VALLEY END were shot out for just 89 and crashed by six wickets at table-topping Banstead last Saturday, the defeat ending their challenge for the AJ Sports Surrey Championship 1st XI Division One title.
The Woodlands Lane side – who were beaten at home by Banstead on June 17 – went into the match 29 points adrift of their hosts.
But Valley are now 49 points behind Banstead with only two rounds of matches to go – in other words, 40 points to play for.
Despite the setback, the Surrey Heath side remain in fourth place in the table and could still finish the season as runners-up.
Valley chose to bat at Avenue Road, and there was no sign of things to come as they moved to 23 without loss.
Even at 51-2 they were not looking in major difficulty. But they then lost six wickets for ten runs to leave them on the edge of a precipice at 61-8.
They were dismissed in 31.2 overs, the first three batters – Josh Dodd (14), Josh Jayasingh (13) and Charlie Dunnett (37) – the only men to reach double figures.
Valley’s nemesis was Tyler Meyer, who pocketed 6-10 in ten overs.
By the time Banstead’s second wicket went down, they had 53 runs on the board – but no Valley-style collapse ensued.
The hosts lost two wickets on 77 but cruised to 90-4 in 19.5 overs, opener Neil Baker (22) their leading scorer.
Joe Hill was the star of the guests’ attack, taking 3-11 off four overs.
Woking & Horsell are in serious danger of being drawn into 1st XI Divison Four’s bottom two.
The Brewery Road outfit were whipped by six wickets at London Gymkhana to leave them only seven points ahead of penultimate club Hampton Hill.
The visitors were removed for 110 in 28.4 overs after being put in at Alexandra Park, Surbiton.
They were looking comfortable at 49-1 but slumped to 58-5.
Overseas player Shehan Fernando led the way with 37 from 29 balls.
Second-highest scorer was number ten Calum Chisholm, who crafted 18.
Muhammad Jamal (4-51 from nine overs) and Hameed Uddin Malik (3-25 in seven overs) grabbed the bulk of the wickets.
The visitors’ hopes were boosted when Gymkhana found themselves 45-3.
But the home side eased to 113-4 in 23.1 overs, Amir Saeed (33) and Shakir Ahmad (29 not out) the main contributors.
Kapil Dubey was the pick of the bowlers, snaring 3-25 from eight overs.
Byfleet got back to winning ways to reignite their Shepherd Neame Surrey County League 1st XI Premier title push.
After losing to leaders Alleyn on August 12, the men from Parvis Road needed a victory at basement team Long Ditton.
And a success was duly achieved, third-placed Byfleet triumphing by four wickets.
Long Ditton were inserted and mustered only 121 all out in 34.4 overs, seven wickets falling for nine runs.
Skipper and number three Matt Baker was the home team’s best performer with 38.
Number ten Simon Mohamed scored 30 and put on 35 with Anand Desai (11 not out) for the final wicket.
Byfleet’s Chad Hartley swooped for 4-21 off 6.4 overs, and Riley Coutts picked up 3-34 from eight overs.
However, it was not all plain sailing for the visitors in their reply.
They tumbled to 5-2 and needed a 71-run partnership for the fourth wicket between opener Tim Richards (48) and Coutts (31) to lift them out of trouble.
Coutts’ departure triggered a collapse that saw four wickets go down for 15 runs.
But that was as good as it got for Long Ditton, Sam Coyne (23 not out) and Louis Hansom (13 not out) steering Byfleet to 123-6 from 26.2 overs.
There were two wickets apiece for Baker, Michael Hall and Alex Goodwin.
Chobham are still in with a chance of the 1st XI Division One title, thanks to a Harry Bowman-inspired 56-run victory over Newdigate at the High Street Ground.
The hosts clocked up 208-6 in 45 overs after choosing to take first knock, number three Bowman whacking 102 off 114 balls. His innings featured 11 boundaries.
Captain Giles Henderson weighed in with 41 and put 87 with Bowman for the fourth wicket.
Andrew Kehl (3-41 from nine overs) was Newdigate’s most successful bowler.
Oliver Gibson (4-17 in two overs) and Cameron Birch (a stunning 3-6 off 6.5 overs) then accounted for most of the Mole Valley team’s batters.
The travellers were ousted for 152 in 39.5 overs, Scott Dunkerley contributing 64 at number five.
Ripley could yet finish in second place. They were four-wicket winners over Merrow, who were ripped out for 153 in 39.1 overs at The Green after deciding to bat.
Ed St Aubyn (72) was far and away the visitors’ best batter, helping his team recover from 17-3.
Ripley’s George Geaves bagged 3-21 in nine overs and Toby Zapp had 3-23 from 7.1 overs.
Will Jenner (43), Sam Woods (30 not out), Braydon Pink (24) and Shakeel Khan (20) scored most of the runs for Ripley, who closed on 154-6 off 37.5 overs.
Merrow’s Toby Finch returned 3-27 from six overs.
Ottershaw were trounced by 180 runs when they visited table-topping South Nutfield in 1st XI Division Three.
The hosts, who elected to bat, powered to 284 all out in 43.4 overs, opener Chris Walker hitting three sixes and 16 boundaries on his way to a 103-ball 115.
He and Alex Smith (78 off 39 balls) put on 124 for the first wicket.
Nobody else got close to matching their efforts – extras (20) proved South Nutfield’s third-highest scorer – but the writing was on the wall for the Otters.
Zan Raja (4-42 from 5.4 overs), Farhal Mughal (3-42 off nine overs) and Navi Singh (3-48 in eight overs) claimed the home wickets.
Ottershaw plunged to 70-8 in response and were sent back for 104 in 25.1 overs, skipper Dhillip Fernando top-scoring with 34.
Matthew Lewis shone for South Nutfield with 5-35 from nine overs.
Pirbright recorded only their second victory of the I’Anson Cup Division Two season, overcoming hosts The Bourne by eight runs to climb off the bottom of the table.
Told to bat, Pirbright posted 205-8 in 45 overs, a tremendous total considering they were floundering at 19-4 and 38-5.
The turnaround was engingeered by Ruwan Wickramanayaka and Brett Flanegan, who shared a 124-run stand for the sixth wicket.
Wickramanayaka cracked 82, with three sixes and nine fours, off 101 balls.
And Flanegan stroked ten boundaries in his 88-delivery 61.
Isaac Morse (3-26 from nine overs) and Bhashit Trivedi (3-30 off nine overs) bowled economically for The Bourne.
Wickramanayaka, Rupert Howe and Tim Lindberg then snaffled two wickets each as the home side were held to 197-9 off 45 overs, Alex Eeles making an undefeated 52.
Worplesdon & Burpham are taking the Division Four title race to the wire.
The second-placed side kept up the pressure on leaders Frensham thirds by recording a seven-wicket victory at Grayswood seconds.
George Hargreaves took 4-26 in nine overs as the home side were dismissed for 168 after being put in.
Top batter in the 39.2-over innings was number five Jack Hodges, who scored a run-a-ball 40.
With Jack Lenton hitting 59 and Shahbaz Malik adding 44 not out, Worplesdon & Burpham made their way to 171-3 off 34.3 overs, Max Beckett, Alex Royds and Jon Eales sharing the wickets.
Westfield Saints were all out for 112 in 30 overs after opting to bat in their Village Cricket League Division Two game at Loxwood last Sunday – and were beaten by three wickets.
Abdullah Inayat’s unbeaten 45 was the highlight of the Saints’ innings.
Inayat then took 3-15 off seven overs as Loxwood reached 113-7 in 29.5 overs, having been 73-7.
Euan Cooper returned 3-31 from seven overs.