LURGASHALL conceded for the second week running, leaving Grayswood without a game, but Grayshott missed the opportunity to close the gap on the I’Anson leaders because they slumped to defeat at home to Chiddingfold.

Chiddingfold, always dangerous opponents, had the upper hand from the moment stand-in captain Paul Hundley won the toss and put Grayshott in on a bowler-friendly wicket.

Chris Howell and Hundley ripped through the top order and when spinner Ben Evans (3-43) came on to remove Andy Wheble, Chiddingfold knew they had the hosts on the run.

Matt Jackson (36) rallied the middle and late order until he fell leg before to Neil Garrett (3-23 in 12.1 overs) and Grayshott laboured to 108 all out in the 46th over.

Chiddingfold made a steady start, but then ran into trouble against Kiaran Wells who rang the alarm bells by snapping up 4-8 in seven lively overs.

Matt Barnett (43 not out) and Neil Garrett (22 not out) stopped the rot and their watchful stand saw Chiddingfold home without further loss in the 43rd over. This was only Grayshott’s second loss of the season.

Witley’s opening attack of Kurt Lyall and Ollie Phillips took early wickets at Dogmersfield, but runs were also flowing. Imran Choudhary made a swift 41 and then Nick Berridge and Arshad Dilawar came together in a hard-hitting stand of 103.

Berridge hammered 78 off 83 balls, while Dilawar’s 61 came off just 46 deliveries as he struck four fours and six sixes. In just 42 overs, the home side amassed 251 all out.

Witley decided to take a positive approach with the bat, resulting in them being bowled out for 104 in 25 overs. Choudhary and Berridge followed up their batting exploits with three wickets apiece.

An under-strength Puttenham needed their top order to perform after electing to bat first at Headley, but were reduced to 15-5 after a devastating opening spell by Matt Hall who took all five wickets and returned figures of 13-4-27-5.

John Crouch (44) and Nick Brett (29) rebuilt the innings with a solid partnership of 77, but the introduction of Charlie Neville (4-22) sparked another collapse and the visitors were dismissed for 107.

Headley saw off the new-ball threat of Aks Ilyas and after a wobble (27-2) skipper George Ellis (29) put his side well on their way. Harry Clarke (20 not out) and Calvin Bandi (18 not out) completed a six-wicket win in the 23rd over.

Pirbright, after a couple of poor results, showed grit to frustrate third-placed Frensham in a low-scoring draw. Rupert Howe took the prize wicket of George Breddy in his first over and Frensham continued to toil on a difficult surface.

Ian Milton (4-25) and Howe (3-40) settled into long, accurate spells and Frensham went from 33-1 to an alarming 65-7. Adam Pailing then scored a patient and well-crafted 39 before being last man out.

Chasing 120, Pirbright in turn found scoring incredibly difficult. Slow bowlers Ray Clarke and Tim Knight (4-34) turned the screw, but the stickability of Jon Swinney (32) and Ryland Kelly (26) gradually brought the target in sight.

Both then fell and at 70-5, Frensham scented victory. Brett Flanegan batted calmly for 19 not out and Pirbright clawed their way to 94-9 in 43 overs – good enough for six points.

The outcome was in doubt until the final over as Blackheath had the better of a draw at Tilford. Put in to bat, Tilford were in all sorts of trouble against Peter Melhuish and it needed valuable innings from James Chaumeton (24) and Denis Hounsham – top scorer with 30 – to get the total up to 129-9 from 48 overs. Melhuish returned a fine 5-32 after a lay-off with a shoulder injury and was well backed up by Ben Taylor who took 2-9 off nine overs.

Huw Town-Jones removed Blackheath’s openers with 16 on the board, helped by a one-handed slip catch by Nigel Martyn, after which Peter Melhuish again took centre stage. He and Harry Giles added 42 for the fourth wicket and skipper Melhuish had just reached his 50 when he mis-hit Town-Jones to point with the target in sight. Martyn came on to take three more wickets, assisted by sharp catches close in by Mark Ramesar and Andy Hall Hall.

Eight wickets down, Blackheath needed 14 runs from two overs. The first, bowled by Town-Jones, yielded five penalty runs due to the ball hitting a helmet behind the keeper. Martyn, predictably, bowled a canny final over and Blackheath managed only a four off the last ball to finish on 125-8.