Ashtead go to Finals Day as Reigate are swept aside

The run to Finals Day succeeds. The Ashtead Stags will be one of 4 teams at the Edwards’ Cup Finals Day 2016, as they ran out 8 run winners in their quarter-final fixture over strong contenders Reigate Priory.

Ashtead won the toss and elected to make first use, at a ground that had seen very high scoring games in the past. The early overs kicked off much as previous games had done, with Danny Miller and Conor Young blitzing the PowerPlay. The fast bowlers, Daryl King and Harry McInley, were plastered to all parts. Despite losing Conor at the end of the first 6 overs, as the spinners entered the fray, the platform had been set – 59-1 off 6.

However, scoring proved difficult in the next few overs, and with Paul Harrison falling cheaply as well, the Stags were restricted to 76-2 at halfway. However, the part time bowlers were brought in, and with great aplomb, Miller and Stewart Cameron plundered them mercilessly, including some gigantic sixes. When Miller finally fell for 62 off 51, the score was 112-3 off 14.

The return of Daryl King saw three wickets fall in the final overs, including Cameron for 44, but the damage had been done and Ashtead ended on 162-6 off their 20 overs. Reigate would need to score well to be in the chase, but the total was definitely within reach.

Ashtead brought the Homes brothers straight into the fray after the break, and with a maiden in the first over, problems were created for the hosts from the off. Smart wicket-keeping from Conor Young removed the dangerous batsman Chris Murtagh for 9, but changes of bowling at the end of the PowerPlay kick-started the Priory innings – 38-1 from 6.

Ben Shoare and Richard Oliver pushed on through the middle overs, and it seemed as if the game was going away from the Stags. It took a moment of brilliance from Conor Young, snaffling an extraordinary catch down the leg side to remove Shoare for 36.

Oliver and Ali Raja then kept the scoreboard ticking, and with 4 overs to go, 34 runs were required. Tom Homes had bowled out his overs for just 9 runs, and Sam Homes was brought on for his last over. It was the crucial one, and Homes delivered, with both Oliver and Raja falling to him, both with excellent catches.

29 runs from 3 overs proved a challenge too much, as Paul Cohen and John Vaughan-Davies came back on for their second spells and bowled good, tight overs. Wickets continued to fall, and the Stags closed out the game to win by 8 runs – a fantastic performance for the National Finalists of two years ago.

The Ashtead Stags progress to Finals Day for the second time in 3 years, and will face their 2014 finalists Sunbury in their semi-final. Wimbledon and either Weybridge or Guildford are in the other semi-final, all to be played at Normandy CC a week on Sunday.

The Saturday league game for the Stags will be at Wimbledon, as they seek to return to winning ways in the longer format of the one-day game. This will be the clubs’ first meeting of the 2016 campaign, but with just 12 points separating the sides in the table, it is a crucial game for both teams. Join us then.