Ashtead crush Trinity and continue promotion push

As the skies cleared, and the sun beamed down, Ashtead continued their rich form from next week to comprehensively defeat Trinity MidWhitgiftian by 160 runs in Round 15 of the 2014 Surrey Championship Division 2.

Put in to bat by the visitors, Ashtead made a steady start, with Michel Sanderson and Surrey pro Dom Sibley making slow headway in the early overs. The loss of Sanderson for 10 early in the innings was a shock, given recent form, and left the Stags 40-1 after 13.

Then the runs began to flow. Sibley showed his strong credentials by constructing a masterful innings. A couple of chances were presented to the Trinity fielders, but crucially were put down. John Vaughan-Davies, his batting partner, continued the trend he showed at Chessington last week, attacking early on and driving the scoreboard forward. The change to spin and medium pace brought no joy for the visitors, as Ashtead cruised to 107-1 after 25 at drinks.

The trend for the second half was set in the first over after drinks, as 16 runs came Ashtead’s way. The two batsmen continued to attack with aplomb, and soon enough, sixes were beginning to rain down on the surrounding gardens. When Vaughan-Davies eventually fell for 63, the partnership had put on 146 and the score was 190-2 off 39, Sibley on 93.

The stage was set for a mighty total. And the Stags didn’t disappoint the handful of spectators at Woodfield Lane. New man Paul Harrison was after the part-time bowlers from the off, and the pairs accumulated 46 in just 4 and a half overs. Sibley reached his century during this period, off 114 balls, the second fifty in 50.

The loss of Harrison and Stewart Cameron within 4 balls of each other temporarily halted the advance, but runs continued to pile in. The return of the Trinity opener, captain Matt Winter, did nothing to stem the oncoming tide.

Sibley eventually went for a marvellous 139, off 136, with 2 overs to go, but the damage had been done. Jono Sole and Andy Roberts continued the battering to the close, taking the Stags to a mammoth 307-6 off the 50. Trinity needed a mighty effort to come close.

After 10 overs, you could be forgiven for looking worried, though. Will Page and Kunal Patel, the Trinity openers, scored freely at the top of the order, and neither Will Pereira nor Sole could find an early answer. At 13 overs, the visitors were 69-0, and threatening a challenge.

Enter the spinners. Tom Deighton, back in the attack after a side strain the previous week, was immediately in the wickets, as Sibley snapped up an easy catch to depose Patel for 43. The wicket came just before drinks, and was also to Deighton, as overseas bat Savion Lara was sharply caught by keeper Andy Roberts for 21. At drinks, the visitors were 107-2 – the same score as the Stags. Could they finish as well as the hosts?

No, they couldn’t. In a 5 over period, 5 wickets were to fall. Homes would be the chief architect of this, claiming the first two in just one over – a sharp stumping off a wide and an LBW two balls later. The following over brought Deighton his third, splaying the stumps. A sharp run out from Homes and Roberts finally got rid of opener Page for 46, and Homes claimed his third, caught at slip by Paul Harrison. 115-2 had become 128-7, and the match was effectively over.

Stewart Cameron and Sibley swept up the tail, with Jono Sole claiming a stupendous catch late in the day to provide plenty of spectacle. Trinity eventually folded for 147 in the 40th over.

Wins for Chipstead and Epsom in the gameweek mean that the top 3 are still separated by just 8 points, with Ashtead remaining on top. Those two sides play each other next week in a massively important fixture, while Ashtead host Dulwich. Join us then.