Spencer opening bowler Patrick Foster has admitted six Surrey Championship Premier League wickets in one innings at the weekend was the highlight of his career thus far.

The 22-year-old Durham University graduate decimated relegation rivals Malden Wanderers on Saturday with his first senior hat-trick as the hosts romped to an eight-wicket triumph and moved away from the drop-zone.

The result came on the back of a good run of performances - including a winning draw with second-placed Reigate Priory - and a run to the quarter-finals of the National Knockout Cup.

Skipper Neil Baker, whose side face fellow strugglers Weybridge this weekend, believes his side have turned a corner that has seen them on the road to Premier League survival.

And Foster, who bagged 4-48 from 20 overs, insists they cannot afford to let standards slip if they are to beat the drop.

“I’ve got a hat-trick in schools cricket, but never in the Premier League or representative level, so it was particularly nice to do it in such and important game,” he said.

“It was probably the best day I’ve had on a cricket pitch. I bowled unchanged for the first session for the first time ever. It was hard work, but worth it.

“It was massive for us to get the win. The difference in terms of points between drawing and winning is huge, so 13 points has a major affect.

“We’ve turned a bit of a corner. Hopefully, I can get a few games under my belt and we can keep improving by playing good cricket. We have to keep picking up points against the teams around us.”

Foster’s exploits saw Malden Wanderers dismissed for 129 before Colin Ingram’s unbeaten 65 steered his side home for the loss of just two wickets, dragging the visitors into the relegation scrap.

Bottom side Weybridge, thanks to unbeaten centuries from captain Abeed Janmohammed (125*) and Will Gifford (104*), piled up a mammoth 323 for one as they we frustrated at Wimbledon.

An unbeaten 99-run eighth-wicket stand from Dons Ali Jaffer (89*) and Dan Pratt (33*) meant Janmohamed’s men had to settle for a winning draw, which could prove costly come the end of the season.

Banstead saw their recent revival come to a shuddering halt with a nine-wicket defeat to Sunbury as Mark Houghton’s heroic 74 in his side’s 170 all out ultimately proved in vain.

Sunbury’s Matthew Todd (5-94) was chief executioner before James Kuiper’s unbeaten 105 eased the visitors to maximum points.

Sutton slumped to a five-wicket defeat at Cobham Avorians after David Mitchell’s 55 had helped them to a below par 185 all out in the face good bowling from Jamie Lawrence (5-67).

Reece O’Connell (81*) and Luc Durrandt (51) helped their side home without too many scares, as Reigate’s seven-run defeat at Guildford ensured skipper Phil Sampson’s men remained top of the table.