VALLEY End suffered their opening defeat of the AJ Sports Surrey Championship 1st XI Division One season last Saturday – and it cost them top spot.

They were humbled by eight wickets when they faced Banstead at Woodlands Lane, the result seeing the guests leapfrog them into pole position.

Valley elected to bat but were made to rue that decision as they were shot out for 177 in 55 overs, losing their final five wickets for only 25 runs.

Charlie Dunnett (41), Josh Jayasingh (28), George Freeman (27), Ed Young (23) and Jayden Clark (18) were the only batters to get into double figures against an attack in which Paul Byrne and Arsalan Abbas each took two wickets.

The writing was then on the wall for Valley when Banstead’s opening pair Neil Baker (65) and Ayush Patel (50) wasted no time in putting on 89. Indeed Patel faced only 37 balls and hit two sixes and eight fours.

The travellers, who began the match in second place in the table, eased their way to 178-2 off 33.5 overs.

Young and Jamie Stephens bagged a wicket apiece at 3.43 and 3.86 runs per over respectively – commendable figures in the context of the game.

A run-a-ball 56 from Shehan Fernando was in vain as Woking & Horsell went down by 37 runs at home to London Gymkhana in 1st XI Division Four.

Gymkhana, who were inserted, were removed for 231 in 49.5 overs, Tim Keene picking up 3-44 off 11 overs.

Ali Raza (54) and Asad Abid (51) were the best of the Tolworth-based side’s batters.

Skipper Henri Peters (31) and Fernando made a bright start to the Woking & Horsell response, putting on 73 for the opening wicket.

But Fernando was second out, with the score on 105, having hit a six and seven fours.

Of the other batters, only number three Keene offered serious resistance, with a 41-ball 39.

The hosts’ final six wickets tumbled for 17 runs.

Abdul Qadir (4-39 from 14 overs) and Hameed Uddin Malik (3-39 off 10.5 overs) starred with the ball for Gymkhana.

Byfleet recovered from 3-3 and 16-4 to overcome travellers Long Ditton by 14 runs in the Shepherd Neame Surrey County League 1st XI Premier. 

The Parvis Road men chose to bat and were soon in big trouble. 

Fortunately, vital knocks from the number five to number nine batters enabled the hosts to post a defendable 183 all out from 38.3 overs.

Riley Coutts (28), George Mickley (35), Ish Hussain (35), skipper Sam Crabtree (24) and John Harrison (31) were the men who rescued the home team.

Matt Baker was deadly as Long Ditton made early inroads, claiming three of the first four scalps. He finished with 4-67 in 17 overs.

With Coutts bagging 4-79 from 19 overs when Long Ditton replied, the visitors were dismissed for 169, having been 67-2.

Leading the way in the 50.2-over innings were Peter Munro (24), extras (24) and Blake Matheson (22).

Chobham overpowered Newdidate by 46 runs in a rain-affected 1st XI Division One game at The Brocus.

Opting to take first knock, the Surrey Heath side were ripped out for 186 in 43.3 overs, captain Giles Henderson the standout performer. He made 72, including ten fours, off 88 deliveries.

Of the other batters, only Oz Henry (23) and Chris Hellings (22) managed more than 15, although there were 20 extras.

Chobham had been 21-3 and 75-5, but Henderson and Henry added 51 for the sixth wicket.

Andrew Kehl snapped up 4-45 in nine overs for Newdigate.

The Mole Valley outfit were left facing a revised target of 170 from 38 overs. But they were displaced for 123 off 32.4 overs, extras top-scoring with 33. The pick of the batters was number eight Kehl, with 24. 

Newdigate had plunged to 44-6 – and they were saved from total humiliation by a final-wicket stand from Allan Cooper and Ben Cameron that yielded 26 runs. Cameron Birch was the most successful Chob bowler, snaring a remarkable 3-6 from five overs. There were two wickets apiece for Harry Bowman, Matt Barham and Henry.

In the same section, Ripley were pipped by four runs at Merrow.

The hosts decided to bat and made 240 all out in 43.5 overs, the bulk of the runs coming from three batters.

Opener James Bain made 54, Ed St Aubyn contributed 49 and Andre Browne scored 40.

Merrow crashed to 173-8 but St Aubyn and Andy Windus (18 not out) crafted a  47-run stand for the ninth wicket.

That partnership was bettered only by the 55 added by Browne and Bain for the fourth wicket.

Toby Zapp topped the bowling charts with 3-49 from nine overs.

With skipper and opener George Geaves in imperious form, Ripley shrugged off the early loss of Shakeel Khan to find themlseves in an excellent position.

Geaves (79) and Thomas Clover (42) piled on 124 for the second wicket, but their exits in rapid succession left the visitors 132-3.

Tim Russell hit 38 but wickets fell at regular intervals and Ripley closed just short at 236-7 off 45 overs, four of their batters run out.

Matt Maginnis was the most economic of Merrow’s three one-wicket men.

Ottershaw were overwhelmed by 102 runs when they entertained South Nutfield in 1st XI Division Three.

The guests racked up 259-8 in 45 overs after electing to bat, captain and number four Jack Bellars leading the way with 62. Number three Ahson Bukhari cracked 50 off 54 balls and opener Alex Smith put together 45 from 47 deliveries.

Raheel Khan (2-38 off nine overs) and Zan Raja (2-17 from three overs) were the most successful members of the Otters’ attack.

The home side found themselves 24-4 in reply and facing a heavy defeat, a result that was confirmed after 37.1 overs when they were all out for 157.

Dhillip Fernando (68) and opener Suresh Kaushan (32) put on 66 for the fifth wicket.

And Fernando and captain Khan (29) shared a 54-run stand for the sixth wicket.

But nobody else had much to offer as Matthew Lewis swooped for 5-26 in 8.1 overs.

Pirbright had an afternoon to forget in I’Anson Cup Division Two as they started with ten men, could send out only eight to bat and were swamped by 207 runs by The Bourne.

Put in, the visitors from Farnham eased their way to 268-4 declared in 43 overs, opener Nick Farr striking 89 and going on to contribute 181 for the second wicket with skipper Kathan Trivedi. The captain slammed 112, with 18 fours, before being run out.

Pirbright, who conceded 27 extras, had a pretty thankless task in the field. 

But there was a wicket each for Rupert Howe,  Matt Hough and Omar Khan, the former grabbing a fine 1-24 in 10 overs.

With Robbie White and James Thompson unable to bat, Pirbright were routed for 61 in 20.1 overs, skipper Brett Flanegan (18 from 19 balls) and Awais Khan (10) the only men to get into double figures.

Nathan Street returned 3-13 from 5.1 overs for The Bourne.

Isaac Morse snaffled 2-9 off five overs.

Worplesdon & Burpham hammered travellers Grayswood second XI by ten wickers to record their fourth successive victory in Division Four.

Opener Tom White (54) was the chief run-getter for Grayswood, who were told to bat.

And they were held to 137-9 in 43 overs, James Taylor (23) the only other batter to top 19.

Oliver Schofield pocketed 2-23 in eight overs for the hosts, and Mitchell Rogers had 2-25 from six overs.

Worplesdon & Burpham’s first pair, Olly Grant and captain Tom Blaxland, made hay in the response, steering the team to 140-0 in 23.1 overs.

Grant made 43 not out – with a six and three fours – off 57 balls. But Blaxland was the dominant partner, whacking four sixes and seven boundaries in his 70-ball 72 not out.

Spare a thought for Grayswood’s Rob Rist. His two overs went for 27 runs.