Merstham Cricket Club will be able to raise a toast to promotion at their 150th anniversary dinner on Friday night after securing promotion on Saturday.

The Magics took yet another victory - their 12th of the season - against Wandgas, putting them 62 points ahead of third placed Woodmansterne (who tied at Newdigate) with three games (each worth a maximum 20 points each) left. Second placed Chaldon, 16 points behind, are the only team who can catch Merstham for the title now. The top two teams go up.

The Surrey Mirror has posted a report about our promotion, a league table for which can be found here.

At Wandgas, the first of three away games in a row, on Saturday Merstham chose to bowl and dismissed their hosts for 153 in the 39th over, before overhauling the total with seven wickets down.

They made quick inroads, with Noman Javid Kiyani taking two quick wickets to reduce the hosts to 2-1 and 4-2, but they had to wait a while before taking a third, making the score 40-3.

That was because Phil McDonnell took the scoring strike, making 84 before becoming the seventh wicket, eventually taken for 84 by Ammar Tahir lbw.

McDonnell had taken the inituative with most partners, Tharusha Tilakarathne being the only other player to reach double figures before going for 17, caught by Jonathan Deans off Asim Jafferi, who now has 24 wickets this season.

Two late run-outs also helped Merstham’s cause after Humayoon Nasir, brought on after the openers had used their overs in the 45 limited version, bowled three middle order batsmen in an economical spell of 3-29 off 9 overs, despite no maidens, also taking his wickets tally to 24.

Kiyani’s damage, including a caught and bowled, gave him figures of 3-37 off 9 while in a strong bowling line-up Ammir Tahir took 1-14 off 4.4 and has a top-scoring 34 wickets for the side this summer.

In reply, Merstham did not have things all their own way, losing seven wickets as they negotiated victory in 40 overs.

Asher Syed took his runs for the season past 300 with an opening 29, forming an opening partnership of 39 with Jason Kyte (31) before being caught.

Another 30 was added between Syed and Andy Rivers before the latter was caught and bowled for 17 by Alex Marsh.

After Kyte’s dismissal Kiyani also added the same score, 31, but the next three batsmen were out cheaply and the target suddenly looked a big one.

Captain Naveed Saeed (13 not out) came to the crease and, with Wasil Mohar (11 not out) steered Merstham over the line.

With just two defeats - in recent weeks - and one game started but quickly lost to rain, Merstham have set up a strong position at the top of the league. With three games left in which to clinch the title, Chaldon are the only team who can overhaul them for top spot. Newdigate (away), John Fisher (away) and Warlingham (home) now stand between Merstham and the title.

The second team and third team both won, while the fourths just failed to make it a club clean sweep.

For the seconds, Jason Drewett took full advantage of Byfleet choosing to bowl, opening the batting with 64.

He and Liam Powell put on 69 for the first wicket before Powell was first to buckle, for 48, caught behind, as was Drewett later, the fourth wicket with the score on 176.

Former first team captain Ed Loader (32) and Justin David (41 not out) set up a score of 226-6 from 45 overs.

In reply, Byfleet put on 36 for the first wicket, with third bowler Justin David (1-30) dismissing Glyn Clough, and then made it to 92 before losing another (Ameer Pasha having Tom Hansom caught by behind by Richard Feist).

From 91-2, Byfleet faltered to 106-6 and then were nine down off 45 overs for 151, the damage done by Pasha (2-19), Imran Aslam (3-37), and Powell (2-19) as well as Glen Mollan (1-11). This gave Merstham a limited overs win.

The thirds took a win and a bonus point against 10-man Addiscombe, Mark Robson (32), Jack Letts (28), Struan Clark (26) and Jez Gray (21) top scoring at The Ring as the hosts put on 190, Merstham having decided to bat.

The visitors were dismissed for 75, with wickets shared. Bobby Sharp took 2-5 off 10 overs, 8 maidens, Stuart Fielder 1-13 off 7, Marcus Kyte 2-22 off 7, Ben Carter 2-4 off 5, 3 maidens and Will Preston 1 wicket from two balls - top scorer and No 8 bat Daniel Mears (15), caught by Rory Crouch. Extras contributed 28 to Addiscombe’s score in 31 overs.

 

The club’s nearly men, also known as the fourth team, lost narrowly again, by two wickets, having been all out for 95 in the 28th over, having been asked to bat.

Kashif Noon used his Sat Nag, rather than a map, to find Addiscombe’s second ground, so Alex Goodey opened with Bharat Sahani.

Goodey punished the opening bowlers, rattling up 25 very quickly in his cracking start to Merstham’s innings, before being bowled for 31 by Bhatia Khan (3-29 off 11, 3 maidens).

Meanwhile Sahani scored 22, taking his tally for his debut season at Merstham past 100 runs and putting him in contention for the Indian national team, who appear to need reinforcements.

Noon, batting four, formed a partnership with Sahani, who was bowled for 22 by Lee Ramsey (5-30 off 9). Noon mustered a measured 29 not out as others fell around him.

The team once again made a valiant attempt at victory, only losing by two wickets after making Addiscombe bat out 31.1 overs to gain victory.

Merstham made a cracking start with the ball, with the hosts’ top three scoring 1, 6 and 2, as openers Sumair Qasim (2-12 off 8, 2 maidens) and Tony Rickards (1-9 off 6, 3 maidens) bowled extremely tightly.

But then Glyn Albuquerque, a perennial thorn in Merstham’s side - at The Ring last season he caused many scratches by losing balls in the bushes by bashing fours - scored 39 and put together what proved a decisive partnership with Jack Southwell (20).

Michael Pitcher, returning after a mysterious absence having finished university for the year in June, eventually had Albuquerque out, leg-before wicket. Southwell had been caught by Noon off Shuja and with another couple of wickets falling, an elusive first victory of the season looked possible.

However, Bhatia Khan’s eight not out - the highest score of the final five batsmen needed - was enough to force victory for Addiscombe at eight wickets down.

Pitcher’s welcome return to the fold returned 3-10 off 2.1 overs, Shuja took 2-24 off 8. Captain Will Prior (0-20 off 4) and Sahani (0-11 off 3) were also tried.