Surrey Championship

Division Five

Wallington 143

Stoke D'Abernon 147-3

STOKE D'Abernon avenged their early season defeat to Wallington with a seven wicket victory at Hillside Gardens.

With the green strip clearly still holding in the midweek rains, Andy Page didn't hesitate to give his bowlers first go with the ball.

Ralph Coleman and Tom Gudgeon - the sixth different opening bowling pair used in the league in 2009 - made perfect use of the conditions, reducing the hosts to 48-7 after 16 overs.

Gudgeon struck in his first over, finding Smith's edge, keeper Tom Frost completing the formalities. In the next over, Ansari called for an ambitious single and was beaten by an accurate throw to Frost from James Whitmarsh.

Anderson edged Coleman to Lahiri who showed good hands at slip, overseas man Rehman Qadir slashed at a Gudgeon delivery and became Frost's second catch of the day and Coleman bent back Mason's middle stump before Sajid was castled by Gudgeon.

Khan was dropped at slip without scoring, but he soon lost new partner Miles, yorked by Coleman for a duck.

Coleman was withdrawn from the attack shortly before the drinks break with season's best figures of 3-26 from 12 overs.

However, a solid eighth wicket partnership of 96 between Khan and home skipper Naeem saw Wallington up to respectability.

Naeem completed a chanceless 50, but then pulled Siddhartha Lahiri to mid-on where Andy Page made no mistake.

Profiting from his early life, Khan moved to 39, but with just three runs added to the total, he was pinned leg-before by the returning Gudgeon who would finish with figures of 4-38 from 12 overs.

Lahiri's wicket of Naeem was also his first in the league this season, and one brought two as he closed the innings on 143 by bowling Usman to finish with 2-29 from 10 overs.

Early wickets were essential for the hosts if they harboured any hopes of improving their precarious league position. They were not forthcoming though as Whitmarsh and Gavin Gresse posted 34 for the first wicket.

Whitmarsh eventually fell caught at the wicket for 15, and Lahiri, followed leg before for 12.

Promoted up the order, Tom Frost looked to end matters in a hurry and picked off the short square boundaries three times in the space of two overs, but was then bowled for 16 looking for a fourth as a delivery from first change Khan kept low.

Any nerves were quickly removed as Jack Raimondo strode to the crease, constructed a stylish unbeaten 46 with six well-timed boundaries and knocked off the remainder of the runs without further loss with Gresse who provided the perfect foil at the other end, matching Raimondo's score.

A seven wicket victory was secured after just 37.2 overs.

A welcome win for Stoke who go into Saturday's Elmbridge derby with Thames Ditton in good heart.