Stevenson seals win as Normandy defeat Ashtead

NORMANDY took the spoils in a close fought mid-table encounter with Ashtead on Saturday, Max Stevenson’s middle order heroics sealing the win for the home side.

Batting first in the Surrey Championship Premier Division game, the visitors lost an early wicket when Prahlad Odedra produced a snorter of an inswinger to bowl Conor Young with the first ball of the third over.

Thereafter runs came quickly and the off-spinner Chris Jones was soon in action bowling Gareth James for 26 with the score at 43.

Ashtead’s Paul Harrison (88) and Sam Homes (76) then settled in with the dominant partnership of the innings, neither looking in any great trouble as they piled on 125 for the third wicket.

In the end it was Sreenivasa Sarma called up from the second XI who finally broke the partnership, Jones pouching an excellent catch at extra cover to remove Harrison.

Sarma enjoyed an excellent spell, turning the ball appreciatively as Ashtead sought to pile on the runs but found it difficult to push on from a dominant position at 168-3.

Sarma finished with fine figures of 4-34 from nine overs as Ashtead closed on 244-8, a challenging score but probably below par on a flat pitch and lightning outfield.

The mercurial Olly Batchelor looked in ominous form taking 19 runs from the second over of the innings including a monstrous six over mid-wicket.

Fifty-seven runs were plundered in the first eight overs before Joel Foster tamely clipped the first ball from spinner Tom Homes to midwicket.

Batchelor was still looking in awesome form and there was a buzz of excitement around the ground every time he faced a ball, and it was therefore a shock when having reached 55 from 46 balls he fell to an excellent catch in the deep to make it 88-2.

Thereafter the more mortal batters found the going more difficult as Ashtead piled on the pressure with excellent ground fielding and tight bowling. Chris Jones chipped one back to the bowler to depart for a well-made 32, leaving the score 125-3.

The innings was stabilised by the experienced Liam McKendry (36), and youngster Sam Holland but when McKendry departed to a reverse sweep and Chris Booth followed to a low catch 15 runs later the game was in the balance at 182-5 when Max Stevenson arrived at the crease.

It was the 42nd over that started to turn the tide in the direction of the home side, Stevenson taking 11 from the final four balls to provide the big over the batting side needed. He then took 11 more from the next four balls of the 43rd over meaning 22 had come from just eight balls but Ashtead struck back immediately trapping Holland

LBW for 31.

Stevenson and Sarma took 15 off the 46th over to release any remaining pressure, the run chase being completed in the 48th over, Stevenson finishing unbeaten on 42 from 31 balls.

Normandy are away to Malden