A week which saw four graduates of the Surrey Championship – Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith, Ollie Pope and Shoaib Bashir – help England to victory over West Indies, brought another hard-fought round of Premier Division matches. Richard Spiller reports

Guildford v Reigate Priory

A prolonged downpour at Woodbridge Road drowned out Reigate Priory’s bid to recapture pole position.

They were in prime position for victory – and a double over Guildford – after making 271 all out and then reducing the hosts to 15-3 in the 10th over.

James Crosthwaite’s muscular 34 gave Priory early momentum against an attack offering frequent loose deliveries, yet at 68-4 in the 14th over Reigate still needed a major innings. It came from Kiwi Fraser Sheat, who rode his luck early on to dominate a fifth wicket alliance worth 81 with George Ealham (47).

Sheat made the most of a short boundary on the road side of the ground to crash 12 fours and five sixes in his 112, Guildford taking the final five wickets for 27 as Zac Donohue, James McMillan and Olly Birts all finished with three wickets.

But given 55 overs to score the runs, they lost wicketkeeper Tom Geffen – pushed up the order with Guildford badly missing his older brother Freddie, who is taking a break from the game – for a second-ball duck. Sheat had Jono Merlo (11) caught behind while Jacques Sharam’s 23-ball stay for two was ended by Richard Stevens castling him.

A team which the previous week had lost six wickets for two runs was in danger of meltdown again in the murky conditions only for rain to arrive and make any resumption impossible.

Priory had to content themselves with six points, Guildford’s half-dozen keeping them sixth but just nine in front of ninth-placed Sutton and in serious danger of being sucked into a relegation fight unless they can rediscover the cohesion and fight which saw them go close to the title last year.

Full report here

Photo by Eberhard Grossgasteiger.