A DIFFICULT season for Farnham ended with an emphatic defeat to near-neighbours Camberley.

The game followed the Surrey Championship form-book, with Camberley finishing fourth behind promoted Guildford and Esher in Division One, while second-from-bottom Farnham are relegated.

Tom Grimes inserted the home side and Rob Goldsworthy again made an early breakthrough. The next wicket was a long, long time in coming as captain Max Shoveller and Carribean T20 League player Tade Carmichael put on 193 and took a heavy toll of the seamers.

The spinners were more effective as the ball began to turn, but a couple of hard chances went down and Shoveller, although slowing through the 90s, brought up a fine 100 before finally falling to Matt Clarke for 109 off 115 balls, having hit 14 fours and two sixes.

Carmichael fell next ball for 89 to a brilliant diving catch by Will Davies at long-off. Wickets then tumbled as Camberley went for fast runs. Some good ‘death’ bowling by the spinners, plus a direct hit run-out by Guy Hicks, held Camberley to 259-9 off their 50 overs. It could have been worse.

Farnham needed a racing start, but the surface was crumbling and Sri Lankan U19 player Lahiru Samarakoom reduced the visitors to 37-3 after 12 overs.

Camberley soon turned to spin and, coming together at 55-4, James Berry and Grimes found the ball turning prodigiously at both ends. They added 25 and Berry went past 600 runs for the season, only to fall when he tried to sweep leg-spinner Elliott Green.

Grimes and Clarke counter-attacked with a stand of 40, Clarke hitting the only six of the innings. But it was always in a losing cause and Adam Carter brought the game to a sudden close by taking 3-4 in 11 balls. Farnham all out for 146.

There have been good individual performances during the season, but the bottom line is that all three of Farnham’s league teams have been relegated, giving the club much food for thought during the winter.

• Farnham II (85) lost to Sunbury II (86-2), but Farnham III signed off with a win over Worcester Park III. Worcester Park 144-7; Farnham III 148-4 (Sam Ruffell 38, Jake Oakes 38 not out).