Epsom 4 v Kingston 6, Surrey League division 5 match played at the Epsom Christian Fellowship, Epsom on 2 December 2024

This was one of those unfortunate evenings that one prefers to forget. Mark Sheridan, who was due to play for the Kingston team, slipped, injured his leg and was in A&E when he should have been battling it out on board 6. Apologies to Epsom for the default.

Losing a board to a default was critical in a well-contested match. David Bickerstaff and Sean Tay lost on boards 2 and 3, but Jaden Mistry (pictured above, in red top, playing in an earlier match) won well on board 4; captain Ed Mospan continued his run of good form with a solid draw; and it was reassuring to see Adam Nakar back playing again and drawing with wily Epsom veteran Michael Wickham on top board.

The best news of all was that Mark was discharged sore but with no broken bones and planned to make an immediate return to the fray. Thanks as ever to the players for making the long trek to Epsom on a chilly December evening.

Stephen Moss, Kingston club captain