Grayshott will not be too disappointed to come away from Puttenham with five points, good enough to keep them top of the I'Anson Division One.
Electing to bat at Puttenham, Grayshott played positively throughout the innings, but batted 48 overs for their total of 213-7. Baker played solidly for his 29, while Coleshill and Ayling always looked to play attacking shots. Tight bowling from John Crouch helped keep Puttenham in the game.
Although the home team's run chase started well, wickets fell regularly and none of the batsmen were able to build a significant innings. Wheble's tight spell of seven overs for 17 runs and Ayling's excellent figures of 2 for 12 in six overs, reduced Puttenham's chances of winning the match and they were forced to settle for the losing draw.
Kingsley were totally outclassed by Frensham, but at least they had the consolation of another promising performance by Steven Roberts. The youngster, promoted from the 2nd XI, made 25 out of a meagre total of 61, salvaging something from the wreckage after Coldicott and Senior had demolished Kingsley's top order.
Frensham skipper Maxwell went cheaply, but Nick Green and Chuter knocked off the runs in just 13.2 overs.
After putting Tilford in to bat, Fernhurst seemed a bit jaded in the oppressive heat and, at 90-4 from 26 overs, the visitors looked on the way to a fairly big score. But wickets started to fall regularly, due to a fine spell of bowling by Howe, and Fernhurst found themselves on top with Tilford at 117-8. They couldn't quite close out the innings and Martyn, aided by the tail, managed to get the score up to 147-9 from 46 overs.
Fernhurst were always up with the run-rate, but were four wickets down with only 62 on the board. Then Howe (50 not out) joined Melrose (49 not out) in an unbroken partnership of 86. With perfect timing, they scored the winning runs with just one over to go.
Dogmersfield were inserted on a hard, bouncy wicket, but no Headley bowler could make full use of the conditions and openers Hindle and Shirley put on 88 in 25 overs. The introduction of spinners Downham and Arend at least made Dogmersfield bat the full 48 overs and the visitors finished on 192-8.
Headley's seasoned openers, Alan Rooney and Ashley Cook, were tested by some very fiery bowling from Ed Smith and Bowers, but knuckled down to score 81 for the first wicket.
The turning point of the game was when Gavin May had to retire hurt on 19. A middle-order collapse followed and it was the very promising Ciaran Rooney, aged 15, who withstood a final assault by Smith who clean-bowled numbers 7, 8 and 9 – all for ducks. Headley escaped with two points, thanks to the composure of Rooney Jnr.
Thursley inserted Lindford on a Broxhead pitch that looked full of runs. Lindford lost their first wicket in the seventh over, when they already had 40 on the board. The aggression continued as Keddle hit 57 off 59 balls, while Karston Waller weighed in with 69 off 77 balls. Treadwell then slowed the momentum with an outstanding spell of 7 for 40 in 16.5 overs, but Lindford still finished with a handy total of 194.
Only Greg Sylvester put up any serious resistance to Lindford's bowling attack. The accurate Copplestone took 4 for 24, while Keddle followed up his half-century with 3 for 21 off nine overs. A depleted Thursley, badly missing their premier batsmen, were all out for 99.
The Bourne, electing to bat on a very good-looking wicket, were struggling, like they have most of the season, at 64-6. But Toby Harris came to the wicket and his superb knock of 73 pushed the score up to a very respectable 176 off 44 overs, Witley helping them out with 35 extras.
While Mark White was at the wicket, Witley were cruising and, at 122-4, the game was theirs for the taking. But some quick wickets fell, mainly to Matt Crawley, and the game could have gone either way. Witley eventually needed six off the last over and The Bourne required one wicket. In a nail-biting finish, Crawley limited them to just three runs.