Ashtead and Sunbury take it all the way

A nail biter right to the end. Ashtead and Sunbury went the full 80 overs on Saturday in Round 4 of the 2020 Surrey Championship Challenge Cup, with Sunbury winning by the smallest of margins – jut a single wicket the difference between the two teams, with a ball to spare.

Ashtead won the toss and elected to make first use of a wicket that typically bats well, but this time looked more bowler friendly than usual. And the ball struck first, with Ben Geddes snared in the second over. Guy Harper and Harri Aravinthan kept the scoring brisk in the early exchanges, helped no end by some rather wide deliveries. At 37-1 after 6, Ashtead were progressing nicely.

Wickets would always slow the advance, however, and with Harper back in the gazebo after a simple catch at cover, the Aravinthan brothers (with Ragu now in the middle as well) looked to regain some momentum. Cue a classic Ashtead mix-up, which saw Ragu on his way. Reports from the players differ as to who was at fault for that one. 49-3.

The middle order would need to contribute, and they certainly came to the party. The innings was built around Harri, who toiled away for his runs, and allowed batsmen at the other end to score more freely. First up was Conor Young, and while the trio of Sunbury spinners caused problems, the scorecard steadily ticked over. Young would eventually for 31, and when Harri was bowled for 47 a few overs later, the stage was set for some lower order thrashing.

This was forthcoming. Sam Homes played a typically energetic innings, seeking to rotate strike and running hard, while Hayden Storey used his full arsenal of tricks – scoops, reverses, paddles, and slogs galore as they plundered the bowling. Losing Sam with a few overs to go could have stalled the charge, but Tom Homes’ cameo 18 from just 10 balls saw Ashtead reach 189-6 off their 40. Storey finished on 34 from 28.

The Sunbury innings could not have got off to a better start – for the visitors! Sean Hunt, the new Ashtead left arm quick, could be heard for miles with his opening ball appeal. Not out. Second time round he was not to be denied. 0-1. Life got even better when his opening partner, Ben Sidwell, snared the other host opener in the second over. 8-2.

From that base the innings would quickly get going. Runs were still difficult to come by but if you cleared the square, you’d probably find the boundary. Changes of bowling didn’t seem to initially do the trick, but the introduction of Aaron Rose released the pent-up pressure and Sidwell was there to take a simple catch. Alex Hughes, the new man, swung hard early but fell to Tom Homes for 12 soon after. 85-4 after 18 at drinks. The game was delicately poised.

The pendulum would shift towards Sunbury in the following few overs, and as the runs continued to stack up, the situation began to look more and more troubling. Enter Sean Hunt. His return to the attack saw the set batsman depart for 42, having left a ball that crashed into the stumps. Sam Homes set up a spectacular grab by Hayden Storey in the next over, and Hunt struck again the over after that. 118-7. This became 132-8 in Hunt’s last over, with a second ‘Storey special’ – the wicketkeeper making a habit of taking tremendous wickets.

Cue the tail wagging. Runs flowed and wickets dried up. The target was fast approaching – but some was the end of the game. Would Sunbury get there? The ninth wicket would be crucial and fell 2 overs from the end. The final man came to the crease with 12 runs required off 13 balls. It went down to the final over, with 4 to win. Chances came and chances went, and with a flick to the leg side, the final batsman made it home. Sunbury win, by the narrowest margin.

That result sees Ashtead remain in the middle of the table, with just two weekends left of the season. Next weekend is a double-header for the Stags, with Ashtead travelling to Weybridge on the Saturday and hosting Wimbledon on the Sunday. Join us then.