Fuller's Brewery Surrey County League Division One

Merstham 253-8, Thames Ditton 109

Noman Javed scored his first league century for Merstham and Asim Jafferi took six wickets on his return from injury as the Magics clinched promotion on Saturday.

Both were match-winning performances as Merstham defeated Thames Ditton, before learning on the way back that West End Esher had lost against Deando Ruxley. That result meant that, with two games to go, Merstham were promoted with Frimley, 34 points behind them, the only team who can catch them for the Fuller’s League Division One title. 

The start was delayed at Thames Ditton, to allow the pitch to fully dry after plenty of rain last week.

Losing the toss, Naveed Saeed feared the worst – being put into bat on a green top – and opposing skipper Mike Dixon had no hesitation in bowling.

After losing Ashar Syed and Andy Rivers early, Arsalan Abass (34) built a steady partnership with Javed, who went on the attack on a slow pitch that was not easy to play on, compiling 119 with plenty of fours and sixes. His other main partner in his innings, before being caught and bowled by Dixon (3-41), was Ed Dawson, who struck 42 on the way to Merstham’s total of 253-8 off their 45 allotted overs.

In reply, Dixon struck 48 opening the batting for the hosts, being dropped twice, once by Merstham skipper Saeed. He was also bowled – but off a no ball. “We were beginning to think it was one of those days, when we got him out,” admitted the skipper.

Then came Jafferi, bowling Dixon and taking 6-30, with five bowled and the other trapped lbw. He had suffered a side strain with his first ball a fortnight before but bowled eight overs, bowling with line and length.

“It was a great team effort and all 11 players contribute to the victory,” said Saeed. “We’ve got two games left and we’ve been top all season, so we don’t want to let it slip now. We won a trophy last season and we want another one now.”

The team are away at Shepperton, who still have the chance to earn promotion, on Saturday before hosting third placed West End Esher on the season’s final day.

The second team remain seven points clear of Staines and Laleham, their only rivals for the 2^nd XI Fuller’s Premier title, having bowled out Old Tiffinians for 72 in 35 overs and knocked off the target in the 12th over.

Owais Chaudhary scored 35 for the visitors but was dismissed lbw by Safyan Aslam who took 4-18 off his nine overs, with four maidens. Lithon Tarofder took 4-3 off nine, seven maidens.

Jason Drewett again scored the majority of the runs, this time notching 44, including 10 fours, in 35 balls, and was not out at the close with Jason Kyte who struck 24 from 29 balls. Drewett now has 509 runs for the season (5,137 runs for the club in total over many years) and, while notching two half centuries, has narrowly missed out on two more, being not out as the seconds have overhauled small targets comprehensively.

With no third or fourth teams fixtures on Saturday (both having bye weeks), two Sunday sides were easy to put out.

The Sunday firsts, originally scheduled to face Weybridge, travelled to Hampton Wick with a largely young side.

They found themselves up against some serious opposition.  Batting first, Merstham managed a modest 134 all out in the 31st over, Suliman Younis (48) and Ed Dawson (29) offering some resistance.

The Sunday second team enjoyed a far more competitive draw against Rottingdean.

Given the day's bulk of cloud, skipper Bill Ash had no hesitation after winning the toss in electing to bat.  On a benign strip, progress proved a little slow in the early overs until new recruit Ashon Bhakari forged his way to an unbeaten 118, ably supported by Kashif Noon, 42, and Bharat Shahani, 20, to post a telling total of 216-4 off 43 overs.

Rottingdean made a brisk start in the chase but continued to lose wickets in their quest.  Asim Ashraf was the pick of the bowlers with a work-horse performance of 15 overs shedding just 39 runs for three wickets.  

Asim also took the catch of the day with a battered finger to boot to send Rottingdean's most dangerous man back to the shed.  Determined Merstham fielding shut the door on the visitors to earn a welcome winning draw. Ash took 2-48 and Sahani was economical, with 1-25 off nine, including three maidens as the visitors from Sussex finished on 195-8 off 42 overs.