First win in the bag as Ashtead take the spoils

In the words of someone, at some point, ‘good things come to those who wait’. And the wait for a win is over, as Ashtead defeated league leaders Normandy, in Round 4 of the 2017 Surrey Championship Premier Division.

Normandy won the toss, and elected to bowl first, with overhead conditions conducive to swing and a pitch that would offer some help to the spinners. And, at first, it seemed a wise choice, as Michael Sanderson departed for a golden duck – his first league score of less than 10 in over 2 years. 3-1.

Much was on the shoulders, therefore, of Lalit Bose, a new entrant into the Ashtead setup. Despite an early scare, scoring his first runs via the outside edge, a couple of massive sixes seemed to settle the nerves. Guy Harper, meanwhile, was also plundering the bowling, in what is turning into a rich vein of form for him.

It took the introduction of spin, via Middlesex player Nathan Sowter, to break the fast-paced partnership, as Bose played for some non-existent spin and was bowled through the gate for 30. Enter the star of this show, Mahesh Rawat.

Slow and careful to start with, Rawat and Harper kicked on when the bowling changed. Not many boundaries, but plenty of strike rotation, and a few wides thrown in, saw the partnership grow well. Drinks came and went, and when Harper finally holed out on 53, the stand had reached 71. 19 overs remained. The score was 121-3. 240 had to be the target score.

Rawat was joined by Ben Geddes, a 16-year-old prodigy, and together they continued to build the score. Geddes was, like his more experienced companion, slow to start, but with some classically played strokes, he found his feet. The return of the seamers also increased the run rate, and as the final 10 overs began, hopes were high for a fighting finish.

65 runs came from the final 10 overs – perhaps less than might have been expected, but good bowling, and the loss of Rawat for 82 in the 48th over, stunted some of the charge. The visitors finished on 228-5 off their 50 overs. The away scorer thought it was about par – and thus a close game.

Well, it was close – sort of. It didn’t look that way to start with, as Matthew Friedlander produced an opening few overs that annihilated the top order of the hosts. At one stage, the predictions for the next ball were either a wide or a wicket – but by the end of the 5th over, Normandy were 11-3 and on the ropes.

A tremendous, but slow, fightback from Oscar Kolk and Neal Prowse brought the hosts back into the game, rebuilding with the seamers and then surviving the two Toms, Deighton and Homes, bowling in tandem. It would take until the 35th over for the stand to be broken, with a sharp run out from Sanderson and Storey to remove Kolk for 35.

Storey was behind the stumps after a freak beamer from Lalit Bose caught Rawat on the fingers. Some ice, and time in the field, seemed to do the trick, as Mahesh was called on to bowl some spin overs. It produced the desired effect. Normandy needed 8 an over when wickets began to tumble, and despite a late flurry of boundaries, the tide could not be stopped. Another run out, the third of the innings, sealed the deal. Ashtead had won by 29, as Normandy were bowled out for 199.

That win moves Ashtead up a place to 7th in the table, but wins for Valley End and Sunbury keeps the bottom of the table very tight. Next week sees Ashtead at their home ground of Woodfield Lane for the first time, as they host Weybridge. Ashtead won both matches last year, and hope for another victory. Weybridge lie 6th, less than a win ahead of the Stags. Join us then.