What is it about the middle weekend of September ?  Are the gods sad to see the end of the season, and make-up for the indifferent weather during the summer ?

i cant remember when our final on this weekend of the year was not played on a warm sunny day.

Banstead probably had no hesitation to bowl first on a quite green looking wicket. But it also looked like a good batting track.

Before I summarise the match in detail, words must be said about the excellency of both teams ; the manner in which the match was played, and the performances on the pitch.

We had it all ; aggressive and determined batting, skilful and disciplined bowling, but most of all fielding of a very high standard..

In many / most matches, unless a bowler skittles a side, then matches are normally won by batting partnerships.

In a manner that could be described as Geoff Boycott like, opener Kieran Burge, ensured that East Molesey had three 50+ run partnerships.

After the early loss of his brother, Sam, Kieran and captain Michael Shean (36 runs off 28 balls, & looking a million dollars) took the score to 72. A carry-on & progress, 70 rum partnership with James Cake (47 runs off 62 balls), then 66 runs with Cole Campbell, before Burge was out for 77 off 114 balls in the 41st over.

Campbell then remained with others that followed to be not out 51 off 40 balls at the end of their 45 overs.

Although not taking a wicket, captain Arsalan Abbas, was the pick of the Banstead bowling with only 33 runs scored off his 9 overs.

A solid start is always useful when chasing a big score.

Opening bats Ayush Patel and Afjun Gill did much more than that, smashing the ball to all parts of the ground (& out of it) - mainly from Patel.

Gill out for 28 at 89 in the 13th over. But Patel kept on going. It would be easy to say his was the crucial wicket at 125 in the 22nd over (76 off 50 balls ; 8 x 4s & 4 x 6s)

But it was the introduction of left arm spinners Jonathan Fawcett and Michael Shean, that had slowed down the scoring rate; then another wicket in the 23rd over.

So, at drinks, Banstead were halfway there with only 3 wicket down.

Lets go back to partnerships. Patrick Rowe and Harri Aravithan did the right thing, and looked to re-build. A steady 37 runs in 9 overs, with still 13 overs to go, but 87 runs needed.

Was it the captaincy of Shean that undid them ?  He changed the bowlers and Luca Wood dismissed Aravinthan, lbw, and in the next over Max Tomlinson c&b, Rowe.

Banstead were handicapped by mid-order bat, Gareth Macaskill, pulling a hamstring at the end of the East Molesey innings (so batting no. 11), but they were still in with a chance having Ben Butterfield & captain Araslan Abbas.

Before any dangerous partnership could develop, Shean changed his bowlers yet again, with Fawcett returning to claim 3 wickets. Then Toby Porter, who had taken most of the punishment from Patel at the start, dealt the last-rights, for Banstead to be all out for 216 after 44 overs.

A 35 run victory may sound comfortable, but it was anything but.

A real-proper final, that had it all.

For his throw-back to Boycott batting display, Kieran Burge was judged by umpires Dick Ellis & Alan Ewen, as the Man-of-the-Match

The full scorecard is here, and our match-day programme is here