Saturday round up: Firsts take vital win

Merstham's first team took a vital win to keep alive their chances of staying in the Surrey Championship, by defeating the only team below them - Weybridge Vandals.

On another wet Saturday, winning the toss and inserting the visitors on the Quality Street track was vital.

The toss won, the decision was quickly rewarded when Lithon Tarofder had Steve Hennessey caught behind with only a run scored.

Vandals rallied to 38 for the second wicket before George Neal prompted Dan Fenton (25) to offer Nav Saeed a catch. This began a steady flow of wickets, started by Asim Jaffri, who finished with 5-18 as the hosts reduced their opponents to 99 all out.

Along the way, keeper Finn Harris took three catches - and a stumping - including the one off Jaffri which dismissed Alistair Booth, who matched Fenton's 25. They were the only two players to reach double figures, with extras top scoring on 29.

Neal finished with 3-16 off his five overs and the stumping came off Humayoon Nasir, while Saeed finished with two catches and Ben Baker took one too.

Conditions were no easier for the hosts when they batted. Saeed (3) was first to fall with just seven scored, Baker departed with just another seven added and it was Neal's unbeaten 43 which provided the platform from 14-2, on which Merstham built a winning innings.

A partnership of 33 with Robin Hardman (21) took Merstham to 82-5, whereafter Harris arrived at the crease and scored two as Neal proceeded to take command of the situation and push Merstham over the line, five wickets down.

While the result relegated the visitors, it leaves Merstham on 130 points, eight shy of safety (Horsley & Send on 138) with three games left, against Egham (178) on Saturday and Sinjungrammarians (143) a week later.

A final day trip awaits at champions elect Old Emmanuel, whose two defeats include one to Merstham earlier this campaign.

A sumptuous 89 from Jason Drewett put Merstham's seconds on the way to an imposing 227-7, having been asked to bat by hosts Stoke D'Abernon.

Rebuilding after an early wicket at 14-1, Drewett shared partnerships of 55 and 112 with Manish Patel (26) and then Ameer Pasha (44) before departing with the score 181-3, which prompted a rash of wickets before Will Matthews (15 not out) and Ant Maplesdon (14) pushed the score over 200.

In reply, Merstham had their hosts 38-4 thanks to an early double from Pasha and a run out by Alvin Sathya plus a wicket for Safyan Aslam.

It took longer to dismiss Andy Berry - Asim Ashraf eventually having the number four bat caught for 41 by Shakir Khan at 100-8.

Number nine Raja Singh (21) and 10th bat Duncan Elder (51) then swished 68 for the ninth wicket in pursuit of an unlikely victory, before both were out in quick succession and victory was secured, in the 44th over, with the hosts all out on 169.

The third team's chances of earning promotion took a shunt into the side railings when second placed Dulwich came to the Ring.

Separated by 19 points at the start of play, the hosts needed to win and restrict Dulwich to minimal bonus points.

They began well, Fergus Carrick having one opened caught behind by Struan Clark for nought. However, the number three bat scored 97 before eventually succumbing to George Corrie (4-39).

Chris Clayson, on a rare appearance, took 2-31 in 7.1 overs to finish Dulwich's innings on 219, Carrick having finished on 2-37 and Ben Snelling taking 1-45. Skipper Jack Letts took two catches and Clarke a run out.

The target didn't look insurmountable, but became difficult with the early losses of Letts (8), David Reeves (3) and Asher Syed (4) before Ali Pervaiz steadied the ship, progressing to 48 but losing too many partners.

Zeeshan Murtaza (35) and Carrick (32) did much to try to push Merstham to victory, but ultimately they came up 52 runs short, being all out after 40 overs.

The result leaves them still in third but 35 points behind their visitors. Merstham face relegated Old Emmanuel, third-bottom Epsom and fifth-bottom Addiscombe, but are now relying on Dulwich falling against Wimbledon (fourth) mid-table Mitcham and lower mid-table Banstead, to have any chance of overhauling them.