Ashtead (H)

Scorecard

A positive start to the year from the 3rd XI with a very competent batting and bowling performance against Ashtead.

Fraser MacDonald (38) and Jonathan Smith (21) settled the early season nerves with a confident opening partnership of 48 after being put in by the Ashtead skipper.

After a little flurry of wickets, David Loft and Andy Hook made a partnership of 76 for the fourth wicket, taking the score up to 144, but both fell in quick succession for 28 and 50 respectively.

Shayne Cossey at number 7 batted through to the end of the innings for 19*, but the rest of the tail gave their wickets away too easily and Priory missed out on five overs of potential run making, all out for 194 in 45.1 overs. 194 in an early season game is a decent score though, and the performances from the top order batsmen were encouraging.

After a few rain interruptions in the first innings, and some in the second, the revised target was set at 159 from 38 overs. Nick Harmer (1-15) and Simon Wickham effectively won the game for Priory in the first 16 overs, keeping Ashtead to just 35 runs and leaving them with a big job to get 124 from 22 overs.

Ashtead had to try to increase the rate, but the tight line and length bowling of Shayne Cossey (2-28) and Irfan Hameed (3-20) gave them few opportunities for boundaries, and wickets fell regularly as they tried to play big shots off balls that weren't there to hit.

James Brickley (2-9) and Nick Rotsey (1-6) tidied up the last of the Ashtead batsmen with the ever-reliable full and straight balls to tailenders, and Priory wrapped up the victory with four balls to spare.