Merstham U13s win to keep up title hopes

Merstham U13s won the local derby by 10 runs against Reigate Priory Llamas last Sunday in the East Surrey Colts League , on a beautiful sunny late June morning at Quality Street.

Priory won the toss and put the home team in to bat. Merstham made a good start reaching 18-1 off their first three overs, but were then pegged back and by the halfway stage had only made 35 runs.

Realising that 3.5 an over wasn't enough, Merstham pushed forwards, helped by partnerships of 20 by Max Yates and Matt Gray and 29 by Yates and Dinuk Jayamanne.

Man of the match Yates was unluckily not to retire (at 30) for the second week running when he was bowled at 26. Second top scorer was James Pieters with 12.

This was the first time that Merstham had made less than 100 this season and the team knew that they needed to bowl and field tidily to successfully defend this total.

They did this well, giving away 24 less in extras than in their previous match. Merstham got off to a great start with with Edward Jobling taking a wicket in the first over. Priory came back with with a second wicket partnership of 36 which was eventually broken by Connor Thorpe getting an lbw.

A steady fall of wickets after this saw Priory ten runs short of their target at the end of their 20 overs. Bowlers of the day were Jake Dean (2-0-2-7) and Yates (3-0-1-7), with a wicket each for Jobling, Thorpe, Dinuk Jayamanne, Gray and Pieters. Catches were taken by Jayamanne, Pieters and Jobling.

Great teamwork by Merstham resulted in their fourth league win out of five and puts them in contention for the title.