CHURT failed to clear the final hurdle at Kempton and had to settle for a winning draw and 18 fewer points than they might have hoped for.

Asked to bat first, the leaders found it tough going against tight bowling by Navjot Sidhu and Joel Miah. Ben Mitchell was perhaps fortunate to survive a first-ball lbw appeal. He was less fortunate later in Sidhu’s first over and with fellow opener Will Hucker also going for a duck, Churt were 11-2 and Jon Palmer and Toby Finneran had some rebuilding to do.

The wicket always offered something to the bowlers and anything over 150 was likely to be a decent total. The recovery was slow, and Churt were 55-2 in the 25th over when Palmer got a fine edge to Gags Khurana’s first ball and went for 38.

Finneran, granted a couple of lives, played very sensibly for his 45, but with only 120 scored from 43 overs, Churt needed a late surge. Guy Hucker (30 not out) and Ian Leek (20) provided it with some power-hitting and Churt advanced rapidly to 165-7 after the maximum 55 overs.

That left Kempton 45 overs to get the runs and Ron Defreitas and Oli Plaistowe gave them very little to hit. There were more maidens than at a medieval banquet and Kempton lost two wickets for 18.

There was no respite when Mitchell took up residence at the top end with his left-arm spin and aided by some excellent slip catching by Finneran, the overseas man took 4-41 in 16 probing overs.

Once the dangerous Harjot Singh departed – so plum to Mitchell that he appeared to walk – Kempton’s focus turned to the win-draw target of 135.

But they came up well short as Mitchell, Plaistowe and Defreitas took late wickets.

Going into the last three overs, Churt needed just one wicket, but they could not finish it off and Joel Miah (17 not out) steered Kempton to 118-9 at stumps.

Churt will aim to reclaim top spot in the Surrey Championship Division Five when they visit Maori for their third away fixture in a row.