Back in black... sightscreens. And, as the Ashtead Stags donned their green and gold kit for the return of 50-over cricket, they faced a tough trip to Priory Park. And they would run out the victors, in a tight finish, by just 7 runs in Round 14 of the 2026 Surrey Cricket Championship Premier Division.

The visitors won the toss and, rather curiously, elected to make Ashtead bat first on a surface that looked good for batting, and would likely take some turn later in the game. And the Stags would make all of the early going, as openers Joe Willis and Mark Stoneman built their innings comfortably and carefully. No major chances came in the opening exchanges, but the runs came on gradually too.

It would be deep into the spells of the first change bowlers before the initial breakthrough came, with Stoneman castled by Llamas skipper George Ealham for 40, and then Willis found a waiting catcher off the same bowler two overs later for 43. The wickets threatened to derail the Ashtead momentum, but the introduction of more spinners proved dangerous as Dylan Church and overseas pro Lachie Stackpole made hay. By the end of the 30th over, the Stags were 152-2 and the platform was set for a big run chase to follow.

The visitors were, however, unable to fully capitalise on that excellent first half. Losing Dylan for 28 triggered somewhat of a collapse, as batters came and went without making much impact on the scoreboard. Watching all this, meanwhile, was Stackpole, who almost single-handedly dragged the innings towards a defendable score. When he departed for 63 in the 39th over, Ashtead had reached 201-7, and 230 seemed the most they would achieve. A fine fighting 23 from Lucas Kher and a spirited unbeaten 29 from Sam Homes would drive the total past 250 and into defendable territory. The Stags would finish on 261-9 off their 50.

The bowling attack was heavily reliant on the spin bowlers, with Stackpole opening up alongside sole front-line seamer Sam Hunt, but they were facing the leading run scorer in the league this year (Richie Oliver), and he put them all to the sword. While runs were hard to find at the other end, that proved irrelevant as the Llamas plundered 62 off the opening 10 overs PowerPlay. Well behind the curve, the Stags would need to find answers.

Stackpole delivered, with a well-chased caught and bowled to open the wickets, and then crucially castling Oliver for 58 (off just 44) in the same over. The hosts’ innings would then become a battleground – the bowling attack vs Ealham, and whichever batter was next to join him. The Priory skipper cut, pulled and drove, including taking Sam Homes and Lucas Kher all the way over the ropes. Wickets continued to fall with some regularity at the other end.

But while Ealham was still in, there was still hope. A very tight passage of play between the 31st and 40th overs saw the equation change from 112 runs off 20 overs to needing 81 off 10 and, with the required run rate ever increasing, the batters were forced to take more and more risks. And, for a while, they seemed to paying off. More and more balls seemed to find the gaps and head to the boundary but, even with this acceleration, the required rate kept climbing.

!3 runs were required off the final over, but with Ealham on strike on 90, all results still seemed possible. A fine over from Hunt (including snicking Ealham off for 91) sealed the deal for the Stags.

This win is a huge result for the Stags, as it moves them ever closer to safety and Premier League cricket in 2027. Ashtead now sit 6th in the league table, with a clear win down to Banstead in 9th, and Normandy only a few points above. Next week sees Spencer visit Ashtead for another white ball encounter. Spencer won the long-format encounter when the sides met back in June, but last year’s limited overs result saw a 102 run victory for the Stags.

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.