Although still top of the table after Reigate Priory’s surprise loss to Guildford, Sutton suffered a five-wicket defeat on Saturday at the hands of a competent and motivated Cobham Avorians.

With the Convent Lane wicket looking slightly green on top, the Cobham captain, Steve Naylor, elected to bowl upon winning the toss.

From the first ball Sutton were under pressure; the pitch helping Cobham openers Scott Jarvis, (2-41 off 16,) and Jamie Lawrence especially, (5-67 off 20,) to regularly move the ball off the seam, in addition to receiving some assistance in the air.

At lunch, after 2-hours of nagging medium fast pace, on the lively pitch, Sutton were floundering at 100-6!

Openers John Fry, caught behind by Ben Kingsnorth and Zoheb Sharif, taken in the slips by Steve Naylor, struggled to put bat on ball and fell early to Lawrence and Jarvis respectively.

Dave Sampson and Will Muse went soon after; both comprehensively bowled by vicious in-swingers from the opening duo, Jarvis and Lawrence in that order.

With the score on 40-4 the writing was on the wall for Sutton. It seemed there was nothing any of the batters could do. However, there were signs that the pitch was getting easier and with Dave Mitchell’s gritty display steadying the ship, he and Andy Sartor put on 23 for the fifth wicket before Sartor fell victim to another Naylor catch giving Lawrence his third wicket of the day. 22 more runs were added when just before the lunch break skipper Phil Sampson was caught behind by Kingsnorth, off Harpley, for 16.

The conditions were still favouring Cobham yet Mitchell and Bilal Butt found the skill to negotiate a further 52 runs before Butt gave Naylor his first of two wickets on the day for 19.

With Russell Coombe and Mitchell going well, 200 runs plus looked possible; but the return of Lawrence for his second spell scattered any hopes of a sustained recovery.

At 172 Coombe was bowled for 11 by Lawrence, and at 179 Mitchell finally succumbed to the Kingsnorth-Lawrence combination for 55 invaluable runs. Not long after, the table-toppers were all out for 185 off 58-overs.

Hopes that the pitch might offer Sutton some assistance were dashed comprehensively early on, as Luc Durrandt, 51, and Reece O’Connell, 81 not out, thrashed 90 runs in the first 15-overs to set-up Cobham’s win.

It was a bad toss to lose, as the pitch had settled down, now offering Cobham batting conditions as calm as a toad in the sun.

Although wickets did fall, and with Cobham at 120 for 4 a Sutton fight-back looked on, O’Connell continued on his majestic way, despite nursing a sore hamstring, and the winning run came in the 52-over.

A disappointing performance from the championship aspirants, who in order to stay ahead of the fast approaching pack, must bounce back with a positive result at Cheam Road against Malden Wanderers this coming Saturday.