Merstham first team win third promotion in a row

Fuller's League, Premier Division
Merstham 239-9
Godalming 204-9

Captain Naveed Saeed was celebrating a “brilliant weekend” after Merstham not only secured a third successive promotion but went top of the Fuller’s League for the first time this season.

The victory over Godalming at Quality Street last Saturday, combined with a defeat for former leaders Merrow, means that if the Magics can beat Old Tenisonians at home on Saturday they win a third successive title, too. The 152-year-old club will make history next year, by competing in the Surrey Championship for the first time.

“It was a brilliant weekend and I’m so happy and glad,” said Saeed. “We’ve not been top all season, so to possibly pip Merrow at the final hurdle, it would be absolutely amazing to do that and be champions. I’m so looking forward to Saturday. We so want to win and take the title.”

Merstham have in fact one a game more than Merrow, whom they lead by just five points – and Saeed has a secret weapon when Merrow face SinjunGrammarians on Saturday. “The Sinjuns captain is a friend of mine and he’s promised me he will put out his strongest possible side,” he revealed.

Asked to bat by Godalming – a choice Saeed would have wanted – Merstham scored 239-9, in-form opener Arsalan Abass scoring 20 among a wobbly start in which the hosts were reduced to 72-4. Then Sunny Bowry struck 43 and his partnership of 59 with Laurie Nicholson (36) put Merstham back on track. “Laurie played a very good anchor role,” said Saeed of a batsman who began the season in the third team. Ed Dawson scored 57, exactly the same as the last time he faced Godalming, as he and Nicholson put on 78 for the sixth wicket. Sulliman Younis scored a cameo 13.

Imran Kakar’s innings of 9 not out also proved valuable, but not as valuable as his bowling as he took 4-37 from 9 overs.

Younis couldn’t quite find his radar in his first spell, leaving fellow opener Assad Naeem (1-21) to take the first wicket in a tight spell. Then Kakar took the next four, to leave Godalming 126-5. Spinner Abass had also kept a tight rein on Godalming (0-30, 9 overs) and bowled on despite a tight back.

Saeed leapt in the air fully pumped after taking a catch off Sunny Bowry’s bowling to dismiss Sean Burton at 169-9 and was equally ecstatic when opener George Stow was finally removed for 74, caught by Joe Shinners. That was off the bowling of Younis, returning to clean up the tail. At that point the run chase was looking beyond Godalming, who finished on 204-9. 

"The club is looking really strong at the moment, with the second team also winning their league and the thirds doing well," added Saeed.

The second team marched to another victory, with George Chellis scoring 121, Manish Patel 38, Hamed Rehman 38, Shakir Khan 42, and Will Preston 38 as they scored 314-6 against Godalming.

The hosts were all out for 177 with Preston being their main trouble, taking 5-36 after Saf Aslam had taken both openers, one caught and bowled. Godalming were all out in 37 of a possible 50 overs.

The third team stayed third in their division with victory at Sheen, whom Merstham put in to bat. The hosts were reduced to 111. Openers Asim Ashraf and Jon Coleman took 1-30 and 1-20 while Ben Carter struck two more (2-19) and Joe Connolly 4-32.

Ben Snelling found form as an opening bat to strike 51 not out with the other scorers over 10 being Dilhan Jayamanne on 11 and Asgar Thariq 24 as they lost five wickets while always looking in control to pass their target in 22 overs.

The fourth XI asked second placed Sanderstead to bat on the Ring and their openers clocked up 78 in the first 10 overs on a golf green of a surface.

First change bowler Hasan Ali made the breakthrough, taking Chris Carey (36) caught and bowled and trapping Shahruk Khan (52) leg-before while Will Prior slowed the run-rate at the other end and bowled Venky Sellappa. Breaking up the Ali brothers' end, captain Ian Lamont stole a hit wicket victim and bowled a maiden before sending the Ali's back into the coal fae. Hamza Ali took 3-44 (one caught by Lamont, another by Khan Mohammad) in 9 overs, while Hasan finished with 5-22 from 7.3 overs.

Therefore Merstham acquired maximum bowling points but Sanderstead had 219 runs. Merstham couldn't manage more than 77, with 23 of them coming from No 9 batsman Mike Wadsley, rolling back the years aged 67. Wicketkeeping for the first 30 overs really helped him judge where the ball was coming, he revealed. Opener Kashif Noon had scored 16 while Anand Pratap notched 18, many of them with Wadsley, but Merstham were all out in 33.5 overs.