CHURT overcame some jitters to take maximum points in yet another promotion battle in the Surrey Championship Division Five.

Battersea Ironsides skipper Scott Bishop had no hesitation in batting first, but the visitors were immediately in trouble as Oli Plaistowe and young Tim Chandler dismissed the openers, both caught behind by Will Hucker.

Bishop and Phil Mahony, helped by dropped catches, advanced the score to 53 before Dan Higgins made amends by catching Bishop off Dom Saint.

Then it became the Ben Mitchell show as 53-3 became 83-9. The beefy Australian removed the next six batsmen through fine bowling and Churt’s improved catching, although Toby Finneran was fortunate with two fumbling slip catches.

Rowley Marshall took the other wicket and Battersea collapsed to 91 all out in 32.4 overs.

The wicket did not seem that difficult, but Churt also ran into trouble as former Headley paceman Will Marks removed Will Hucker and Ed Gyde.

Jon Palmer and Finneran continued their fine work of recent weeks, taking Churt to 66 before Marks struck again. His next ball left Mitchell’s stumps in a terrible state and, with the score at 77, Marks dismissed Finneran (bowled) and then Dan Treder (lbw) with successive balls to put him on a hat-trick for the second time in the match.

However, Higgins and Marshall took the home side to within two runs of victory before the skipper was trapped in front by Harvey Nash. Marshall then struck a boundary to secure 20 precious points. Marks finished with the arresting figures of 10-4-10-6.