Claygate's championship champagne of last season has turned to flat beer.  

Captain Dillon Woods , who steered his side to the Surrey Downs League title in 2004, was left mystified as his team clawed defeat from the jaws of victory at Headley on Saturday.

Chasing 237 to win after Luke Webb had taken 4 for 32,  Claygate looked certain winners when a century from Sunny Mahajan and 53 from Matt Weston eased them to 190 for 2.

But the last eight wickets tumbled faster than a Roger Federer serve and Claygate were rolled over for 208.  Have the wheels come off? 

On a deeply depressing weekend for the club, the second team - also title winners last season - lost to Headley by 28 runs.

The deserving Dave Price bowled unchanged for fifteen overs to record 3 for 56 as Headley made 219 for 8.

But despite 72 from "silver fox" Dick Murphy and 38 from Henry Vincent,  Claygate could manage only 191 in reply.

The gloom continued on Sunday as the Ist XI lost a 40-over thrash against Mpingwe, who rattled up 235 for 8 with two wickets apiece for Tom McKinley and Luke Webb and good spells from emergency bowlers Jamie Henderson and Ian Darke.

Claygate fell 52 runs short despite Peter Andrews club-best 74, Dick Murphy's elegant 47 and Steve Wells pugnacious 31.

Sunday second team skipper Steve McKinley bounced back to form in great style hitting 82 not out in his side's total of 191 - but Leatherhead hit that target for the loss of four wickets despite Ben Seabrook's 2 for 30.

One bright spot for Claygate was provided by 11-year-old Harrison Bricker, who performed the hat-trick in the colts match at Maori Oxshott.  Max Kretzschmar scored 27 and Sam Tonks 32 not out, but Oxshott won a fine contest by four wickets with Johnson scoring 26 Jones-Davies 30 not out, and Howell 20.

ENDS 

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