ASHTEAD came through to win their penultimate game of the season, with a deserved 124-run victory over Banstead at Woodfield.

Banstead won the toss and elected to field on a wet outfield after the rain from the previous week. However, that did not dampen the Stags' potency, as openers Viv Paver and Andy Michael looked solid.

Opening bowlers Richard Bedbrook and overseas player Paul Nicholas, also looked in decent nick in the first few overs, keeping the runs down.

The Banstead breakthrough came in the ninth over, when Michael was caught at slip off Bedbrook for 14. At 24-1 Paver and new bat Ben Jeffrey needed to up the rate to continue the pressure.

And so they did, with confident strokes and a little luck, the pair quickly sped up the run rate to more than five an over. Jeffrey raced along to his 50 off just 37 balls, including nine fours, and after 25 overs, the score had reached 130-1 - a good platform for the rest of the innings.

After the drinks break, the run rate started to falter just slightly, even with Paver reaching 50 off 81 balls, and Jeffrey continuing to make runs.

The rest of the Banstead bowling attack (Nirav Patel, Tristan Caviet, Ben Goulding and Rory Burns) failed to make any headway, although there were some chances, few and far-between.

Banstead finally broke through in over 40, when Burns enticed Paver to play, and Chris Reeves took a straightforward catch. Paver was gone for 76, and Jeffrey promptly followed, as a mix-up with new bat Dave Burton saw him run out for 87.

Burton was next to go, another mix-up saw him run out this time, but Chris Douglas and Luke Mursaleen saw the side home, with Douglas 44 off 33, to leave the Stags on 270-4 at the end of the 50 overs.

After the tea interval, Ashtead were straight on the attack, and claimed three early wickets. Captain Jak Martin was bowled by Burton for five, then Paul Nicholas was caught behind by new keeper Seb Stewart for nought off Andy Michael. Then Dan Sutton was bowled again by Burton for one. At 28-3, Banstead were reeling.

The pressure was relentless and the Stags continued to press their advantage. A rain shower of seven minutes reduced the overs by one, but in the end it would make little difference.

Rory Burns, the other opener, went lbw to Burton for 30, then Jack Cole bowled by Burton for two. At the end of the 20th over, with the openers having finished their spells, Banstead were 75-5 and out of the game.

The change of bowling brought Tom Deighton and John Vaughan-Davies into the fray.

It was Vaughan-Davies who struck first, claiming Bedbrook, caught by Chris Douglas for 25, and then Tristan Caviet, lbw for three.

Then Deighton got Chris Reeves lbw for nough and Banstead were 80-8.

A resurgence from Jak Luxford and Ben Goulding brought the score on late, but the bowling of Chris Douglas and Viv Paver saw the end of that.