KINGSTONIAN Cricket Club’s leading batsman Jahangir Mirza fittingly smashed an unbeaten 132 to clinch the Surrey Championship Division Four title on Saturday.
Mirza, who has scored 778 league runs this season at an average of 70, led his side past Cobham Avorians’ 259 all out at King’s College sports ground with three wickets and 19 balls to spare.
It was the free-scoring number four’s third century of the summer to go with the five half centuries he also has to his name.
Run machine: Jahangir Mirza has scored 778 league runs this season at an average of 70
AK Tyrone’s 107 was the bedrock of Cobham’s effort, but Raza Sikander’s 4-16 put the brakes on to ensure Ks were not faced with a mountain to climb.
The result means skipper Amir Hussain’s side, who have lost just two league games this year compared to five in 2015, are 33 points clear of second-placed Sanderstead with only Saturday’s trip to Hampton Wick Royal to come.
Howzat?: Kingstonian bowler Sunny Singh appeals for a wicket
Francois Vainker claimed his second five wicket haul of the summer on Saturday, but it was not enough to keep Weybridge’s Surrey Championship title hopes alive.
In the Premier Division clash, Vainker took 5-50 as hosts Wimbledon piled up 265-9 at Church Road thanks to former Surrey star Matthew Spriegel’s 51, 47 from opener Max Fernie and a swashbuckling 42 off 23 balls from Matthew Pillans.
Slipping: Francois Vainker claimed his second five wicket haul of the season for Weybridge on Saturday
Weybridge were never really in the chase as they slumped to 80-5 – having been 12-3 at one stage – before eventually being dismissed for 180.
League leaders Sunbury, winners by five wickets at relegated Beddington at the weekend, host second-placed Reigate Priory tomorrow in a winner-takes-all final day clash.
Weybridge completed a miserable weekend as they missed out on a place in the ECB National Club Championship final by one run at Swardeston on Sunday.
Jack of all trades: Brent Kay in bowling action for Weybridge
The hosts had posted 245-9 – thanks to former Hampshire batsman Joe Gatting’s 91 – and skipper Phillip Mann (41*) and Brent Kay’s (43) rapid-fire 63-run partnership had helped Weybridge reach 244-8 in the final over.
Vainker’s dismissal with two balls remaining, meant the job of finding the winning runs fell to last man Henry Turner, but he could not get his side over the line.
Elsewhere, Giles Puckle claimed season’s best figures of 5-18 – his first five-wicket haul since 2013 – to take Malden Wanderers’ Surrey Championship Division One survival fight down to the final day.
Life in the old dog yet: Giles Puckle took five wickets for Malden Wanderers on Saturday to keep their survival hopes alive
Wanderers posted 278-7 at Cambridge Avenue thanks to Alex Butler (50), Pete Young (46) and Neil Mander (46), before Puckle spun out Chipstead Coulsdon & Walcountians for 172 in reply.
The win means Wanderers share the same points as second-bottom Spencer - but are above them having secured two more losing draws - with Saturday’s trip to title-chasing Cranleigh to come.
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