones who scored 56) and Safyan Aslam, then James Lowe running out Ajmal Bhatti (48) as the visitors scored 221-3 dec after 50.5 overs.
In reply, the hosts lost Liam Powell (17) with the score on 19 before Jason Drewett (25) and Bobby Sharp (24) put on 56 for the third wicket. before both fell to Warren Carr (3-57). Glenn Mollan (31) Ameer Pasha (22), James Lowe (30not out) and Richard Feist (23) were the others who helped secure the winning draw after 45 overs and eight wickets down.
The thirds had a weekend without a fixture, while the fourths lost at Purley, Bharat Sahani scoring 22 and Ben Carter 24, frustrating the hosts late in Merstham's innings of 115 all out Joe Hart took 5-27 for Purley, who then knocked off the total in 29 overs, losing two wickets in the process, one of them early to Tony Rickards (1-18 off 7) who bowled opener Mark Doherty for 0. Fifth bowler Sahani took the other wicket (1-18 off 3.4)
On Sunday, Kashif Noon scored 81, Will Prior 36 and Bobby Sharp 41 not out as Merstham Sunday seconds - asked to bat - put on 213-5 declared after 42.2 overs at Quality Street.