Cuckfield’s champions end with loss – Haywards Heath look to 2023

Having lost the toss, Cuckfield entered the field with Nipun Karunanayake’s off-spin beginning proceedings.

Mayfield batters Ben Fitchet (35) and Rob Raymond (29) found the off-side boundary with ease.

Having reached 63 without loss, the introduction of left-arm spinner Josh Hayward saw the end of Fitchet, impressively caught by Ollie Graham. Raymond followed, bowled by Karunanayake.

Karunanayake took a second when Harry Lloyd (1) chipped one to Jason Oates at midwicket.

In-form West Indian Keon Harding and stalwart Robert Sharma began to put pressure back on to the visitors.

Strong ball striking saw both move into the 40s, with Sharma bringing up his 50 with a huge slog sweep for six. Harding played one shot too many, seeing his off stump pegged back by Hayward for 45. Sharma found a partner who matched him stroke for stroke in James Hockley.

The pair added 110 in nine overs. Sharma ended on 105 not out from 99 balls while Hockley brought up his 50 from just 23 balls. The Mayfield score had ballooned to 295.

Mayfield looked early wickets. Openers Nipun Karunanayake and Joe Cambridge went well until Cambridge inexplicably flicked Matt Cooke’s medium pace to deep midwicket for 28.

Karunanayake (20) followed, falling just short of 1000 league runs for the season. Mayfield werebuoyed further when Ollie Graham (17) was bowled.

Charlie Douglas-Hughes was caught and bowled by Hockley for seven. Jason Oates joined 16-year-old Henry Rogers and both batted superbly. Rogers notched his first 50 before Sharma removed him for 67. Theo Barker went for eight and just as Ben Candfield and Oates were beginning to reduce the required run rate, a nasty injury to Tristain Killops halted the Cuckfield momentum.

Mayfield had Oates caught in the deep for 65 and Harding removed Candfield for 19 and bowled Hayward next ball.

Nick Patterson clattered his first ball through the covers for four, before Cooke took the wicket of Heine to bowl Cuckfield out for 242, sealing promotion for Mayfield. Cooke was the pick of the Cuckfield bowlers with 4-42.

Haywards Heath played their final game at St Peters – with both sides having nothing to play for other than pride.

Heath won the toss and elected to bowl. Jemuel Cabey and Jethro Menzies found encouragement with swing and seam.

Menzies bowled Max Wheatley for 3 (25/1). Next ball Cabey had Rohan Doyle (18) caught behind by Tashaffi Shams.

Varun Kullar went for 3 bowled by the impressive Menzies (30/3). The home team built their innings but Dan Gee bowled a disciplined spell and had Dilshan De Silva trapped in front for 16.

Jonny Phelps got his just rewards having James Hope caught by skipper Callum Smith in the slips for 5 (88/5) to an excellent catch.

Nimanda Madushanka passed 50 but on 112 Smith had Sam Wheatley lbw.

On 158 Smith reintroduced Menzies and Madushanka was dismissed first ball. Marco Lincoln became Menzies’ fourth victim – 167-8.

Wazir Khan joined Phil Smit but Smith was bowled by his namesake for 21. Khan took the home side past 200 until Aryan Kulkarni was stumped Shams off Ollie Bailey for 2. St Peters 201 were all out. Jethro Menzies 4-42 was the pick of the bowlers.

Jethro Menzies and Jonny Phelps, who have amassed between them 1500 runs this summer, opened. Phelps was caught behind by Sam Wheatley off Varun Khullar, then Ben Matthew left a straight one by the same bowler and lost his off stump.

Menzies and skipper Smith rebuilt the innings and never looked in any trouble until Menzies was snaffled behind by Max Wheatley off Marco Lincoln for 41 – 79-3.

Fans’ favourite Ollie Bailey looked in could touch but was given lbw to Khan for 8, 91-4. Amilawas undone by Phil Smith, bowled for 10, 122-5. At this stage it looked like Heath were going to lose but one of the real successes of the season, young Charlie Mifsud, supported his skipper admirably.

Smith passed 50 and 500 runs for the season and the pair got Heath over the line five down, Smith got to 100 with a boundary and the next ball repeated the dosage and Heath had won. Heath finished fourth with lots to build on for next season when promotion will be the aim.