Ashtead move to top of table

An overcast day and threat of rain saw Ashtead travel to Camberley. It was a strange game with remarkably similar innings from both sides. The seam bowlers doing the damage and the lower order batsmen having to pick up the pieces to save the day.

Ashtead won the toss and put Camberley in to bat. The first wicket was taken by Will Pereira in the second over with two more falling to Jordy Thomas in the third. Matters only got worse for the hosts and, with another wicket for Thomas and two more for Pereira, after 8 overs Camberley found themselves on 40-6. Some resistance came initially from Trevor McGeer (27) and then from a partnership of 74 between Alasdair Cheyne and Jos Clarke. The score was pushed on to a more respectable 143 before Cheyne was bowled for 31 by Thomas in the 31st over. Batsmen 10 and 11 quickly followed, again courtesy of Thomas, leaving Clarke not out on 47. Camberley had managed a total of 156 in 34.3 overs and Jordy Thomas finished with the enviable figures of 6-39.

With 84 overs available, assuming the rain held off, surely the Stags batsmen would gain a much needed win and an early tea. However all too soon the pattern of Camberley’s innings was being repeated with the top order batsmen crumbling. After 16 overs Ashtead found themselves on 64-4 with three of the wickets being taken by Alasdair Cheyne, the pick of the Camberley bowlers, who eventually finished on 5-64. Conor Young put together a tidy innings of 38, including 5 fours, before being given out caught behind off Cheyne. With another two wickets falling quickly and the score on 86-7 a win for Ashtead was looking less and less likely. Time for some determined batting from Rob Lammiman (45 not out) and Jordy Thomas (24 not out), who put on an unbeaten partnership of 72 to clinch victory for Ashtead.

With other games affected by rain and draws between their closest rivals, Ashtead moved to just one point clear at the top of the table.