Impressive Feist bowls Merstham to victory

By sosborn

Fuller's League Division Two

Ewhurst 162

Merstham 163-8

Merstham continued in their winning ways although made hard work of chasing a below par 162 on a wet day at Quality Street.

Ewhurst were asked to bat and Dan Feist and Joe Shinners made it difficult for the visitors' batsmen as runs were hard to come by early on.

Shinners took an early wicket and after 10 overs Ewhurst were 20-1. After a slow start, Gilchrist came in at three and picked off the bad balls on his way to a brisk 38 before falling softly chipping the ball to mid-wicket off the bowling of Newton.

Feist was firing from one end and completed his second five-wicket haul in two weeks in reducing Ewhurst to 104-8.

At this point Merstham thought they could be in for another early finish but Ewhurst's tail had other ideas, taking advantage of a wet ball causing problems for Merstham's bowlers.

Feist finished a mammoth spell off 26 overs with 7-67 before Newton took the last wicket in the 52nd over with Ewhurst having made 162.

Ed Loader and Shinners again opened up positively and confidently, making 71 for the first wicket when Loader was out gloving a bouncer to the keeper for 29.

Merstham looked in a good position at this point but the regular loss of wickets meant that Ewhurst were always in with a shout. Jason Kyte went without scoring and Turner looked to be finally finding some form before falling on 20.

Shinners was adjudged lbw on 42 and Dave Neal pulled a short ball straight to mid-wicket leaving Merstham five down. Fred Swift steadied the ship with James Vincent and then Richard Feist before running himself out on 21.

With only 20 runs required it would take something special from Ewhurst to keep Merstham from winning. Feist kept the Ewhurst fielders believing it could be possible when he cut a short ball to point but calm batting from James Parrett and Tristan Newton saw Merstham home.

MERSTHAM'S second XI had a comfortable victory over Ewhurst seconds as they completed their fifth Fullers League Division Two win of the season.

Bobby Sharp had set up the win with an accurate 5-22 as the home side were dismissed for just 134.

But Aiden Helmbold was the man of the match not just for his finely played 73 as temporary opener as Merstham cruised home for the loss of just two wickets.