A CONVINCING victory against Hampton Wick Royal, their promotion rivals in the Surrey Championship Division Four, was the best tonic for Churt after last week’s frustrating draw.

Put in at the Rec, Hampton got off to a flyer as Yasir Ahmed hit three fours in Greg Talbot’s first over.

The visitors were 27 without loss after just three overs, but then Talbot found his length and induced Ahmed to give a simple catch. Adam O’Mahoney lost his off-stump to a quick delivery from Oli Plaistowe and with Robbie Chhabra picking up from where Talbot left off, Hampton slipped to 66-4 after 20 overs.

Matt Davies and Angus Berry added 49 for the fifth wicket, but accurate bowling and keen fielding stifled the run-rate and when Mitchell induced an edge from Davies, Hampton were 115-5 in the 36th over.

Berry went on to an undefeated 53, but Mitchell and Rowley Marshall kept the batsmen under relentless pressure and the visitors used the maximum 55 overs in posting 180-9.

Will Hucker and Dan Higgins launched the reply with a flurry of boundaries, running well between the wickets, and Churt had sprinted to 42 in the eighth over when skipper Higgins missed a straight one from Sam Jones. Hucker followed two overs later, but this only brought Toby Finneran and Mitchell together and they batted very sensibly in a partnership of 84.

Mitchell reached his half-century before departing in the 29th over and Jon Palmer wasted little time as Churt accelerated towards the line.

Finneran just had time to reach his own 50 before Palmer hit the winning runs from the first ball of the 39th over.

With Stoke D’Abernon and Churt both winning, a sizeable gap has now opened between the top two and the peloton

Churt entertain lowly Weybridge this Saturday.