3 Draws in 5 games as Banstead escape our clutches

Make that three draws in 5 games – and this time, the runs were equal. This was the story as Ashtead drew with Banstead in Round 9 of the 2018 Surrey Championship Premier Division.

Banstead won the toss and elected to bat first on a wicket that looked good for batting, and an outfield that would see plenty of runs scored throughout the day.

The traditional Banstead opening partnership, Tom Lancefield and Daniel Newton, made hay in the early overs. Newton sat in and played an anchor role, leaving Lancefield free to play strokes with near careless abandon. The seam attack was little match for his bludgeoning, and the introduction of spin via Tom Homes was met with two sixes. At drinks, the visitors were 70-0 after 13 overs and seemingly in complete control.

Cricket, once again, proved to be a very fickle and changeable game as Lancefield fell almost immediately after drinks, caught behind off an ambitious sweep for 50. At this stage, with Tom Deighton and Homes bowling in tandem and the attacking batsman in the clubhouse, the game slowed dramatically. The tight bowling, and lack of runs, proved irresistible and further wickets followed the first. When Neil Baker was snared by Homes on a return catch for 5, Banstead had fallen to 108-4 and were in some trouble. Lunch came a few overs later, providing some respite.

After lunch, Newton and his new partner Josh Stainer rebuilt and began to attack the bowling slightly more. This would always prove dangerous, and the return of pace bowling coincided with Homes taking two more wickets to bring his haul to 5. Newton was still in the game, however, having reached 50 shortly before the wickets. Newton would then push his attack, supported by the lower order and the tail, until he ran out of partners in the 60th over, having just made his century. Banstead were bowled out for 219.

The chase began poorly for the hosts when captain David White was despatched for 1, but Lalit Bose and Damian Shirazi went about their business well. Bose provided the attack, while Shirazi provided the anchor point. Together the pair saw the team through to the tea interval, and at 77-1 with 37 overs left to play, they seemed in control.

A similar state of affairs continued after tea until Bose went down with an injury. He had to retire on 62, and with the score on 97-1. How fateful that would prove.

Shirazi and Guy Harper put on another solid partnership together, but with both partners departing shortly before drinks, it would be left to the middle and lower order to finish the job and get the final 75 runs for victory.

Partnerships came and went with regularity from then on, with batsmen making starts but were not able to stay for very long. It was Thomas Lancefield doing the damage once again, claiming his fifth wicket in the penultimate over to set up a hat-trick ball. One wicket left. 9 balls remaining. 5 runs to win. Josh Pickering and Tom Deighton at the crease. Together, they produced another four runs to leave a single run required off the final delivery. Dot ball. Drawn game.

That result, and other results in the league, puts Ashtead out of the relegation zone in 8th place, towards the bottom of a crowded middle order separated by just 28 points. Next week sees Ashtead travel to East Molesey for a vital match in the league. The 50 over fixture was abandoned, but the 2017 edition of this match saw Ashtead run out the victors by 15 runs. Let’s see if the Stags can do it again. Join us then.