WRECCLESHAM and Witley went into their relegation battle on a high after both had recorded impressive wins the week before.

But after winning a vital toss, it was Wrecclesham who prevailed on the day and jumped two places off the bottom of I’Anson Division One.

Henry Bate eagerly opted to bowl first and Cedric Cooray certainly found the damp track to his liking, quickly sending Witley’s openers back to the pavilion. Mitch Brown struck with an inswinger and when Cooray induced another false shot, Neal Harris took an excellent running catch and Witley were four down.

Ollie Hickman, unfazed by a blow to the helmet, played some lovely strokes, but wickets fell at the other end to Joe Boniface and Jamie Litherland. The latter claimed the final wicket, courtesy of a sharp stumping by Bate, and the visitors were all out for 84, with Hickman left stranded on 39 not out. Cooray took 3-21 in 11 overs.

In the 45 minutes before tea, Bate hit three boundaries off Kurt Lyall before holing out. Litherland again made batting look easy and it took an absolute snorter from Chris Hunt to remove him. By that time, however, he had picked off 36 runs and a flurry of boundaries from Brown and Harry Venables completed the victory in the 22nd over.

Headley, put in by Chiddingfold, showed positive intent, but lost early wickets on a lively pitch to Paul Huntley and Stuart Divers. Matt Clarke and Marc Hawtin then moved the score from 25 to 70 from 24 overs before Hawtin was caught behind by young keeper Ben Garrett. Gavin Arend and Clarke (37) looked in command for a while, but they too fell when looking set.

The run-rate slowed and Headley needed their full allocation of overs to post 167-8. Andy Clarke and Callum Hawtin made useful late-order contributions, while the experienced Neil Garrett was the pick of the bowlers with 3-40 from 13 controlled overs.

Chiddingfold, in reply, lost the dangerous Dean Spencer cheaply to Matt Hall, but Matt Wright was soon putting away any loose deliveries and was ably supported by Kavi Patel. At 107-1 from 30 overs, the visitors seemed to be coasting, but then slow left-armer Zach Benstead trapped Wright in front for 70 (his first Div I wicket) and followed up by removing Patel to leave the visitors requiring 50 from the last nine overs with two new batsmen at the crease.

Tony King and Divers hit out aggressively to take 40 from the next six overs and although young George Worman broke the stand, King and Nick Ayling also scored freely to secure victory with an over to spare. Wright’s 70 was a match-winning effort, while Hall was unlucky to finish with only 1-34 from 14 overs.

Tilford had much the better of a draw against Frensham in the local village derby at the Green. In a dramatic finish, with fielders all round the bat, the visitors’ last pair just held out.

Put in to bat, Tilford lost Ryan Chitty early before Mark Ramesar and Jason Stones put on 80 in a steady partnership lasting 23 overs. Ray Clarke finally dismissed Stones for 34 and, soon after, Ramesar was run out for 39 by Adam Pailing’s fine throw from the boundary. Thereafter, apart from Guy Wilson (22) and John Hunt, who was last out for a quick 19, Tilford struggled and were all out for 157 in the 48th over. Clarke bowled 14 consecutive overs to take 4-42.

Pailing and Alex Warren put on 42 for Frensham’s first wicket. A good start, but then Warren was bowled by Stones and Pailing (31) gave Wilson a return catch and the innings faltered. Geoff Coombe (4-42) bowled his full quota and chipped away at the middle order, aided by Nigel Martyn (2-12 in 7 overs).

Frensham were saved from likely defeat by number 3 James Wood who held his team together and safely played out the final over to remain 31 not out, the visitors finishing on 117-9 after 42 overs.

The match was notable for excellent ground fielding from both sides and was played in a fine spirit.

With leaders Puttenham not playing and Frensham failing to win, Blackheath moved back into second place with a crushing victory at Grayswood.

Electing to bat, Blackheath completed the first half of the job by compiling a 200-plus total, this after being 19-2 and then 60-4. Matt Burch led the recovery, sharing two stands of 64 with Harry Giles and Hugh Jolly. Burch raced to 85 not out off 86 balls, hitting ten fours and four sixes, and Pete Melhuish declared at 213-6 after 46 overs.

At 37-0, with Jaspreet Singh and Tom Barnardo going well, there was no hint of the Grayswood collapse to come. Ben Taylor and Jamie Bloomfield then snapped up five wickets for the addition of just 11 runs and when Jolly and Will Melhuish came on to inflict further damage, the home side were in disarray at 61-7.

After 23 overs, Grayswood were dismissed for 82 and Taylor had figures of 7-2-18-4.

Grayshott ended a run of three straight defeats with a win that pushed Dogmersfield into the bottom two. The visitors, deciding to bat, were reduced to 45-4 by the pace attack of Mark Richards and Alex Marden. Opener Patan held firm to make a valuable 46, but another flurry of wickets reduced Dogmersfield to 108-8. A fighting 20 from Mansoor Bashir took his side to a more respectable 146.

After being dropped at slip off his second ball, Andy Wheble hit seven boundaries in a rapid 41 and Grayshott were cruising at 95-2, with Nathan Phillimore (30) well set. However, wickets began to tumble as Dogmersfield rang the bowling changes and with five overs to go, the match could have gone either way.

Ravi Sriharan (16 not out) remained calm under pressure and, with eight wickets down, he and Richards saw Grayshott home in the last over.