Well, it couldn’t really get closer than that. After a tense, last-over win the day before, Ashtead went even further and ended their National Club Championship Round 1 match with Kent side Nonington in a tie. Breaking the tie in a twilight bowl-out would be the only way to separate the sides.

The visitors, fresh off a league win the day before, and a Prelim round victory over Roffey, won the toss and elected to bat first – perhaps a wise idea, given the used nature of the surface, but with rain in the forecast, it was always a calculated gamble.

And the Stags would draw first blood, as a drop in the very first over wouldn’t be all that expensive. The opening combination of seam (Sam Hunt) and spin (Max Woolf) would combine to remove one of the openers, and a sharp throw from youngster Tom Woolf would remove the other Nonington opener to leave the visitors at 17-2 off 5 overs.

A period of consolidation would follow, as the batters began to get into their groove, and the change-up bowlers, whilst economical, were unable to find a breakthrough. As the players stopped for a drink at halfway through the innings, the scoreboard read 77-2 off 20. Both sides needed some momentum, and the break seemed to provide it. Runs started flowing, but the return of Hunt saw the breakthrough. Overseas pro Lachie Stackpole, and the return of Max Woolf, would also find the wickets column – and when the rain arrived in the 33rd over, Nonington were 121-5 and struggling.

More than 3 hours later, after tea had been taken, the rain stopped and the pitch dried, the first innings resumed with just under 5 overs to go. The batters, led by skipper Dan McHugh, had to put plenty of runs on the board to set up a target – and despite 3 more Ashtead wickets, 34 runs would also be found. 155-8 off 37 was the final score.

After the use of Duckworth-Lewis-Stern, the Stags were set a target of 160 off 36 overs. And the hosts would find trouble, like their opponents, almost immediately. Both openers, Pranav Khera and Nat Akins, would fall in the first 5 overs, and with a third wicket just after the opening PowerPlay, 35-3 looked pretty bad on the board.

Stackpole and Max Woolf were now at the crease, and, just like in the first innings, they rebuilt through the ends of the opening spells and into the change bowlers. Lachie would get into his groove and launch a huge six over the houses at the top end of the ground, but then find the fielders with the very next delivery to depart for a well-made 34.

Woolf would carry the innings for much of the remaining overs, as supporting batters came and went on a semi-regular basis. He would find the best of his partnerships with his brother, and together the pair saw the Stags to within 35 of victory, with the required rate now standing at about a run a ball. Max would then depart for 43, but he’d given the tail a chance to finish the job. As the last over rolled around, Tom Woolf and Sam Hunt needed 11 for victory. They achieved 10. Match tied.

And so – to a bowl-out. In twilight conditions, 5 bowlers from each team would take two attempts at bowling at the stumps. Most strikes wins. It was a tense affair, with most of the attempts missing, but with the last bowlers readying themselves for their second attempts, Nonington led 3-2. Dev Vaidya, for the Stags, stepped up and made a strike. Paul Betts, for the visitors, did the same. Game over.

That defeat ends the Sunday cup challenge for 2026, but there’s plenty still to be interested in over the next few months. The next match for the Stags is a trip to East Molesey, but there’s also the Edwards T20 Cup to consider – with Ashtead’s opening match at home against Dorking on 21 May.

You can follow the Stags on X (@ashteadcc), our website (www.ashtead.play-cricket.com) or on our YouTube channel (Ashtead Cricket Club Live). We look forward to next week! Join us then.