9:03am Monday 6th September 2010
Purley 254-5 (50 overs).
OW 249-8 (50 overs).
Purley won by five runs
Purley guaranteed Surrey Championship Division One safety on Saturday by beating derby rivals Old Whitgiftians by five runs in a game that came down to the final ball.
Keith Medleycott's side can thank Fuaad Syed and Adam Windley for a stand of 152 for the second wicket which was the backbone of a 254-5 total substantially boosted by the 68 runs plundered by skipper Keith Medlycott and Kapilan Balasubramaniam from the last five batting powerplay overs in which OW used five different bowlers.
OW took their run chase right to the last over and the last ball but Fred Woodrow could not hit Medlycott for six and they ended on 249-8.
OW were without Laurie Evans who was away with Warwickshire so Ali Raja returned to the side and responded with his best league score of the season.
Purley won the toss and decided to take first use of a good looking wicket but lost John Fry bowled by Woodrow second ball of the day which brought Windley to the crease and he played a composed anchor role for his side as he and the elegant Syed added 152 in 37 overs.
Both played carefully against the in form OW spinners Murtaza and Freddie van den Bergh who bowled containing spells.
Jason Lewis apart, all the other home bowlers struggled.
Syed was eventually out caught on the boundary off Murtaza for 65 and Windley followed soon after caught behind off Lewis for 71 to leave Purley on 177 after 43 overs.
At the start of the batting powerplay the score was 186-3 at which point the wheels fell off the OW bowling as Medlycott used all his experience to make 33 in just 19 balls supported by a fine cameo from Balasubramaniam who hit 28 in just 11 balls including one four and three sixes to hoist a very competitive 254.
Lewis was the most successful home bowler with 2-36.
In response, David Ward edged an attempted cut behind off James Scott to go for just 14 but Ahmad Raja and Sam Woodward looked in good touch in adding 46 in under eight overs before Raja was bowled by Keith Medlycott's first ball for 28, OW 79-2 in the 14th.
Alex Goward and Murtaza both fell cheaply to lbw verdicts against Medlycott and Andrew Macdonald and the game was in the balance with OW 108-4 after 25.
An excellent stand of 82 between Woodward and Ali Raja put OW right back in the game as the two contrasting styles complemented each other well and with eight overs left and 65 needed OW were on course.
Woodward played the anchor role for OW making 66 from 117 balls with six fours and one six before he was stumped off the bowling of Razi Khan.
Ali Raja was more aggressive and had hit a run a ball 60 with four fours and three sixes before he missed a cut and was bowled by Khan.
OW now needed 50 from the last 37 balls and Sean Coughlan (9), Lewis (12 not out) and van den Bergh (13) took the fight to the last over but Medlycott kept taking wickets ending with 4-45 and Woodrow was unable to hit him for six off the final ball to secure a tie.
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