20 points for Ashtead to start 2020 in winning ways

The league begins with maximum score. Ashtead took the honours in their opening fixture of the 2020 Challenge Cup, with a comfortable 7 wicket win a home to Banstead.

The Challenge Cup is a 7-week league, with Ashtead playing the other best club sides in the county. Last week saw the match with Wimbledon rained off and rescheduled for later in August, so this is the first of seven matches in the next 5 weeks.

Banstead won the toss and elected to make first use of a wicket that looked promising, but with overhead conditions that would accentuate any swing. And, just like against Camberley in the friendly a fortnight ago, the hosts made the early running with a pair of wickets in the first six overs. Sean Hunt removed the bails of George Willis for 2, and Ben Sidwell claimed the crucial scalp of Banstead skipper Dan Newton, edged behind for 2.

The top order batsmen continued to carve out an innings slowly, and it would be the introduction of spin that changed the game again. Tom Deighton, the longest serving member of the Stags, made a double strike to reduce the visitors to 43-4. Hopes were high of some more wickets and a shortened chase.

This, initially, was not to be. Deighton was able to hold the runs at bay but Sam Homes took some damage to his figures. However, it would be Homes that struck next, removing the ex-Ashtead player James Culff for 26. This proved to be the turning point.

With Sidwell removing the dangerous Neil Baker for 7, and the long innings of Kiran Beri falling to Homes for 41, the resistance crumbled. Although the tail put 30 or so together, the visitors’ innings were eventually curtailed with a couple of overs to spare. 146 all out. All 5 Ashtead bowlers took wickets, with best figures 3-51 from Homes. Hayden Storey deserves mention for a top quality catch for the final wicket.

The tempo of the Stags’ reply was set by the returning Guy Harper, who found the boundary three times in the first over. Together, he and skipper Ben Geddes made light work of the early going. Despite losing Geddes for 9 at the end of the PowerPlay, Ashtead were 38-1 after 10 and cruising along.

The loss of Harper for 27 could have threatened to make the game closer, but the Aravinthan brothers steadily kept the scoreboard ticking over. At drinks after 18 months, the Stags had reached 65-2.

It was then that the attack began, with both batsmen attacking Culff and then Arsalan Abbas. The pick of the shots was a beautiful slog sweep from Ragu into Woodfield Lane. He finally fell for 40 with just 12 runs required. Harri, the older brother, and Conor Young saw the hosts home with nearly 10 overs to spare, Harri ended on an unbeaten 37.

This win starts the Stags off on a winning note in the run-in for the Cup. Next week sees Ashtead travel to East Molesey, 2019 league champions and victors of the friendly between the two sides three weeks ago. Join us then.