ONE step forward, another step back. After last week’s welcome victory, Farnham lost at home to Beddington in the Surrey Championship Division One.

Farnham batted well, but were unable to contain the visitors as opener Dharam Vyas led his side home with an unbeaten 141.

Put in at the Park, Farnham were up against an experienced opening attack of Tom Bevan and former first-class player Ryan Cummins.

Nathan Thorpe and Toby Davies shared a promising second-wicket partnership, but Cummins accounted for both and with Bevan also striking twice, Farnham were in trouble at 65-4.

However, James Berry and Ciaran Rooney saw them through to lunch and went on to share an excellent century stand, punishing the bad ball when it came along and rotating the strike throughout.

Rooney was stumped off John Rogerson for 41, but Jamie Strachan was immediately into his stride and hit 46 off 50 balls, including two sixes, as he and Berry added a further 74.

The score surged past 200 as the pair attacked the bowling, turning ones into twos and picking off boundaries. Strachan was bowled off the last ball of the innings and the solid Berry was unbeaten on 77 (147 balls) as Farnham closed on 240-6 from 66 overs.

The home side made a dream start when Beddington replied, George Osborne dismissing Tony Down and Rob Goldsworthy removing Hamid Gondal – both for ducks. Beddington 13-2, but it proved a false dawn as the composed Tom Bevan joined the attacking Dharam Vyas in a decisive stand of 180.

Vyas took risks by hitting over the top, but he hit hard and true and picked his options well.

Farnham shuffled their bowling after tea, but the breakthrough wouldn’t come. At 193, Bevan finally clipped a ball from Thorpe to Tom Grimes at mid-wicket, but it was too late. Vyas continued to attack and his exceptional innings, containing 20 fours and four sixes, saw Beddington home in only the 45th over.

Churt slumped to another defeat in Division Three, Old Wimbledonians winning by seven wickets. Haslemere piled up 231-6 against Trinity Mid-Whitgiftians in Division Four, with Simon Eastment (79) and Scott Boxall (52) hitting half-centuries. Trinity just held out for a draw on 216-9 after Alex Hooker had taken 4-22.

Farnham II recorded only their second win of the season, beating Banstead II by 42 runs.