Surrey Championship

Division One

Esher 119

Ashtead 121-1

A SPIRITED performance with the ball, and then an outstanding knock from Brendan O'Connell, saw Ashtead comprehensively defeat Esher and return to the promotion places in division one.

After winning the toss, and electing to bowl, Ashtead looked in control from the off, as opening bowlers James Cameron (2-25) and John Vaughan-Davies terrorised the Esher batsman Alex Szepietowski.

It took just four balls for the first wicket to come. A terrible mix-up between the Esher batsmen saw Lakmal Mendis run out without even facing a ball.

The situation got worse for Esher in the seventh over, when Cameron produced a beautiful delivery, producing a catch at short leg by Andy Roberts to get Richard Gibbs, the new bat, out for six and leaving Esher 19-2.

This became 22-3 just three overs later, when overseas star Sohail Ahmed was cleaned up by a fantastic delivery from Vaughan-Davies for three. The Stags were on a roll, and Esher were depending on 17-year-old Charan Gill to make some runs.

And he proceeded to quietly carve an innings for himself, and along with Szepietowski, runs started to come. However, this ended when Szepietowski was caught at silly point by Neil Farnsworth for 16.

Esher captain Rob Matthews and Gill showed signs of a recovery, but it was not to last. Marlon Cornelius (1-13) had come on for Cameron, and was looking dangerous when he clean bowled Matthews for five, reducing Esher to 58-5.

Henry Witton attacked to leave Esher on 89-5 after 33 overs at lunch.

After the 40 minute interval, the Stags looked rejuvenated and soon found their sparkle again. This time, it was O'Connell who made the all-important breakthrough, trapping Witton lbw for 10.

But it was the return of Vaughan-Davies that struck the death-knell for the opposition. New batsman Rob Mutucumorama went lbw for five, smartly followed by long-standing Gill, caught by captain Jamie Powell in the slips for 47.

When James Kenyon fell, caught by Roberts off Vaughan-Davies for two, Esher were all but finished.

The last partnership, Wright and Richard Laycock, made a few but soon O'Connell had the last wicket of the innings - Laycock bowled for two and Esher 119 all out.

After the ten-minute turn-around, Ashtead openers Gary Martin and O'Connell went out to bat, and while Martin put runs on the board with a graceful style, O'Connell went for broke.

This seemed to work very well, as 50 was reached in only the 10th over. Esher failed to make any headway at all, as openers Laycock and Kenyon were ineffective, as were the changes of Ahmed and Witten.

However, Laycock eventually struck in the 13th over, as Martin was caught in the slips by Ahmed for 19, leaving the Stags on 57-1. Esher would have to strike again, and quickly, to have any chance at all.

But it was not to be, as new bat James Cameron continued to make inroads, and O'Connell blasted most of his shots over the boundary for four or six. He reached his 50 in just 31 balls, and the team 100 followed just two overs later, in the 18th over.

And two overs later it was all over, O'Connell unbeaten on 72 and Cameron on 26 to reach 121-1 and win comfortably by nine wickets.

Saturday sees Walton-on-Thames come to Woodfield Lane for the penultimate long-format game. Last time the two sides met Ashtead ended up the victors by just 11 runs in the tightest of the limited over games.