Homes takes five wickets as Ashtead beat Banstead under overcast skies

SAM HOMES took five wickets as Ashtead secured a 122-run win over Banstead in the Surrey Championship Premier Division on Saturday.

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Ashtead won the toss and skipper Mark Stoneman elected to make first use of a surface that looked good for batting, but would take plenty of spin later in the day.

However, that meant dealing with a swinging ball under an overcast sky - and both openers returned to the pavilion during the first eight overs. Stoneman and Adam Thomas carefully saw through the barrage until rain stopped play after an hour. Such was the timing that lunch was taken early, with Ashtead 38-2.

The partnership building found a bit more speed after the break, and as the bowling was finally changed (at least from one end), both batters went on the offensive. The next wicket came completely out of the blue and against the run of play, with Thomas bowled for a well-made 38.

This brought Sam Homes to the crease and, together with Stoneman, the runs continued to flow.

The pendulum had shifted towards the batting team, and with 19 overs remaining the Stags had reached 155-3 - a great platform to set up a very big total.