Fullers Brewery Surrey County League 1st XI, Division 1

Oxted & Limpsfield 153-6

Battersea Ironsides 154-6

OXTED'S brave strategy to win promotion from the last game of the season was agonizingly close to succeeding, before Battersea crept over the line, with a four-wicket victory on Saturday.

Coming into the game, Oxted needed one of Guildford or Godalming to draw or lose, and to win and restrict Battersea to no more than six bonus points.

There were definitely times when this seemed possible, but Battersea skipper, Webster, had other ideas, and his 43 not out thwarted the chances of Gordon Boxshall spinning Oxted to victory.

Winning the toss would have been a good start, but skipper Ian Barney finished with a disappointing four out of 17 success rate with the coin, and Oxted once again found themselves batting first on a dust bowl.

Ritchie Adamson (20) and Stuart Fletcher (33) looked in little trouble except when running between the wickets, and sadly the first wicket fell after a mix-up and Fletcher was run out at 47.

Nick Hugo (35) also looked in good form and the scoreboard was racing along at nearly five an over when Hugo mistimed a pull and was caught on the deep midwicket boundary in the 18th over with 90 on the board.

Adamson and Bharat then fell quickly, both lbw, before Curtis was unlucky to edge one onto his stumps and 11 overs had brought only 15 runs and four wickets as Battersea started to tighten their grip on their promotion place.

Ned Lack and Boxshall added 24 before Mouncy (3-18 in 11 overs) claimed his third wicket, and at 129-6, Oxted could not afford to concede any more wickets if they were to restrict Battersea to the required number of bonus points.

Boxshall and Barney then sensibly advanced minimised the risks and advanced the score to 153, leaving Battersea with no option but a full win to go up.

Although at times living dangerously, the Battersea openers added 69 to relieve some of the pressure, before Barney (3-18) played the true captains role and removed both openers in an inspired nine over spell.

At the other end, Boxshall (3-54) was now getting some expansive turn and bounce, and he also claimed three wickets to bring Oxted right back into the game.

Sadly, however, Webster was given a life with the game poised, and he was then able to steer his team home with an over to spare.

Oxted gave it everything and came very close after an excellent season. Looking back, there are always ifs and buts that could have changed events, but probably the abandoned game against Old Paulines on a day when all other teams completed fixtures was a critical blow.

Fourth place, with 10 wins is something of which Barney and his team can be proud, and they have a chance of earning some silverware this Sunday, when they meet Lingfield, in the final of the Fuller's League Cup at Godalming.