THE I’Anson title race took another twist last Saturday, with leaders Grayswood losing to Frensham and Blackheath dispatching Alfold to return to the top of the table.

With four weekends of the season remaining, much can still happen. Blackheath are in pole position because Grayswood have a bye on the final day (Sept 19). But Blackheath have a tough run-in with fixtures against Headley, Grayshott, Elstead and finally Puttenham who are still in contention themselves. Grayswood, too, have to meet Puttenham on September 5 in another pivotal game.

A family wedding may have cost Grayswood their chance of a third I’Anson title. They lost to Frensham by a mere four runs and you have to think that the absence of the Gloak brothers, who attended their older sibling’s big day, and Jon Ashworth, their best spinner, may just have affected the result.

Frensham opted to bat on a sizzling hot afternoon and George Breddy continued his good form with a classy 36. Honours were even at 80-3, but Jack Richards and Tom Charman both hit fast half-centuries (three sixes apiece), adding 69 for the fourth wicket. The later batsmen made good use of the ample overs available and Sam Farncombe made a halfway declaration at 238-9.

Grayswood started positively against Richards and the slows of Ray Clarke, but three wickets for Richards put the visitors in trouble and when Andy Major (a brisk 32) was lbw to Tim Knight, Frensham were right on top at 91-6.

The in-form Iain Jackson, who had already taken 5 for 54, brought Grayswood back into the game with a vengeance. He smashed his third ball for six and carried on hitting to all parts, ably supported by Chris Holmes and Finn Campbell. Jackson had struck 85 off 66 balls, including five sixes, when he was bowled by fourth-change Hally Baldock.

Grayswood were then 204-8, but Cameron Kent almost saw his side over the line with a belting 21 not out. With five wanted off the last three balls, number 11 Tejas Gandhi was run out by Peter Harrison and Frensham celebrated a memorable victory.

Peter Melhuish elected to bat at Alfold and watched Blackheath openers Josh Milton and Rob Parrott notch up another century partnership, the pair putting on 126 before Parrott, racing to 60 off just 61 balls, got a good one from Dave Burke. Milton – caught and bowled for the third week running – top-scored with 69 and skipper Melhuish further punished Alfold’s weakened attack with 33 off 27 balls, while Harry Giles weighed in with a rapid 23. Tom Melhuish looked in great form with 33 not out (24 balls) and the declaration at 244-4 left Blackheath 51 overs to bowl out the home side.

Rob Weston took a wicket in the first over of Alfold’s reply, but Dallas McDermott had two put down behind the stumps at the other end. Simon Bannister played his shots before being bowled for 22 and when McDermott trapped the stubborn Justin Haygarth leg before, the writing was on the wall for Alfold’s ten men.

The Melhuish brothers did the damage. Peter took 3 for 14 off 9.3 overs and leg-spinner Will bowled a devastating spell, claiming 4 for 7 off four overs. Clark Bannister showed good application and was left stranded on 18 not out. Alfold all out for 95.

A forceful 47 from Sohail Awan tipped the balance Puttenham’s way in a hard-fought contest at Grayshott. Puttenham won a vital toss and inserted the home side on a pitch that favoured the bowlers. Aks Ilyas, a real handful with the new ball, removed the openers with 26 on the board, but skipper Nathan Phillimore and Robbie Judge then shared a fine half-century partnership before James Crouch (4-30) made serious inroads into the middle order.

Wicketkeeper Seamus Leonard was in fine form with three stumpings and two catches, but Grayshott fought their way to the 48th over before being all out for 130.

And Puttenham had to knuckle down to get the runs. At 89-4, the result was still uncertain, but the powerful Sohail managed to find the long boundaries eight times and although he became Stuart Kennedy’s second victim during a good spell, his 47 set Puttenham up for a four-wicket victory in the 40th over.

Elstead’s nail-biting one-wicket victory over Wrecclesham moved them two places off the bottom and plunged their opponents into deep trouble. Things started well for Elstead as Steve McCrum won the toss and Guy Drayton promptly ran out James Wright with a direct hit. Symes batted well until teased out by Chris Terry, but Chris Windeatt – top scorer with 69 – and Mitch Brown batted sensibly and gave Wrecclesham a solid platform at 143-4. However, Drayton (3-21 in 9 overs) bowled a game-changing spell and McCrum returned to mop up the tail. The visitors were suddenly all out for 154.

Sam Egan and Pankaj Khuley calmly set about the task, but 29-0 became 33-3 and it was ‘game on’. When the impressive Alex Bennett dismissed Josh Berry for 27, Wrecclesham had the initiative and two quick wickets for Graham Larby left Elstead 97-7 and seemingly doomed.

But a fired-up Peter Cheeseman joined Drayton in a telling partnership. Drayton led the charge and batted superbly for 58 not out.

But there was plenty of drama to come. With 11 runs needed from 11 balls, Cheeseman was run out. Drayton hit the next ball for six, but then ran out his captain. Number 11 Jensen Chau blocked the last ball of the over, leaving Drayton to score three off the last over, which he duly did with two balls to spare. What a game.

Tilford halted a worrying run of three defeats with a winning draw, batting second, at Dogmersfield. Put in to bat by Jason Stones, Dogmersfield lost their openers to the Tilford captain with only nine runs scored. But the home side fought back well. Saeed Rashid played an assured innings, both in defence and attack, for 66. When he was out at 113, two more wickets fell on the same score and at 128-8 in the 38th over, Dogmersfield were in some trouble.

But a rearguard stand of 78 between Zac Rashid (32) and Shinwari (42 not out) restored their fortunes and Dogmersfield posted 206 all out in the 48th over. The persevering Stones finished with 5 for 39 in 13.3 overs.

Tilford saw their openers perish for just 14, both falling to Shinwari, before Jake Austin launched one of his violent assaults, hitting 66 off 39 balls. When Austin was bowled by Shinwari, Tilford were 99-4 and Brandon Ambrose added a useful 27 as the visitors advanced to 155.

With ten overs left, the win-draw target was 181 and Stones (24 not out) and Nigel Martyn (14 not out) added 40 with some sensible batting to achieve the four points, Tilford ending on 195-7.

Headley scored back-to-back wins with a ten-wicket cruise against bottom side Pirbright. Headley skipper Gavin Arend seized the chance to bowl first on a damp pitch and at 33-5, an early finish seemed likely. George Neave (unaffected by birthday celebrations) hit off-stump with his fourth ball and after a wicket for Joe Randall, the young speedster struck in his third, fourth and sixth overs to leave Pirbright five down (Neave 4-2 from 7 overs).

Opener Awais Khan survived the early overs and played some pleasing shots through the off-side, but Pirbright found it difficult to get the ball away. Khan finally fell to Stuart Smith for 38, but Headley became sloppy and several catches went down before Ashley Cook made two stumpings off Smith and Callum Hawtin removed the defiant Haydn Oakley. Pirbright all out for 110 and Neave’s final figures were 9-6-12-4.

Randall and Smith looked comfortable as the pitch dried out under a warm sun. The boundaries flowed and 46 runs came from the first ten overs. Smith looked like he might make it to 50 first, but Randall pulled a six over the pavilion to reach his half-century and the game finished shortly afterwards in the 28th over as Smith nudged a two to finish 42 not out.