Surrey Championship Premier Division

Cobham Avorians 295-8

Banstead 231

Cobham Avorians crushed the challenge of league newcomers Banstead, but paid a heavy price, with injuries to three key players.

Ian Cockbain, scorer of 133 runs in the first two league matches, looks set to miss the next eight matches after re-breaking a big toe broken only a few days previously.

Ben Kingsnorth, the A's keeper, fielded with a broken finger, while the captain, Steve Naylor, sustained a leg injury in the field. Naylor's injury is reported to be not as serious as first feared, but Kingsnorth will visit hospital this week for treatment on the finger.

Banstead elected to field and Luc Durrandt and Rajiv Tanna opened, as Durrandt and set about taking advantage of the mandatory 10-over fielding restrictions.

The opening 50 partnership between the two consisted of 49 runs for Durrandt, and a single for Tanna, but the balance worked, and, when Rajiv was run out for 11, the pair had put on 89 runs in 21 overs.

Durrandt again showed his liking for the quicks, but shrank into his shell when the spinners came on, and it was left to Ian Cockbain, at number three, to continue the run gathering, hitting three successive sixes off the hapless Jak Luxford.

Durrandt eventually perished just three short of his century, and Cockbain followed just four overs later, for a hard hitting 71. Both batsmen fell victim to Adam Clarke, who took four of the first six wickets to fall, albeit very expensively, going for 90 runs in his 10 overs.

Runs dried up in the middle-order. Reece McConnell scored 26, but his single boundary evidenced the problem that the A's had in getting the ball off the square. Phil Reeves (0-26) was instrumental in keeping the scoring rate down.

However, with 13 overs remaining, Steve Harpley was promoted up the order and although his performance was not quite the clean-hitting slaughter of the previous week, nevertheless Harpo generated enough power to score 30 from 23 balls, including 10 consecutive scoring shots in the middle of his innings.

Tom Collins and Keith Millett kept the scoreboard ticking over, and the innings closed with the A's on 295-8.

In reply Banstead started well and by the 20th over were well ahead of the required rate, with Lancefield and Houghton both hitting half-centuries, and the opener, Burns, chipping in with 29.

But, then, a magical piece of quick thinking, and quick fielding, by Steve Naylor changed the whole complexion of the game.

Lancefield, facing Naylor, tried to straight-drive the bowler back down the pitch, but a lightning pick-up and rapid flick at the other end saw the wicket broken and Houghton out of his ground. Houghton was run out for 50, and Lancefield followed immediately afterwards, caught by Jamie Lawrence.

With two new batsmen to bowl at, the A's bowlers came at Banstead with renewed vigour, and, while Jack Martin, the Banstead captain, stood firm without really increasing the run rate, wickets were falling around him with regularity.

By the 45th over, Banstead were 26 runs in arrears, with five wickets down, and five overs later, it was all over, Banstead subsiding to 231 all out, and the A's victors by 64 runs.

Tom Collins and Jamie Lawrence each claimed three wickets, and Steve Naylor, as well as the run out, took one wicket for 42 in 10 overs, completing his stint carrying a painful injury.