Surrey Championship Premier Division

Cobham Avorians 152

Reigate Priory 156-4

ON a hot day at Burhill, Reigate Priory proved the advantage at this level of a strong bowling attack as they triumphed over Cobham Avorians by six wickets.

The undoubted hero of an otherwise flat game was Reigate's opening bowler, Ian Hewitt. Bowling a marathon 15 overs in the heat in two stints, Hewitt had three wicket maidens in an magnificent haul of 6-31.

The Avorians, while able to garner runs from the other bowlers, had no answer to Hewitt.

Reigate won the toss, and elected to bowl. Luc Durandt, Avorians'

hard-hitting South African, took a more cautious approach than in recent innings, but it was to no avail as he perished for 10 and wickets were to continue to fall at regular intervals through the session.

While Graham Crawford worked hard for his 33, and Steve Harpley was good value for a rapid 25, none of the A's batsmen could construct a large score and, when Hewitt returned after lunch to take four wickets, the innings subsided to 152 all out.

In the tail, Cliff Hill, coaxed out of early retirement, provided resistance, and two consecutive boundaries, before being stumped for 17.

By contract, Reigate were relatively untroubled by the Avorians' bowlers on their way to their target.

There were more injuries for the A's, with the captain Steve Naylor forced to hand over the ball mid-over to Reece McConnell after a side strain, and strike bowler Scott Jarvis below his best nursing a similar complaint.

The two openers Jason Roy and Brett Forsyth scored 36 apiece, and 43 for Chris Murtagh, ensured that Reigate would overhaul the Avorians' total easily.

The winning boundary was struck just before tea, Reigate finishing on 156-4, claiming 13 points and leaving the Avorians' title chances faltering.