Horsley & Send 121

Merstham 122-9

Merstham won by one wicket

For the second week running the 1st XI won at home following a thrilling run chase.

With Horsley & Send electing to bat Merstham were quietly confident that they could get some assistance from the wicket.

Noman Javed (5-33) took two early wickets to set the tone for another excellent bowling performance, and remained accurate whilst making the most of conditions overhead to ensure the ball moved.

Whilst the wickets were falling at regular intervals, the run rate was staying at around six an over, and the visitors recovered to 53-2.

The introduction of Asim Jaffry (5-30) to the attack again proved to work, and together with Javed he managed to clean up the remaining wickets to send Horsley packing for 121.

Merstham were pleased with this fielding effort, and again Jaffry and Javed had bowled superbly. However they were aware of the difficulty Horsley had encountered batting on the pitch and their own recent batting performances.

The run chase got off to a poor start with Merstham losing regular wickets to find themselves at 23-3.

The quicker bowling of the two openers proved too much at times and the pitch was starting to offer real assistance. The collapse continued and Merstham were all but beaten with the score on 46-7.

What followed was a match-winning innings from in-form Ed Dawson (48) who counter-attacked and clawed Merstham back into the game.

He was ably supported by Humayoon Nasir (21 not out) at the other end who managed to see the team home with one wicket remaining.

It was a massive win for Merstham which moves them comfortably in to the top half of the table.

Skipper Laurie Nicholson said: “I was really proud of the boys at the end today who saw us home, and of course Dawson who’s knock was match winning.

“Whilst our bowling has been exceptional, our batting remains disappointing at times. If we can manage to just get over the line like we have in the last two weeks we don’t really mind though!

The second team also lost several wickets in chasing Addiscombe’s 129, but overcame their hosts in the 43rd over.

Asked to bat, Addiscombe put on 45 before Craig Stevens was caught and bowled by Bobby Sharp for 14 for the first wicket.

Seven runs later, Nazim Mahmood followed for a top scoring 30, the first of number four bowler Mohsin Ali’s 5-23 from nine overs.

Addiscombe lost six wickets for 11 runs to collapse to 104-9 and then 129 all out with Sharp (2-45) Imran Aslam (2-30) and Arham Ali (1-19) doing the rest of the damage.

In reply, Mohsin Ali started the chase with 27 before being second wicket to fall, while Arham Ali (15) and Jason Drewett (15) kept the score ticking. But then came in the experienced hand of club and second team captain Richard Feist to steer them to victory with a match-winning 35 not out as Merstham achieved victory in the 43rd over.

A frenetic morning of rearranging the game to Alexandra Park preceded the third team’s draw at Epsom, after Merstham’s second home The Ring had a visit from about 20 caravans, making the venue unusable.

Having got the game on courtesy of their opponents, James Lowe’s team were determined to make the most of it by gaining more points than would have been available for an abandonment through circumstances beyond their control.

Having been asked to bat, Lowe was eager also to set an imposing total yet declare, if the opportunity arose, with more overs than the previous week, when the team had opponents eight wickets down but couldn’t find the final wickets to win.

Circumstances conspired, however, to give Merstham the same result, having scored fewer runs and being frustrated by opponents who took an early decision to try to bat for the draw.

Teenager Finn Harris opened the batting with an assured 45, alongside several players getting starts before later order men Dilhan Jayamanne (25), Fergus Carrick (30) and youngster Josh Young (28) allowed Lowe to declare on 215-9 after 49 overs.

In reply, Epsom lost early wickets with Afsar Khan trapping one opener for 1 on his way to 2-23 and Callum Letts taking the next two wickets on his way to 3-33. Fergus Carrick also took a tight 2-11 from seven overs, three of them maidens, and Ben Carter returned even tighter 1-6 from seven (two maidens) as Epsom battened down the hatches and scored 97-8 in the maximum 46 overs.

There were a number of “firsts” achieved in the fourth team’s game against Wimbledon, but sadly none of them led to victory.

It was the first time they had visited Raynes Park Sports Ground (in previous years the game was rained off or conceded). It was the first time an opposition had had to find a way into their own clubhouse because the groundsman didn’t appear to open up. It was the first time an opposition couldn’t access kitchen facilities meaning no hot drink at tea and also the first time a pitch has been found where you bowl “up hill” from both ends, courtesy of a two inch drop between each crease and the wicket.

On an otherwise true pitch, Ian Lamont found his way to some “firsts” of his own: he struck a first ever six (straight back over the bowler) in a first ever half century (a personal best total of 53 after decades of trying), which helped Merstham to 192 all out.  There were plenty of edges and a couple of chances offered as he exercised the usual caution.

He was replaced by Gopa Nair who smashed 22 in one over (including three sixes) on his way to a quick-fire 41.

Steve Pennock, in the 4s for the first time, made a promising 13, while Kashin Noon returned after Ramadan with 15 and Rob Wood 18. Wickets fell rapidly towards the end as Merstham tried to push their score as high as possible, not knowing what par would be.

This was Wimbledon’s fifth team, featuring some players pushed down from their fours, one of whom opened the batting with a swift 50, clearly intent on proving his point to selectors. An attempted stumping resulted in a freak injury to a young Wimbledon batsman’s eye when a bail went through his grill and he had to retire hurt. But otherwise Merstham’s bowlers earned little reward as the hosts raced to 100-1.

Brennan Calafato took a wicket, a result of his pace, accuracy and aggression which slowed the onslaught from the hosts’ batsmen, who, nonetheless, keep the score ticking towards the target.

Bowlers Bill Ash (who had one batsman caught behind by Rob Wood), Matt Greaves, Alvin Sathya and Michael Pitcher all had a hand in slowing the pace, but ultimately the hosts won by eight wickets in the 32nd over.