SURREY Championship Division Five leaders Haslemere defended a modest total with superb bowling and fielding to beat Merstham by 24 runs and record a fifth straight win.

Stand-in skipper Sam Williams lost the toss and Haslemere were asked to bat, something they would have chosen to do anyway.

Openers Chris Hooker and Chris Spooner saw off the new ball, but then both fell to Noman Javed who bowled with good pace and control.

Coming together at 41-3, Scott Boxall and Simon Eastment moved the score along nicely towards the 100 mark, and with wickets in hand and plenty of overs to come, a big score looked on the cards. But wickets began to tumble, with third-change Mullan snapping up 5-27 in 10 overs, and before they knew it, Haslemere were all out for a below-par 144.

With Merstham having 52 overs to get the runs, Haslemere needed to do exceptionally well in the field. Opting to go with spin from one end a pace at the other, they always pressured the batsmen. But although the new ball turned considerably, and Chris May and Williams dispatched the openers cheaply, Merstham dug in and Noman Javed threatened to win the game with a fine 50.

Eastment finally won his battle with Javed, though, and this spelled the end for the visitors. Spooner turned in a decisive spell of 4-15 in 12 overs and, with eight wickets down, May and Boxall mopped up the tail. Merstham were all out for 120 in the 47th over.

Haslemere host Kempton this Saturday. Why not six from six?