Fuller's League Division Two
Chobham 275-6 off 45 overs
Caterham 276-6 off 43.5 overs
A fantastic game of cricket was lit up by an outstanding century from Sam Armitage, who led Caterham to a four wicket victory in a run feast at Old Cats Playing Fields, a result that ensured safety from the relegation threat hanging over the home side. Stand in skipper, Jon Crisp, won the toss and had no hesitation in deciding to field first on what looked like a belting pitch.
The Caterham side was missing several regulars which lead to call ups for Ricky Ward and Euan Fuller who took the new ball alongside Rob March. It was Fuller who made the early breakthrough after finding the edge of Cheeseman's bat with Richard Parrett taking a low catch at slip however a run a ball fifty partnership between Allen (29) and Jackman (23) repaired the damage for the visitors. Leg-spinner Rob Willson (2 for 48) struck early in his spell after replacing the reliable Rob March at the Pavilion End to remove both first Jackman, clean bowled, and then Allen thanks to a fine catch by Ricky Ward at square leg leaving Chobham at 68 for 3. In strode Chobham skipper, the Australian, Ryan Morris bristling with confidence having blazed a century off the Caterham attack in the home fixture just 7 weeks ago. He blended hard running between the wickets and cracking boundaries to put pressure back on the home side, and was particularly severe on Willson hitting him out of the attack. He lost partner Gunesena bowled by the guile of Stuart Congdon (2 for 58) with the total at 113 but found a great ally in Alex Orme who struck the ball sweetly to keep the runs flowing as the pair added 67 for the fifth wicket before Orme sent back Morris attempting a quick single to Congdon and the skipper was left stranded to be run out for 68. Congdon bowled Orme (40) with the first ball of the next over to give Caterham some hope in keeping the total down to manageable proportions. The new pair Ian Lackey and Ryan Cawley were tied down for a while by veterans Congdon and Parrett, the latter going for just 8 runs in his middle 6 overs to put a brake on the spiralling run rate. Cawley was the aggressor as he aimed a few mistimed drives before changing his bat and with it came a change of luck as he started to pepper the leg side boundary hitting the returning opening bowler Rob March out of the attack in one over as he passed his fifty and saw Chobham past the 250 mark. The coup de gras came as he added 20 more runs in the last over after being dropped off the first ball of it striking 3 towering sixes to finish 81 not out in a mighty total of 275 for 6 off their allotted 45 overs.
Caterham went to tea with a mountain to climb but returned after the refreshments with a resolve not to repeat their recent batting frailties having failed to bat more than 40 overs or score more than 160 since the first week of July. Openers Richard Parrett and Rob March added 31 for the first wicket before Ryan Cawley deceived March (15) with a slower ball in the eighth over. Parrett was joined by 19 year old wicketkeeper batsman Sam Armitage who began with a couple of crisp drives supported by Parrett deflecting the quicker bowlers through his favoured scoring areas as the pair continued to ensure that a platform was laid to make a fist of the run chase. The pair added 66 in 12 overs before Parrett (38) was LBW to veteran legspinner Micky Carr who was proving very difficult to get away and when Orme bowled Ricky Ward Caterham were 117 for 3 at the start of the 25th over. Stuart Congdon joined Armitage who soon reached his fifty and they continued to battle the wily Carr, who bowled the most economical spell of the day taking 1 for 27 off his 9 overs, and taking runs at the other end. Their partnership of 72 in 11 overs kept things ticking and took the home side to maximum batting points before Congdon (20) was bowled by Jackman and when Jay Patel followed in the next over at 199 for 5 Caterham needed 77 off 8 overs. Armitage planted Jackman over deep square leg for six to reach his maiden Caterham century and keep the home side plus their supporters interested in the chase. Three more sixes from the blade of Armitage in Jackman's next over which yielded 23 runs wrested the initiative from Chobham whose hopes now lay in the returning opening bowlers to stem the flow from Armitage who had been joined by the assured straight bat of Rob Willson who scampered between the wickets to give the to the youngster where possible. After adding 55 in 5 overs Ryan Cawley struck supported by an assured catch at long off to end the wonderfully crafted innings that will be remembered for a long time by those who witnessed it from Sam Armitage who had made 143 with 16 fours and 6 sixes equalling the highest ever competitive 1st XI score by a Caterham player made by South African Daryll Wolverson in 2009. The score was 253 for 5 with 20 balls remaining and the tension unbearable, Willson was joined by skipper Jon Crisp and it was his towering six off the last over from opposite number Morris that brought the required runs down below one a ball. The pair kept taking a run a ball and a flowing cover drive for three from Willson (15 not out) took the home side closer before fittingly the skipper Jon Crisp launched a mighty straight six to seal the victory by four wickets with 7 balls to spare.
