Ashtead CC skipper Tom Deighton is looking for a similar end to last season, but with for a different reason.

Last term, Ashtead were relegated from Division One with two games spare, now the tables have turned and Deighton’s men lead Division Two and he wants to have the title sewn up before the final game of the season.

And they are going the right way about it after Saturday’s six-wicket win over Worcester Park clocked up eight matches without defeat.

This weekend, they travel to neighbours Epsom, fourth in the table, and Deighton is expecting a tough encounter.

He said: “Epsom have some quality players and you cannot underestimate them.

“But this is proverbial 26-pointer. If we get the win, it gives us a little breathing space and I want that.

“I don’t want to be going into the final games of the season relying on results elsewhere.

“I want our destiny to be in our hands, and so far we’ve managed that.”

Deighton, who misses this weekend’s match and will had the armband to Paul Harrison, took over the captaincy from John Vaughan-Davies in the summer.

It marks a first stint at captaincy at this level for the 24-year-old, but he has already pinpointed the failings of last season.

He said: “We had something like 27 first team players last year, and that’s too many. You cannot get any consistency when the team is so different every weekend.

“This season, we have 17 and, surprisingly have kept a lot of players on, which, added to a handful of new names, means we’re far more consistent in selection.

“It also means our second and third teams are stronger, and is key.”

He added: “There are six games left and we’re feeling confident.”