Stags complete a dominant display

The rain tried but failed. This was the story as Ashtead travelled to the far end of Surrey, to face Cranleigh, in Round 2 of the 2021 Surrey Championship Premier Division. And it would be the first win of the campaign, a resounding 8 wicket victory, for the Stags.

After a substantial delay following overnight and early morning rain (which reduced the match to 39 overs), Ashtead won the toss and asked the hosts to bat first – with one eye on the pitch, which would be a tough surface to bat on, and the other on the sky, as overhead conditions would benefit swing and any further rain would make a chase easier.

That decision proved incredibly wise, as opening bowlers Wayne White and Ben Geddes started causing trouble immediately. The pressure was on from the very first ball, and it was inevitable that a chance would come eventually. First to strike was White, as overseas wicketkeeper Manoj Sarathchandra took a straightforward catch. 8-1.

Sidwell would not be left behind, however, and Ben Geddes produced a simply extraordinary catch to remove the other opener. 19-2. In the very next over, White struck again, as Harri Aravinthan juggled a very sharp chance at second slip… and clung on. 22-3.

The hosts were in deep trouble, but the next few overs would be a touch calmer. Ashtead changed up the bowling, and this proved highly effective as another pair of wickets would drop together – another smart catch to remove the dangerous Bruno Broughton for 16, and Manoj’s second snare of the day to remove Surrey junior Tom Lawes first ball. 50-5.

While the wicket was clearly favouring the seam bowlers, spin was always going to play a role and Tom Homes would break a stubborn little partnership to round out the first 20 overs of play. The return of Sidwell would also provide the 7th strike, just as the rain, and hail, began to pour from the sky. An hour would be lost. The game reduced to 33 overs, and Duckworth-Lewis-Stern in operation.

Cranleigh would mount a stubborn resistance after the interruption, seeking to use the 12 overs they had left. Sidwell struck straight after the break, but wickets dried up and runs, albeit slowly, began to flow once again. Homes, however, would not be denied his second scalp and a sharp run out in the final over completed the job. Cranleigh were bowled out for 109.

The revised target being 102, and with 33 overs to get it, the Stags took a circumspect and careful approach to the start of their innings. Progress was slow, but with a very modest target, it didn’t need to be spectacular or showy.

40 came and went. Then 50, and 60 and 70, and still no breakthrough. It began to appear that Ashtead would reach their goal without the loss of a single wicket and complete a perfect victory. That was not to be, as both Wayne White (for 29) and Ben Geddes (for 40) would depart in consecutive Tommy Ealham overs.

It was but a blip. Harri Aravinthan, and the aforementioned Manoj, entered the fray and went on the attack – Manoj’s first runs of the league year coming from a straight six back over the bowler’s head! Ashtead would reach the target, 2 wickets down, with a full 5 overs to spare.

This win, couped with a rain-out against Banstead last week, sees the Stags climb to equal second in the table, along with Esher and Sunbury. It’s a buy time for the Stags, as they travel to Esher on Sunday for the first round of the National Club Championship.

The next league game returns to Woodfield Lane, as the Stags host the 2019 champions East Molesey. The 2020 Challenge Cup game by the Thames was a 92-run victory for the Moles, but the 2019 fixture was a much closer 4 wicket win for the visitors as well. Join us then.