Ashtead extend unbeaten run to 7 games

The unbeaten run continues in the rain. Ashtead extended their run of games drawn or won to 7 as they beat Cranleigh by 4 runs, using the DLS Method, in Round 15 of the 2018 Surrey Championship Premier Division.

Ashtead won the toss and elected to field, a wise choice given the dampness of the outfield, the threat of rain later in the day and the confidence of the hosts. The game was delayed, due to the condition of the outfield, and eventually began at 1:30pm. 42 overs would be the distance.

The early confidence for the Stags was quickly dissipated, as the Cranleigh top order made the early going. Seren Waters, the former Kenyan international, and skipper Jack Scriven made the early going with no response from the Ashtead attack. The early wicket of Scriven, for 36 runs off just 20 balls, failed to stop the charge as Lewis Bedford entered the fray. At drinks after 21 overs, Cranleigh were 131-1 and cruising.

11 overs later, and with the score at 198-1, Ashtead were facing down a probably huge total. But, as we all know, cricket can change dramatically in just a few overs. Sam Homes was the first to strike, removing Bedford for 54. The next over, from Tom Homes, claimed Waters for 107 and Bruno Broughton for a duck. Sam Homes got his second wicket in the 35th over, and Tom then got his third in the 36th. 4 overs of carnage for the visitors saw 198-1 become 214-6.

With all the momentum drying up, a small fightback from George Ealham propelled the visitors towards a more defendable target, with some assistance from the middle order. With John Vaughan-Davies returning to claim two late wickets, Cranleigh finished on 247-8 off their 42. A stiff test for the batsmen to chase down.

The partnership of Michael Sanderson and David White, which put on 134 at Sunbury last week, struck again at Woodfield Lane as the Cranleigh attack could find no answer. Sanderson set the tone in the early overs, pillaging the fast bowling and remaining circumspect when the slower bowlers came on. White was also on the offensive, and together the milestones tumbled. 50 partnership, 100 partnership, 50 for White off 52, then 50 for Sanderson off 59.

Sanderson finally fell in the over after drinks, having contributed 62 himself and 129 in partnership with White. With the rain threatening, the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern calculations began to take more importance, and with Ashtead still comfortably in front, White and Guy Harper soaked up some pressure. Harper, unfortunately, was dismissed for just 9, but Conor Young took up the mantle and began to score more freely.

The second wicket made the chase a much tighter affair, remaining ahead of the ‘par score’ by just 4 or 5 runs each over. As the end of the match neared, the rain closed in, and the lead became even smaller. When the players were forced off the field just before 7, the Stags required 41 from 27 balls remaining – but, crucially, were 4 runs ahead on DLS. No further play was possible. 20 points to the Stags. White finished on an impressive 94 not out, having now scored 342 runs in his last three innings.

That victory puts Ashtead in a year-long high position of 4th in the table, with a tilt at 3rd place still possible by season end. Next week sees Normandy visit Woodfield Lane for the Stags’ final home game of the 2018 campaign. Normandy currently sit in the relegation zone, and recent history does not favour the visitors either. Ashtead beat Normandy by 7 runs in the timed fixture in 2018, and last year’s 50 over match saw a 29-run win for the Stags. Let’s see if the 7-game streak came become 8. Join us then.