Cobham finish season on a high note

Surrey Championship

Premier Division

Malden Wanderers 136

Cobham Avorians 137-5

With their Premiership status already secured for next season, Cobham Avorians needed to win their last match of the season to gain their highest ever league position.

Their opponents, Malden Wanderers, had nothing to play for, and it showed in their performance, as the Avorians cruised to victory, and fourth place in the table.

The Avorians were without several regulars for this match. One of those missing was the captain, Steve Naylor, so vice-captain, Scott Jarvis, took the toss, won, and asked Malden to bat.

Barford and Euston opened, and stood firm against some tight and aggressive bowling from Tom Collins and Jamie Lawrence, but these were the only two Malden batsmen to take the game seriously, and when Euston was run out with the score on 51, the Malden innings degenerated into farce.

The Wanderers elected to swing out at almost every ball, resulting in three Malden batsmen being dismissed first ball, and Graham Crawford came close to claiming a hat-trick.

With nearly 20 overs remaining, the Wanderers were dismissed for 136, leaving the Avorians with very little to do to claim the points.

The home side got off to a shaky start. Chapman and Durrandt were both caught behind in the second over with two runs on the board, and the Avorians were wobbling a little.

However, Reece O'Connell, playing his last game for Cobham before returning to Australia, was untroubled by any of the Malden bowlers, and carried the Avorians close to their target, only getting out when trying to complete his stay in England with a big six that would have won the match. O'Connell's 69 made him the highest scorer for the Avorians for the season.

There was steady support for the opener from Tom Collins, the youngster withstanding some heavy sledging on his way to 17, and some aggressive batting from Steve Harpley, who raced to 27 not out, scoring the winning run in the 32nd over.