1s lose, but the trophy comes to Woodfield Lane

A dead rubber it may have been, but Ashtead were still out for glory on the final day of the 2014 season. Their opponents were Horsley & Send, the holders of this year’s wooden spoon, but they bowed out of Division 2 with a win, as they took the game by 2 wickets.

Ashtead won the toss, and unusually for such a green surface, and lush outfield, elected to bat. An unusual side visited Twinn’s Field, and this became evident when Tom Deighton, the successful skipper of this year’s campaign, opened the batting. The other opener, Mike Sanderson, has been a regular of the side this year, and needed just 9 runs to enter the record books for the season.

It was not to be, as a sharp cut to point was snapped up – with Sanderson on 8. By then, Ashtead has charged to 40 in 8 overs, and were setting a solid platform for the rest of the innings. John Vaughan-Davies, another mainstay of the 1s side, came and took on the challenge, playing shots with abandon as the runs piled up. Neither the seamers not the spinners could find an answer as first Deighton, then Vaughan-Davies brought up their half centuries.

However, with drinks came the turn of the tide, as the Stags were reduced from 127-1 after 25 to 204-9 at the close. This was a team effort from Horsley & Send, with several bowlers and a sharp, one-stump run out to be praised. The other issue stemmed from the lack of experience at 1s level, as wickets fell steadily throughout.

The shining light through all of this was Tom Laudy. The chairman’s son, with very little recent match experience, looked somewhat rusty in his early overs, coming in at 153-5 with 18 overs remaining. By the end, he had got through 4 partners (including the run out) and made 30 hard-earned runs. This contribution, along with bits and pieces from the other batsmen, got Ashtead to the end of the innings – setting Horsley 205 to win in their 50 overs.

Ashtead knew that the challenge would come, in the main, from the Horsley overseas, Riaz Kael, who had scored an unbeaten 80 in the drawn declaration game earlier in the season. Once again, he proved to be the bogey batsman for the Stags, as he carved out a wonderful century on a wicket that was still proving easy to turn.

The issue was always going to be finding batsmen that could stay with Kael, and in the early overs, this was quickly put to the test as Vaughan-Davies snared two early LBW decisions. The seamers were to have further joy when Christian Burgess claimed the wicket of Imran Khan, who had proved a nuisance to the fielding team. At 25 overs, the mid-innings drinks interval, Horsley had charged to 118-3, Kael reaching 50 just before then.

The break struck again, as the fourth wicket fell to Conor Caprano-Wint in the next over, snaring Shahid Khan for 26. This, hopefully, would be the launch pad to rattle through the rest and bring an early finish. However, it was not to be, as Kael continued to launch all comers, including Deighton, who had come into the attack. However, two wickets in an over turned the game again, as Horsley were reduced to 159-6 in 35 overs. 45 required in 15 – 4 wickets left, with Kael, still there, on 75.

It would be up to the seamers to try and finish the job, as Deighton went wicketless for his remaining 4 overs. Kael was finally removed in over 45, the over after completing an astounding century from 153 balls. The damage had been done, however, as some attacking batting from the tail saw the hosts across the line with 2 wickets and 4 overs to spare.

This concludes a successful season for the Stags, with both the 1s and 2s promoted. Next year sees the 2s in their Premiership once again, with the 1s and 3s in Division 1 and the 4s in the Central Division. Join me again in 2015.

For now, signing off,
Martyn Holloway-Neville