ANOTHER Saturday drenching prevented Grayswood from putting the seal on their third I’Anson championship with a victory.

But Grayshott’s defeat to Tilford means that Grayswood are the 2017 champions with a week to spare – and worthy ones at that after losing just once (to Frensham) all season.

Grayswood, previously champions in 2012 and 2013, have currently recorded three more wins than their nearest rivals, Grayshott.

Alastair Gloak’s side have looked likely champions all season and were well on the way to a 15th victory of the campaign after posting 256-8 (Tom Barnardo 62, Alex Tucker 59) at Chiddingfold and then reducing their opponents to 55-5 after 15 overs before heavy rain ended play.

Gloak was absent for this match, but will return for Grayswood’s final game this Saturday when, aptly, they host Frensham with a chance of squaring accounts for that lone defeat. I’Anson president Keith Ellis will present the I’Anson Cup.

The league will be restructured to allow 10-team divisions after this season. The bottom three in Division One – Pirbright, Witley and Lurgashall – are relegated and only Brook, the Division Two champions, will come up. Lurgashall have not played since mid-July and the club’s I’Anson future remains unclear.

With five teams dropping to Division Two and seven going down from Division Three, there is still much to play for in the final round of matches this weekend.

Eight of the scheduled 16 fixtures were played to a finish on Saturday, although the games involving Lurgashall and Puttenham II were already cancelled. Puttenham have been unable to fulfil their Division Three fixtures in the closing weeks.

Pirbright and Elstead failed to raise sides last weekend.

Tilford beat Grayshott by 87 runs in a rain-reduced match. Tilford were inserted and openers Nathan Sprittles and Denis Hounsham scored only 24 in 16 overs against tight bowling from Mark Richards and Dom Ford. Danny Brown finally bowled Hounsham, but Mitch Brown joined Sprittles and the scoring quickened as the pitch became a little easier.

The pair added 107 in a fine partnership before Brown was run out for 42 and then a dramatic over from Robbie Judge saw Jake Austin bowled and two run-outs by James Cavannagh, with Sprittles departing for an excellent 67. Assisted by 23 wides, Tilford reached 181-7 from 45 overs.

There was more drama at the start of Grayshott’s reply, Jason Stones beginning with a double wicket-maiden to dismiss Neil Moseley and Ravi Sriharan, and then removing Andy Wheble and Nathan Phillimore to eventually finish with 4-14 off nine mean overs. Young left-arm spinner Jack Cantwell, on his first-team debut, trapped James Cavannagh lbw with his sixth ball and the home team were a parlous 16-5 when Matt Jackson was joined by skipper Stuart Kennedy.

The pair dug in and took the score to 50 before Jackson was well caught off Cantwell by Joel Burrows, another 1st XI debutant. After a rain interruption, Grayshott were set a revised 149 off 37 overs. In very poor light, they lost further wickets and clawed their way to 94-9, the defiant Kennedy finishing 40 not out.

Puttenham were put in at Witley and openers Aks Ilyas (48) and John Crouch gave the innings a solid foundation with a stand of 59 in difficult conditions. The run-rate increased with the arrival of James Crouch (38) and 75 runs came in the next nine overs. Kashif Hussain (37) and Adrian Van Niekerk (34 not out) added 55 for the fifth wicket and Puttenham totalled 225-6 after their 45 overs.

Stand-out bowler for his economy was skipper Ollie Hickman with 1-22 in nine overs, while Paul Gartland claimed 4-52.

Witley lost a wicket to the fourth ball of the innings, but were steadied by a promising partnership of 40 between Hickman and Alex Cook. Cook’s dismissal by Imran Khan triggered a steady fall of wickets, however, and when Hickman was finally out for 44 – caught John Crouch, bowled James Crouch – the result was inevitable. Witley were all out for 103, the game coming to an abrupt finish as James Crouch took 4-2 in 14 balls.

Puttenham, the reigning champions, host Blackheath in their final game.