Cricket: Pyrford go top at Purley

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Surrey Champs Division One
Purley v Pyrford
PYRFORD edged their way to the top of the table after this nerve-jangling two-wicket victory.

A middle-order collapse, while chasing 183, almost put paid to their hopes of taking the 13 points they richly deserved — before Martin Snow’s cover drive with an over to spare sealed the triumph.

Skipper Rob Pole won an important toss, with the wicket damp at one end and prompting thoughts that it may have been prepared that way to help the hosts’ seam attack.

Bowling first, they failed to get a wicket in the first hour as Purley made their way to 30 before Chris Millhouse made the breakthrough and wickets began to fall more regularly.

After a disappointing lunch — with only Tuna pasta salad on offer and at least half the Pyrford team preferring to go next door to the pub to pay for food rather than eat fish — Purley were on 80-5.

They managed to move on to 140-6 before Craig Woods took a vital wicket and the hosts could only edge towards their final total.

With what Pole described as the best seam attack in the division, Pyrford knew they were up against it but made a good start through Jon Hedges and Rob Pole, Hedges taking a few bruises as the home team insisted on sticking to plan A — bouncers.

Once Pole was trapped lbw, Stephen Moreton and Ben Hunt moved the score on aggressively to 120-3 — at which point the wheels fell off as Hunt (trying to hook and caught behind), Craig Woods (poor shot) and Liam Steel (bowled) were out.

As the tension mounted, Pyrford needed seven off the last two overs and were helped by the keeper letting go two byes — before he missed a stumping and allowed another three.

Another quick single followed before Snow’s cracking shot saw Pyrford up to 184-8 and sparked relief among the visitors who had been the better side all day.

Purley was deducted a point for slow overs bowled — not enough in Pole’s view.

“If we had batted first we’d have been there until about 8.20pm,” he said. “It was getting dark anyway towards the end so it was difficult. They just wanted to bowl bouncers all day, possibly to use up more time.”

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