Ashtead claim the title, as spinners rampage at Chipstead

A superlative performance from the spinners, combined with a solid performance with the bat, saw Ashtead defeat Chipstead, Coulsdon & Walcountians in a top of the table clash that saw Ashtead become champions of Surrey Championship Division 2 for 2014.

After losing the toss (again), the Stags were inserted on a wicket that certainly had seen some water over the previous few days. Normally, High Road would be runs aplenty, but with a lively wicket and a lush outfield, it wasn’t going to be an easy day for the batsmen.

The Stags proved this in the first innings, as wickets tumbled at consistent intervals throughout the innings. The opening bowlers, while giving away some early runs (mostly in extras), were able to cause early problems, and three wickets came from it during the PowerPlay period. Danny Miller was first to go, bowled for a duck, and after a quick partnership, both Gary Martin and John Vaughan-Davies also fell foul. At 15 overs, Ashtead were 57-3.

Then came a trial by spin – which, at the time, seemed to be a losing cause for the league leaders. Partnerships broke with regular aplomb, as batsmen came and went – lots of starts were made, but none were converted. Meanwhile, the extras continued to climb, and the luck seemed to be against the Stags. Paul Harrison fell LBW; Conor Young was deposed by a very close catch on the boundary.

The score eventually reached 100 in the 25th over, and there was no let-up in either the runs or the wickets. The Stags approach changed from attack to stability, as they sought to bat out the overs. However, it wasn’t to be, as the return of the opening bowler finished off the Stags innings with 3 balls to spare, all out for 163.

The momentum seemed to continue with the hosts after the break between the innings, as both Vaughan-Davies and Stewart Cameron were attacked by the Chipstead opening pair. Victory and a step closer to promotion started to look closer to home than away, but then came the spinners.

It started with Deighton – Tom Deighton. The Ashtead skipper brought himself on in the 7th over, and immediately found the spot, as Paul Cohen bagged an easy catch on the boundary. Tom Homes came on the over later, and while not taking wickets, held back the Chipstead advance.

Deighton, meanwhile, was creating havoc at the other end. No-one was able to hold their wicket once he got going, and 4 wickets in 4 overs ripped the heart out of any meaningful tilt at the target. From 37-0 to 56-5 in the space of 11 overs.

The rest of Deighton’s spell, all three overs of it, produced no more fruit, but continued the exceptional economy to finish with figures of 5-10. Homes picked up his solitary wicket during this patch, finishing with 1-25 – figures that didn’t do justice to an excellent holding and pressurising spell.

The end of Tom and Tom’s spell brought Cohen into play, and, just as Deighton had done, he proceeded to cause chaos in the Chipstead lower order and tail. The last four wickets fell over the course of 8.2 overs, as the hosts capitulated to 87 all out in 33.2 overs. Deighton, the architect of the demise, was the man to finish the job, snaring a simple slip catch to secure the silverware.

This win sees an unassailable lead at the top of Division 2, and thus Ashtead will return to Division 1 for the 2015 season. One final game remains for the victorious Stags this season, as they travel to the relegated Horsley & Send to finish the season off. Join us then to conclude a successful season for the Stags.