Surrey Championship Premier Division
Guildford 182
Banstead 184-4
Banstead win by six wickets
EIGHTY-TWO runs from teenager Richard Lock and a half-century from Hamza Taaj earned Banstead their first win of the season on Saturday.
With fellow strugglers Leatherhead also winning, the six wicket win was vitality important for the Rams but drags opponents Guildford firmly into the relegation mire.
Guildford won the toss at Avenue Road and decided to bat; opener Jack Cunningham went for seven, caught by Freddie van den Bergh off the bowling of Richard Bedbrook.
Ben Jeffery (22) came in and began to form a partnership with Tom Collins (49) but once they were removed the Rams kept the wickets coming at a steady rate, never allowing a big score from their out-of-form opponents.
Van den Bergh took four wickets (4-59) and Bedbrook three (3-44) as Guildford finished all out for 182.
It looked like an achievable target, but for the only team without a win in the league, anything was possible. Especially, with rain clouds circling.
However, Banstead looked determined to break their duck and despite Gregory Dann going for 11, Taaj (51) and Lock put on a steady and sensible partnership.
The pair were careful not to give away their wicket cheaply but Lock look particularly impressive with the bat, hitting some big sixes including one with ended up in next door's garden.
A 20 from overseas player Uwe Birkenstock alongside former skipper Sam Woodward took the home side over the line from their first league win of 2014.
