Cheam recorded their fourth straight loss with a 61 run defeat to league leaders Sunbury. For the third time this season a winning position was surrendered after a catastrophic batting collapse.

Sunbury Captain Oliver Roland-Jones won the toss and elected to bat on slow, low surface with a touch of green and saw opener Spencer dismissed from the fourth ball, Chris Salmons taking a magnificent low catch.

The Cheam openers Leeroy Harrison and Steve Clark both bowled excellent opening spells, with Harrison in particular giving Middlesex number three Adam London a tough examination. However London, in combination with former Essex opener John Maunders (54), weathered the storm and took the score on to 62 for 1.

Chris Salmons (4 -42) took over the bowling from the river end and produced a fine spell of fast medium bowling. Using the conditions well and seaming the ball both ways Salmons ripped through the top order of the much vaunted Sunbury line up.

At 143 - 6 Sunbury were on the ropes. Mark Burns, bowling with beautiful flight, was the perfect foil for Salmons as he teased the batters into injudicious shot selection, at one point taking 3 wickets in four balls. It was left to Darren London (18*) to marshall the tail to 166 all out from 43.2 overs.

Sadly for Cheam the batsmen were unable to follow the bowlers lead as Cheam Captain Danny Miller was dismissed in the 3rd over. In the face of aggressive and accurate bowling the top order, with the exception of Surrey Academy debutant Bradley Scriven, crumbled. Scriven and Steve Clark began the all too familiar rebuilding process before Scriven received a horror decision to leave Cheam at 35-6.

Clark, however, stood firm and looked both assured and classy in making 40 not out. Michael Burgess and Harrison briefly supported Clark but no other batsmen was able to make a meaningful contribution, the innings finishing on 105.

Cheam will be hoping that the change of format to time games will bring about a change of fortune. Banstead visit Peaches Close in another local derby game.