Wimbledon complete demolition job in run-fest

A difficult run of games continues for the Ashtead Stags, as they succumbed to a 166 run defeat at Wimbledon in Round 11 of the 2016 Surrey Championship Premier League.

Wimbledon won the toss and elected to bat on a day that promised much for the run scorers early on. And so it proved, as opening batsmen Nick Welch and Oliver Swann proved elusive in the early overs. Chances went astray, as the luck of Thursday’s T20 heroics ran out as quickly as any gifts from the surface.

15, then 20, then 25 overs came and went, and still no breakthrough could be found. Then, finally, Welch charged at one of Tom Deighton’s flighted balls, and was bowled for 62. Some respite for the visitors, you would hope.

Not at all. This brought Ryan Patel to the crease, who is in rich form from the Surrey 2nd XI earlier in the year. Together, he and Swann navigated their way quickly to lunch – 151-1 from 36 overs. A long afternoon beckoned.

Life was to get much worse before it got better, as the home batsmen continued their charge. The employment of spin at both ends was not prevailing, so John Vaughan-Davies was offered the ball again. This also proved ineffective, as Swann reached his century off 157 balls. He also succumbed to Deighton, caught in the deep for 125.

Ryan Patel was allowed to complete his century, off just 95 balls, and with a frantic 20 from Matt Spriegel, Wimbledon declared on 329-2 from 60 overs. Quick bowling from the Stags gave them 61 overs with which to chase.

And the start was good. Despite losing Vaughan-Davives in the fourth over, Guy Harper and Stewart Cameron took the fast bowlers to task as they pummelled the early overs. While chances were coming, they seemed not to be going to hand and hope was kindled.

Then, in the final 8 overs before tea, 4 wickets fell and the heart of the innings was stolen away. Harper and Cameron, the shining lights, fell for 29 and 52 respectively, and with the score on just 108-5 with 39 overs still to bat.

Michael Sanderson and Warwick Symcox gave their all after tea, and held off the marauding bowlers for a while, but the loss of Sanderson for 24 opened the flood gates, and all too soon, Deighton and James Culff were prolonging the inevitable.

The final wicket came and went, with the Stags reduced from 89-1 to 163 all out. The efforts of the lower order has managed to glean a point from the fixture, ensuring that Ashtead continue their run of scoring from every game thus far.

This defeat means that Ashtead remain 7th in the Premier league, with a healthy gap to the relegation zone below them, but gaps appearing above.

Next week sees Ashtead host their final home game of the 120 over fixtures, as Normandy come to Woodfield Lane. Normandy lie 4th in the table, over two wins clear of the Stags. They won the 50 over encounter in May by 25 runs, but Ashtead were unlucky losers in that game and will have confidence they can take maximum points. Join us then.