Sunbury face Wimbledon for place in Oval final

Aug 20 2008 Staines News

SURREY CHAMPIONSHIP PREMIER DIVISION Sunbury..............................185-8 Sutton.........................122 all out Sunbury won by 63 runs

Sunbury face a season-defining double-header against Wimbledon this weekend.

Luke Woodcock's men host their Premier League rivals in their rear-ranged Evening Standard Challenge Trophy semi-final on Sunday with a place in the final at the Oval at stake. Just 24 hours earlier they travel to their rivals for a league fixture looking not only for a psychological advantage but also the win which will all but guarantee their Premier Division safety.

Sunbury will at least approach the first challenge breathing a little easier following a comfortable win over Sutton on Saturday which lifted them out of the relegation zone.

John Maunders (34) and Adam London (17) got the visitors off to a decent start with a stand of 51, but both fell in quick succession and with captain Woodcock recording a rare duck they slid to 54-3.

This became 101-6 before S White struck 48 not out to bolster the score to 185-8, Adam Stanier playing a good supporting role with 17.

Early wickets were needed and Lewis obliged trapping Andrew Thomas LBW for a single.

Toby Roland-Jones then snapped up the prize wicket of former Surrey star Keith Medleycott caught behind by White for 14.

Sutton never really recovered from this blow as Roland-Jones and Stanier both bagged three wickets to lead Sunbury to 11 precious points.

SURREY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION THREE Streatham & Marlborough....128 all out Egham .................133-5 Egham won by five wickets

A SEASON'S best bowling performance from Joel Boucher catapulted Egham back into the Surrey Championship Division Three promotion places on Saturday.

The Aussie all-rounder took 6-49 and then weighed in with 36 with the bat as the early season pace setters beat Streatham & Marlborough by five wickets.

Mark Whatmore's men are four points behind new leaders Leatherhead & Cobham and, more importantly, four ahead of third place Warlingham in the table with three games remaining.

Boucher took the first four wickets to fall, ably supported by Jamie Hoddle who bowled 12 overs for just 10 runs.

Stefan Kaltner also produced a season's best 4-42 as only Streatham's Kirk De Ruyter (40) offered prolonged resistance, before Boucher mopped up the tail.

Egham lost Tom Bouch for only four in reply, but David Risk (49) and Stuart Margetts added 52 for the second wicket, Risk hitting one huge six off Andrew Mortimer.

After Risk holed out at mid-off, Margetts (21) and Boucher saw Egham to the brink of victory, the latter finishing the match with a huge six over long off.

SURREY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION FIVE Staines ............. 163 Dorking .......... 165-9 Staines lost by one wicket

STAINES' skipper Kirk Mullard admitted that far from being promotion hopefuls his side were now in a battle to avoid the drop following a galling defeat to Dorking on Saturday.

Not for the first time this season Mullard's men posted a sub-standard total, only to almost defend it before injuries robbed them of their two strike bowlers at a pivotal stage of the match.

Defeat leaves Staines 13 points above the drop zone in sixth place with three games left.

Mullard said: "It's so disappointing the way that we've batted this season. A lack of consistency with the bat has hit us hard and it's now about ensuring our place in the division with three games remaining." Mullard had no hesitation in opting to bat first only to lose Tim Blooomfield to the first ball of the match caught behind by Rob Chave off the bowling of Ben Overten and they were soon 33-5.

A stand of 48 between Sam Webber and Ryan Ramdin repaired some of the damage before the former fell for 45.

Ramdin added a further 65 with Stephen Weller (14) but after he fell for 56 the innings subsided to 163 all out.

Bloomfield made up for his earlier golden duck with a trio of quick wickets to reduce Dorking to 26-3. He was to finish with 4-35 and skipper Mullard took 3-10 as Dorking stumbled to 134-9. However, neither Bloomfield or the skipper were able to bowl at the death because of injury and Nick Haste (47 not out) and Francis Chadwick (17 not out) saw Dorking home.

This Sunday Staines holds their annual six-a-side competition at the ground in Worple Road. Eight invited sides with compete for the trophy throughout the day. It's the clubs chance to thank those companies and associations that have supported the club this season whilst taking the opportunity to raise much needed funds for the club's development. All visitors are welcome at the ground where there will be bouncy castles and bucking bronco for the kids and bar and BBQ for the adults available all day. There is no entrance fee and it's hoped that the ground will be busy all day.