Claygate v Old Woking - 24th July

What a difference holding catches can make to a game. Claygate dropped four last week and drew a game but held on to some good catches to finish the game before six o'clock against Old Woking.

On a damp Dalmore Avenue wicket, Old Woking won the toss and elected to bat in order to get the maximum 40 points and stay in the hunt for promotion. Tom Mckinley (3-19 off 5 overs) cleaned up three batsmen in a fiery opening spell, including a first ball wicket to cheer the sparse Claygate fan club at the ground. Ben Lane held on to a magnificent catch at point, running and sliding to his right to grab the ball inches off the ground. With the pitch aiding the bowlers, Umar Khan took a wicket in his opening spell and Old Woking were soon six down for 62 after 17.4 overs with the first change bowlers Ben Lane and Joel Watkins picking up a wicket each. Wicketkeeper Lance Mayer held onto two smart catches to aid the bowlers. A seventh wicket stand of 63 between N Collins (32) and D Stenning (25) stemmed the tide. But Vikram Prabhakar (2-4 off 4 overs) and Umar Khan (3-26 in 9.2 overs) in his return spell cleaned up the tail with the aid of a catch each by Ben Lane and Vikram Prabhakar to end the innings at 129 off 33.2 overs.

This left Claygate a target of 130 off 56 overs and 10 overs to bat before tea. On an easing pitch, Claygate knocked off 67 off these runs in these 10 overs.

Lance Mayer (44) fell at 77 soon after an excellent tea. Sixteen year old Rob Carnegie-Brown (18) playing in what promises to be his first of many games for the Saturday Firsts in the years to come, played some lovely high elbow textbook shots, including a classical on-drive and a wristy deflection for fours in a short but sweet innings. Opener Ross Carmichael (54*) with eleven fours and a six knocked off the winning runs in the eighteenth over.

Skipper Matt Prisco's comments 'Sorry-didn't turn up' on the scoresheet aptly sum up the game.

With this forty pointer, Claygate stay at the top of the league this weekend and need similar performances on July 31 and through August to ensure promotion to the first division next year.