An even match but Molesey come out on top

On a hot and sunny day East Molesey visited Ashtead. The home team won the toss and elected to bat hoping to set a decent target and put the pressure on the visitors. Opening bowlers Andrew Westphal and Dominic Reed kept the runs in check and the early wicket of Hayden Storey caught at slip for 7 wasn’t a good start. Michael Sanderson and captain David White then started to build an innings and a further 43 runs were added taking Ashtead’s score to 70 before Sanderson fell, caught by Sam Burge for 27. Another 30 runs, then two quick wickets for Frank Knight and it was 103-4.

White continued to build his innings with apparent ease, but the Ashtead middle order struggled to stay long enough at the crease to support him. White was eventually bowled by Jonathan Fawcett for 74 and with the score on 164 for 7 it looked like the end of the Ashtead innings was close. However some resistance was put up by Tom Homes who to hit a quick 22 helping to take the score to 198 before before he was caught by Kings off Sahan Arachchige and the innings was over in 47.2 overs. A reasonable target that would make for an interesting battle in the second innings.

After tea the early wickets of East Molesey openers Simon Barrett, lbw to Harri Aravinthan for 7, and Nick Stevens, bowled by Jake Martin for 17, were promising and the visitors initially found it slow to score runs. The game swung slowly to and fro with Molesey initially being behind the run rate and then steadily clawing it back so that after 35 overs the scores were neck and neck. Strong contributions to the visitors’ batting were made by Sam Burge, lbw to Tom Homes for 37, Cole Campbell, who fell to a flying catch by Martin off Sam Homes, and Sahan Arachchige, caught White off Tom Deighton for 46. After 37 overs East Molesey were at 143 for 6 and the result was still in the balance with the visitors needing 56 runs and Ashtead four wickets.

Unfortunately for the home team, a strong partnership built up between Niall Solomon and Andrew Westphal with the latter in particular peppering the ground with fours and sixes at the expense of the Ashtead bowlers who failed to make any further break through. In the end East Molesey reached the target with almost five overs to spare. A disappointment for Ashtead who would rue some missed chances in the field. Ashtead remain sixth in the table, just one point behind Weybridge, and with two games left there is still time for them to improve their position.