GRAYSHOTT remain hot on the heels of Grayswood, the I’Anson Division One leaders, after crushing old rivals Frensham by nine wickets on Saturday.

And it was a day to remember for Gary Hunt, Grayshott’s long-serving wicketkeeper/batsman, who followed up five catches behind the stumps with his maiden I’Anson hundred.

Stuart Kennedy won the toss for once and his quick bowlers did not disappoint. Alex Marden dismissed openers George Breddy and James Frost, both caught behind by Hunt, and first-change Dom Ford removed James Wood, Jack Richards and Nick Green to put Frensham in deep trouble.

Jordan Frost latched on to anything short in a brief counter-attack, but when he was dismissed by Kiaran Wells the visitors were 60-7 and struggling to reach 100.

However, Nick Cobbold and Tim Knight came together in a face-saving stand. The aggressive Cobbold went for his shots and the pair had added 67 when Knight became Ford’s fourth victim. Richard Elliot gave further support as Cobbold reached an excellent half-century and his 58 not out saw Frensham to 154-8 from 48 overs.

The total seemed 50 below par, but Grayshott, in fact, made it look woefully inadequate. Openers Andy Wheble and Hunt punished the loose deliveries and ran hard between the wickets. Their partnership of 86 included six threes (all from Hunt’s bat) and Wheble was feeling the pace when he was bowled by Knight for 30.

Grayshott have been known to waste commanding positions, but there was no hint of a collapse as Neil Moseley joined Hunt in a left-handed partnership with 70 runs required.

Hunt, very strong off his pads, raced past his 50 and with the Frensham attack looking increasingly ineffective, it became a question of whether he could reach his landmark century before the finish. After being dropped in the 90s, he managed to hit the winning runs through midwicket to finish 101 not out. A memorable day for Hunt, and a seventh consecutive win for Grayshott.

Mercurial Dogmersfield had one of their off days and were bowled out for 102 by unbeaten Grayswood who took only 54 minutes to knock off the runs and record their eighth straight win. Iain Jackson (3-27) and Andy Gloak (3-26) had the visitors in trouble from the start, the former using swing and the slope to excellent effect and the latter hitting an immaculate length and line as Dogmersfield slumped to 10-3 and then 26-6. The experienced Nick Berridge applied himself and farmed the bowling in a good partnership with Illyas, reaching his 50 from only 41 balls, with nine fours and three sixes, and taking advantage of Harvey Nash’s rustiness. The pair had added 55 when Cameron Kent joined the attack and bowled Berridge for 57. Kent snapped up 4-18 in four overs and with Rhys Dodson taking his third outfield catch, Dogmersfield were bowled out in 26 overs.

With tea still a distant vision, Miraj Shinwari roared in to castle skipper Dave Soper. That, however, was to be Dogmersfield’s lone success. Dodson, relishing the extra pace, hit 62 off 44 balls including 11 fours, and Jackson, after a watchful start, also went on the offensive. The pair powered to victory in the 16th over.

Chiddingfold amassed an unassailable 316-7 in 43 overs, but Pirbright – on a run of three successive wins – salvaged an honourable draw in the mid-table encounter. The wicket was true and with a very short boundary on one side, the visitors struggled to stem the flow of runs as the home side’s formidable top five of Dean Spencer (70), Matt Wright (44), Paul Ward (37), Matt Barnett (33) and Paul Harrison (48 not out) filled their boots.

On the restart, Pirbright were rocked by a Tony King stumping off skipper Ward and the visitors hardly looked like saving the game as they dipped to 78-7 after 27 overs. However, Rupert Howe and Ryland Kelly put together a partnership of great concentration and determination, frustrating Chiddingfold for 19 overs until Howe was bowled by Harrison for a limpet-like 8. Only eight balls remained and the rather more attacking Kelly completed a deserved half-century as Pirbright ended the day on 150-8.

Blackheath, champions in 2015, find themselves in the bottom two after managing only the thin end of a draw at fellow strugglers Headley. George Ellis elected to bat first and rescued his side with a superb unbeaten century after Headley had slipped to 94-5, with Gavin Arend out for a rapid 31. A seventh-wicket stand of 105 between Ellis and Calvin Bandi swung the game in the home side’s favour. Some hard hitting into the road, coupled with quick ones and twos, maintained a fast run-rate. Bandi made 42 and Ellis reached only his second I’Anson century as Marc Hawtin joined him in a final quickfire partnership of 40. When he declared at 242-6 after 43 overs, Ellis had made 126 not out at better than a run-a-ball, hitting 12 fours and four sixes.

Blackheath were up against it from the start as Matt Hall removed Josh Milton with an absolute pearler, the ball angling in and seaming away to take the top of off-stump. Will Melhuish was trapped in front by Graham Badland and the visitors were squeezed by more tight bowling from Hall, Ellis, Zach Benstead and Stuart Smith. Rob Parrott chipped a catch back to Benstead and Melhuish (35) also fell to the young spinner. With those potential match-winners gone and now five wickets down, Blackheath dug in for the draw and the immovable objects in the shape of Alex Bertola and Harry Giles (31) made sure of the two points. Blackheath clawed their way to 125-6 in 47 overs.

Tilford, after last week’s dramatic tie, lost to Puttenham by three wickets and, with one notable exception, did not shine with the bat. After being inserted at The Green, Tilford recorded five ducks and three run-outs and struggled to 149 all out in 48 overs. The notable exception was Jason Stones, last week’s bowling hero, who promoted himself to opener and reminded everyone that he could bat by top-scoring with 65. Nathan Sprittles was bowled by ‘Sid’ Ahmed in the first over and although Stones shared useful partnerships with Mark Ramesar and then Mitch Brown, taking Tilford to 93-3, the middle and late order slumped. The solid Stones held things together until he was ninth man out (run out) for 65 off 136 balls. The ever-economical Aks Ilyas took 3-28 off 14 overs, well supported by Ahsan Ahmed (3-41).

After the early loss of Ahsan Awan to Stones, Ahsan Ahmed and Sajad Hussain put on 57 at a good rate. Nigel Martyn slowed Puttenham’s progress by taking 3-29 off 13 overs and Jake Austin struck twice. However, Dan Harrison took charge in the middle stages and his disciplined 34 not out saw Puttenham to a somewhat shaky three-wicket victory in 39 overs.

Lurgashall moved out of the bottom two after beating winless Witley. Unlucky with the toss, Witley were bowled out for 139. The two Aarons, Evans (3-37) and Carter (3-21), threatened to dismiss the visitors for a lot less, but Ben Hunt (30) and ‘B-J’ Duddell (31) led a good fight-back.

Drew Clark made 33 at the top of the order, but lively bowling by Darren Bell, who took all five wickets to fall, had Lurgashall in trouble before Nathan Kemp (29 not out) and Scott Evans (18 not out) put the game to bed.