Runs in the sun but Ashtead end up short

The sun beat down and the heat rose with it. And yet both Ashtead and Esher were able to pile on the runs at Woodfield Lane, with the visitors ending up winners by 57 runs in Round 15 of the 2022 Surrey Championship Premier League.

Ashtead won the toss and elected to bowl first, on a wicket that looked typical for a baking August day – a little in it for the bowlers but a beautiful deck to have a bat on. And so it initially appeared, with junior sensation Krish Patel accompanying solid campaigner Justin Broad to the crease – and bludgeoning the early overs. The opening attack of Ben Sidwell and Sam Hunt initially had little answer to the onslaught, not helped by the frightening speed of the outfield. 58-0 off 10 was an ominous sign of things to come.

Change was needed, and so skipper Tom Deighton brought himself into the attack – and the rate slowed as a result. More pace from Matty Breetzke didn’t find the breakthrough, so the leading Stags’ wicket-taker for the year, Tom Homes, was introduced in the hope of disrupting the flow. At halfway, with a couple of chances passing by, Esher had reached 133-0.

The eventual change would come from Homes, who had Patel caught by Breetzke for 55 – and Breetzke then followed up with a stunning run out to remove dangerous overseas player Nick Smit without facing a ball. Could this be the magic moment that Ashtead needed to make major inroads?

Well, initially it appeared so – with attacking batter David Brent scratching around in his early innings. That all changed with a booming six off Sam Homes, which kickstarted his campaign – and in a flurry of shots, he reached his half-century off just 43 balls. He departed soon after, Tom Homes finding the wickets column yet again.

Shots continued to fly throughout the final overs, as the visitors used their solid platform to exact the maximum punishment possible. Broad, the constant through all of this, would eventually depart for 139, but Alex Martin and Charlie winder added 34 off the last 10 balls to end the innings at 333-5.

The chase was always going to be tough, but the Stags knew they had to attack from the very first ball. Losing Damian Shirazi in the second over was not a great way to begin, but Gareth James and Matty Breetzke pummelled the early overs and brought some crucial momentum. Despite James departing for 25, Conor Young added his fire, and by the end of over 20, the hosts were 134-2 and on track.

It appeared the key wickets would be Breetzke and Young, and Matty would be the first to go, bowled for 68 off just 52 balls. He ended his campaign with 901 runs at an average of just over 75. Ashtead applauds his fantastic season and look forward to his return in 2023.

So it would be down to Young to drive the innings towards the target, and he continued to show his usual class and firepower. However, the trouble was more acute at the other end, as middle-order batters came and went with too much regularity. The required rate began to climb inexorably, and by the time Young departed for a well-made 73, the damage had been done. The tail, led by Sidwell and Deighton, brought the fight to the bowlers, but it all ended too soon. Ashtead were bowled out for 267 with 26 balls remaining.

This result keeps Ashtead in 7th place in the league table, and with the league table spreading out, moving positions becomes ever more challenging. Next weeks’ opponents are Sunbury. The long-format fixture on the banks of the Thames ended in a draw, with Ashtead well on top.

A reminder that you can follow Ashtead CC’s 1st XI matches via our Twitter (@ashteadcc), live on our website (www.ashtead.play-cricket.com) or at our YouTube channel (Ashtead Cricket Club Live). We look forward to next week! Join us then.