Surrey CC League Division 1, Race 2, Reigate Priory Park

Andy Graffin back to winning ways

In the drizzle and gloom of Reigate Priory Park the Bels were again able to supply the individual winner. Andy Graffin was racing his first cross country in a long while but looking every bit as if he'll make some impact when the big races after Christmas come along. As a team, far from pulling back points on the leaders, we slipped further down the pile. Aldershot's men took full advantage of the fact that the Surrey league, for a change, did not clash with the Hampshire league and packed in their ten men before we had five home. They leapfrogged over us in the league table as a result.

Andy was soon making the running and as the steep descent towards the end of the first lap was negotiated he held a 30-40m lead over Reigate's Alister Moses and Herne Hill's Dave Taylor. Going out again his lead had increased further but Taylor ran a storming second lap to move into second and close down on Andy who had by now turned off the power.

A troublesome knee had been hampering Martin Dent for some weeks but he sportingly agreed to run round in the teens. As it turned out, an improvement in the days before the race meant that he was able to do better than that and come home 9th in what was again a high standard race. Young Mark Humphrey scored again - moving up to sixth man home - and behind him the team was filled out by some engine-room boys who were pleased to be in the "ten". Closing in was none other than Frank Ward; it's years since he last ran Surrey League for us but he was able to keep up his record of always having scored.

1 Andy Graffin (Belgrave) 26:16; 2 D.Taylor (Herne Hill) 26:21; 3 A.Moses (Reigate Priory) 26:46; 4 P.Rogers (Reigate Priory) 26:50; 5 E.Robinson (Aldershot) 26:53; 6 P.Sly (Thames H&H) 27:09; 9 M.Dent 27:28; 26 W.Cockerell 29:02; 31 R.Alsop 29:08; 40 K.Hegvold M40 29:38; 58 W.Lynch 30:50; 59 M.Humphrey 30:52; 64 B.Barton 30:59; 77 R.Marcus 31:45; 80 F.Ward M45 31:53; 94 A.Bicourt 32:56; 96 N.Rumsey 32:58; 110 C.Smith 33:53; 125 A.Cowmeadow 35:07; 126 H.Corbett M45 35:07; 129 J.Charles 35:43; 149 finished.

1 Thames H&H (6, 7, 11, 14, 16, 19, 28, 34, 38, 39) 212 - 1st after two races with 420
2 Herne Hill H ( 2, 10, 12, 17, 23, 29, 33, 35, 37, 41) 239 - 2nd 492
3 Aldershot F&D (5, 18, 22, 24, 25, 30, 32, 43, 45, 48) 292 - 3rd 613
4 Belgrave H (1, 9, 26, 31, 40, 51, 52, 56, 66, 69) 401 - 4th 716
5 Reigate Priory (3, 4, 20, 42, 57, 58, 72, 81, 82, 83) 502 - 7th 1103
6 South London H (13, 15, 47, 54, 59, 61, 63, 64, 65, 74) 515 - 5th 1013
7 Ranelagh H (21, 27, 50, 55, 68, 70, 73, 80, 84, 85) 613 - 6th 1027
8 Stragglers (44, 46, 49, 53, 60, 62, 71, 75, 77, 78) 615 - 8th 1324
9 Boxhill R (8, 36, 67, 76, 79, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90) 706 - 9th 1482

Under 17/Under 15 2.5 miles

1 M.Lloyd (South London) 14:52; 14 R.Collier 17:27; 15 P.Cowling 17:51

1 South London 19; 2 Ranelagh 81; 3 Herne Hill 88; 4 Belgrave 109.5

Restored from the club's earlier website, belgraveharriers.com, and published here as originally written.