CHURT put last week’s defeat to Stoke D’Abernon firmly behind them and made short work of Woking & Horsell in the Surrey Championship Division Four.

The home team, inserted by Daniel Higgins, started well enough. Skipper Tim Keene made his intentions clear by constantly advancing down the wicket and across his stumps to nullify any seam movement, from Oli Plaistowe in particular.

Keene and Henri Peters were still together in the 17th over, but the captain seemed to be daydreaming after the ball ricocheted off his bat and pad to Toby Finneran who promptly ran him out. Next ball, Plaistowe took a low return catch from Stuart Warner and W&H were on the slide.

Peters (33) and James Woods offered the last of any resistance before falling to Ben Mitchell and Plaistowe respectively. The usually explosive Qais Nawaz was caught between wanting to play his natural game and realising there wasn’t much behind him.

Mitchell took two more wickets and the rest went to Rowley Marshall who dismissed Nawaz with the best catch of the day from a sprinting Jon Palmer.

Marshall bowled Lewis Dunford with a jaffa and went on to take 4-8 in 6.5 overs as Woking & Horsell collapsed to 97 all out in the 37th over.

Higgins aimed to lead from the front in Churt’s reply, but inexplicably tried to loft his first ball from spinner Phil West and was caught in the covers.

However, Will Hucker and Finneran set about the bowling, the latter engaging in an interesting duel with Calum Chisholm. The quickie had Hucker caught behind and Mitchell, after hitting two fours, was caught off the same bowler.

Palmer came in at 43-3 and any nerves were settled as he and Finneran knocked off the remaining runs with some fine stroke-play.

Finneran was unbeaten on 36 and Palmer raced to 30 not out as Churt won in 26 overs.

This Saturday, Churt are home to fourth-placed Cobham Avorians.