Surrey Championship

Division One

Ashtead 257-7

Walton-on-Thames 259-4

A THRILLING encounter that was decided on the very last ball of the match saw Ashtead defeated by fellow promotion hopefuls Walton-on-Thames.

The Stags batted first and set a defendable looking total of 257-7 thanks largely to a magnificent 127 from James Cameron. However, Walton's opener Neil Driscoll was in equally dominant form and led his side to a six wicket win with 121.

After winning the toss, and putting Ashtead in, Walton looked shaky as the Stags opening pair of Gary Martin and Andrew Roberts reached 76-0 after 22 overs.

Roberts was eventually caught behind by Paul Bainbridge off James Newell for 48.

Cameron strode to the wicket and got off to a flying start, reaching 17 off just 11 balls, however the double change of Mark Bainbridge and Giles Henderson would prove catastrophic at the other end.

First to go was Gary Martin (38) who Bainbridge dismissed with the third ball of his spell. Brendan O'Connell came and went for just two and captain Jamie Powell followed him back to the pavilion 10 balls later, failing to trouble the scorers. Neil Farnsworth also went for a duck, and at lunch Ashtead had crumbled to 118-5.

Ashtead needed a partnership and after the interval John Vaughan-Davies joined Cameron at the crease and the pair began to fight back.

Cameron, in particular, was in prodigious form and proceeded to hammer the bowling to all parts. Having passed his fifty he raced to his first league ton for the club in just 97 balls.

The partnership passed 100 and Ashtead were at 236-5 when Cameron finally succumbed to Bainbridge, in his 19th over, plum lbw for a magnificent 127.

In the very next over, Vaughan-Davies (19) fell foul to a returning Nick Kent, caught by Mark Bainbridge. The final pair of Chris Douglas and Marlon Cornelius produced some big shots to finish the Ashtead innings at 257-7 after 63 overs.

After the 10 minute turn-around, the Walton opening partnership of Paul Bainbridge and Driscoll started fairly slowly, as the attack of Vaughan-Davies (0-24) and Cornelius (1-54) tested them with some lively pace.

But the pair remained resilient, and accumulated the 100 partnership by the 31st over, but they were nowhere near the rate required for the win.

Powell juggled his bowlers looking for the breakthrough but Josh Pickering (0-51), Chris Douglas (0-15) and Brendan O'Connell all tried without success.

The partnership finally cracked in the 46th over when Bainbridge, on 66, turned for a second run, was sent back and a well-aimed throw went straight to keeper Neil Farnsworth who whipped off the bails.

Cameron (1-61) came into the attack and looked dangerous. In the end Driscoll cracked, hitting a rash shot into the waiting hands of Marlon Cornelius. But the damage had been done, Driscoll had scored 121 and had set the platform. Yet at 211-2, needing 45 off just six overs, the draw was still the most likely outcome.

And when Senneck also left the crease just an over later, caught by Roberts off a resurgent O'Connell, Ashtead had gained the upper hand. Or so they thought.

O'Connell came off for Cornelius, who proved to be an expensive choice, despite taking the important wicket of Jason de Reuck, bowled for just four.

Positive strokeplay saw Walton needing nine off the last over and Giles Henderson and Matt Turvill saw the visitors through for the win, scoring the winning run off the final ball and bringing them just three points behind the Stags in fourth place in the table.

Ashtead face a huge game on Saturday as Pyrford come to Woodfield Lane. Pyrford are top, 14 points clear, but a win for the Stags next week would see the gap closed to just one point.