IT had been 11 years since Farnham had taken on Guildford in a league match – but it proved well worth the wait for the Black Caps.

Heading to Woodbridge Road bottom of the Surrey Championship Division One table, the visitors might have been expecting another tough day, given they had failed to win in the first five weeks.

As it was, they came away with a memorable victory by 179 runs, on the back of Guy Hick’s 133 out of 293-7 and Rob Goldsworthy’s 5-27 in dismissing Guildford – who started the day joint top – for 114.

It was Farnham’s first win of the season, lifting them above Beddington, but not yet out of the danger zone.

Guildford struck early, left-hander Will Davies edging the speedy Anwar Khan behind, but first Toby Davies (23) joined Hicks in a stand worth 42 and then Toby Ward cracked an aggressive 41 in 37 balls, including five fours and two sixes, in an enterprising third-wicket stand of 91 with the assured Hicks.

When Ward was acrobatically snaffled by Ben Ungaretti at backward square-leg off Jonny Charles, who trapped James Berry leg before eight runs later, Farnham might have faded away.

Hicks ensured that did not happen, lofting seamer Alex Sweet over mid-on to reach his century and enjoying a stand worth 100 for the fifth wicket with Ciaran Rooney (48) which all but settled the match.

The deserving Charles thoroughly deserved his four wickets at the cost of 92 in 26 overs, Guildford badly missing a second spinner, and removed Rooney with an acrobatic return catch. Collins returned for a second spell to bowl Hicks and remove Matt Clarke leg before, the only surprise being that the visitors used their entire 66-over allocation to reach 293-7.

It made little difference either way. Goldsworthy soon bowled Joel Walker – like Ungaretti, playing against his old club – and saw Jack Cunningham (15) drive tamely to mid-off. Fred McMIllan was castled at 30-3, Berry joining in Farnham’s fun by having Collins leg before eight runs later.

Matthew Teale and Andru Serdyn followed quickly and Guildford’s only hope of salvaging a draw, or even some batting bonus points, came in the shape of Sweet on his return from Exeter University.

Goldsworthy and Berry got far more out of a green-tinged pitch than their counterparts, bowling straight and to their field, the former finally taking a break after 13 overs but Berry bowling unchanged through the innings from the railway end to claim 4-52 in 20 overs.

Sweet’s resistance was ended when he was bowled by Berry for 24 and, of the rest, only Ungaretti (30) and Duncan Selmes (14) lasted long as the hosts were swept away with 14 overs to spare.

This victory should do Farnham’s confidence a power of good as they prepare to host league leaders Esher this Saturday (start 11am).