BLACKHEATH go into their final game of the season this Saturday needing at least eight points at Puttenham to secure their first I’Anson championship. Anything less than a win will hand the title to Grayswood who completed their season with maximum points at Tilford last weekend.

Grayswood can only watch and hope from the sidelines as Blackheath strive to beat a Puttenham side who have stormed through the second half of the Division One season, winning eight of their last nine matches and drawing the other (against Grayswood).

Puttenham, led by Aks Ilyas, are hard nuts to crack – and they have home advantage.

Grayswood remain in the frame for another I’Anson title after beating Tilford by 76 runs at the Green. Sent in on a lifeless wicket, Tilford made a good start as Jason Stones and Jake Austin sent back openers Pawan Chauhan and Iain Jackson with only 25 runs on the board.

Thereafter, the visitors were in charge. The patient Alex Tucker (47) and vigorous Alastair Gloak (58) put on 68 for the fourth wicket and the lower order contributed usefully, although the ‘old firm’ of Nigel Martyn and Geoff Coombe allowed very few easy runs. Andy Gloak was able to declare on 191-9 after 41 overs.

One word summed up the start of Tilford’s reply – disastrous! The top five contributed a grand total of 12 runs as Jackson and Gloak Snr tore through the batting, aided by some excellent fielding.

Andy Hall Hall (31) and Brandon Ambrose spared their side’s blushes by adding 44 runs before the former became one of Callum Kent’s three stumping victims in a superb display by the young keeper.

Gloak Jnr took a great overhead catch to remove Matt Cook before Ambrose was last out for 36 with more than six overs left. Jackson and Andy Gloak each took three wickets, well supported by Finn Campbell and Jon Ashworth with two each. Tilford were all out for 119.

If, as he has said, this is Andy Gloak’s last game as first-team captain, he could not have wished for a better send-off than this superb all-round display.

Elstead, choosing to bat first against Blackheath in their desperate attempt to escape relegation, showed grit in playing out 48 overs, but failed to get enough runs to truly test the visitors who, nevertheless, had to recover from a poor start.

Six Elstead batsmen reached double figures in the long, hard fight against an accurate and varied attack. In the absence of Josh Berry, Mohsin made 30 and Peter Cheeseman held the later batting together with 25 not out, while Torsten Wrigley prevented any late acceleration by taking 3 for 11 in five overs.

Blackheath were three down for not many runs against Steve McCrum and Mohsin, plus a run-out, but Wrigley (33) and Paul McRae (38) took a forceful approach. Although losing six wickets, Blackheath had plenty of batting to come when they reached the target inside 29 overs.

Puttenham, electing to bat against Headley, were in a spot of bother at 39-2 after George Neave had castled both Aks Ilyas and John Crouch. The solid figure of Sohail Awan blunted the attack, however, and his stand of 45 with opener James Andrews established the innings.

Another mini collapse left Puttenham 115-5, with still plenty to do, but Sohail (65) and James Crouch (41) added 66 and although both fell to Mike Hughes (3-52), Ilyas declared at 213-8 after 44 overs.

Stuart Smith retired hurt after only two overs when Headley replied and it was a bad omen as the visitors struggled to mount any sort of challenge against a formidable attack. Gavin Arend and Ashley Cook resisted with a stand of 33 and the valiant Smith returned after the fall of the seventh wicket. But when James Crouch bowled last man Hughes, Headley were all out for just 90 in 36 overs. ‘Sid’ Amhmed took 3 for 12 in eight overs.