Middleton beat Horsham in battle of Kiwis … Roffery romp at Mayfield

Horsham v Middleton

Sussex Premier

by Martin Read

After late opportunities for both sides with fortunes fluctuating, visiting Middleton bludgeoned their way across the line with three balls and one wicket to spare.

The win left them fourth in the table, one place above Horsham.

Despite forecast rain Horsham elected to bat, and were handily placed at 57-1. But after opener Bertie Foreman was out for 35, wickets fell regularly.

Will Beer made 34 and there were 20s from skipper Nick Oxley and Sam Martin-Jenkins, but Horsham were disappointed to find themselves on 126-6.

Middleton captain Sean Heather grabbed three late wickets and a run-out, with Horsham finishing on 175 all out, which appeared light.

Rain interruptions revised the target to 179 from 42 overs, and at 93-1 Middleton were in control, albeit rather sedately.

But when James Brehaut dismissed James Barker for 68 for the first of his three wickets, Horsham began the claw themselves back into the game.

Two wickets each from Lister – immediately before catching his flight to UAE to join his New Zealand teammates – and two each for Beer and Foreman, boosted by an outstanding diving catch by Beer, reduced Middleton to 159-8 with the asking rate escalating.

Eighteen runs were required from the last two overs. Enter Kiwi overseas player Fraser Sheat, batting with a runner after suffering a hamstring injury earlier in the game.

In six balls Sheat hit a huge maximum, followed by two fours, featuring a reverse sweep, to get Middleton over the line.

Relieved skipper Heather said: “That was a great game, but I thought we’d blown it – until Fraser came in and blasted us home!”

Mayfield v Roffey

Sussex Premier

by Martin Read

With relegation at stake this was a game that Roffey had to with, and they did - in style, the vintage performance completely overwhelming their Mayfield host, with the game finishing close on 4pm.

Roffey won the toss and inserted Mayfield, who lost both openers, for 3 runs between them, to Harnoop Kalsi. Jonny Phelps then grabbed two wickets before Matt Davies, returning from injury, ran out Noah James, and, with George Fleming chipping in with another scalp, Mayfield were reeling at 85-6. Tristan Killops made a run a ball 32, with Matt Cooke (26) and Robert Sharma (13) adhering for a 7th wicket stand of 28, but progress became desperately slow, and once they were out, the innings quickly subsided to a totally inadequate 125, Phelps finishing with 4-20 from 10 frugal overs.

With the luxury of 50 overs at their disposal, Roffey might have been circumspect, but Usman Khan immediately made his intentions clear taking 17 off his initial over, including 6 from his second ball. In company with Theo Rivers, who hit 4 fours in his 37 not out, Khan made an unbeaten 79, his 49 balls containing 7 sixes and 5 fours, telling the County Times: “I’ve been injured and then we had rain so it was nice to get out there and bat, and I wanted us to have a really solid win. Their West Indian overseas, Keon Harding, is a top bowler but the wicket was soft and didn’t suit him!”

After romping home by 10 wickets with 34.2 overs still in the bank, the 30 point win places Roffey 7th on equal points – 217 – with Bognor (who lost to Three Bridges), while Eastbourne remain bottom on 156, with Mayfield in the penultimate spot with 179. Runaway leaders Cuckfield are 57 points clear of both Preston Nomads and East Grinstead.

With 3 games remaining, on Saturday Roffey welcome Bridges, ahead of a relatively kind run in against Eastbourne and Bognor.

Roffey v Preston Nomads

T20 Cup QF

Despite notching up what would probably have been a winning score in most games, Roffey were knocked out of the Sussex T20 Cup at the Quarter Final stage last Sunday courtesy of a phenomenal allround performance from a young Sussex Second XI player.

Roffey put Preston Nomads in to bat, only to be on the wrong end of a bruising battering from 19 year old Zach Lion-Cachet, whose 116 included 10 sixes and 9 fours from just 55 balls. The next highest contribution was 22, but when the right handed opener was out the score was 176-5 and irreparable damage had already been inflicted, notwithstanding Lewis Shivnarain, Jonny Phelps and Will Fenwick finishing with 2 wickets apiece.

202 to win was a daunting challenge, rendered almost impossible by Lion-Cachet dismissing the first three batsmen with only 29 runs on the board. Usman Khan rounded off a great personal weekend with a 2 run a ball 82, featuring 5 sixes and 8 fours, with double figure support from Sajeer Nizam, Shivnarain, skipper Matt Davies and Sam Henderson, but Roffey bowed out of this year’s cup with Nomads winning by 40 runs thanks to match winning displays from one player – Zach Lion-Cachet.

The Division 2 title race looks like going the distance – but Worthing remain in pole position despite a rare defeat last weekend.

Harry Dunn’s team are seven points clear of West Chilts – and importantly 23 clear of third-placed Hastings, the team they need to finish ahead of to be sure of a top two spot and promotion to the premier.

Worthing collapsed to 114 all out chasing 136 to beat St James for a surprise loss.

Giorgio Rigali and Darryl Rebbetts took three wickets apiece as St James batted first, but what looked a straightforward reply was anything but as only Dean Solway abd Rebetts passed 20.

Worthing will hope for better at Haywards Heath this week.

In Division 3 West, Findon are two points clear of Steyning at the top. Findon won by two wickets at Crawley Eagles, scoring 203-8 after bowling out the hosts for 199. Steyning won by 67 runs at home to Slinfold.

Broadwater v Goring

Sussex Division 3

Goring CC kept up their bid for promotion back to Division 3 West of the Sussex League with a 15-run win in a low-scoring match at Broadwater.

Goring were put into bat and did not find it easy, Arosh Fernandopulle (31) and Stuart Carter (25) their top scorers in a total of 147 all out.

James Horn (5-32) did much of the damage for the home team.

Broadwater struggled in reply and, with skipper Benn Challen top-scoring on 32, they were bowled out for 132. Ross Baumann took 5-10 in eight overs.

The win leaves Goring second, 42 points ahead of Chippingale with three to play.

Pagham v W Wittering

Division 3 West

With slight cloud cover, West Wittering won the toss and put Pagham into bat.

Ed Lowe took an early wicket but Theo Beynon-Ayres (46) and Jack Stannard (36) batted well for Pagham.

West Wittering bowled out Pagham for 195, Alex Salmon (5-27 off 6.4) bowling an excellent spell.

As the sun came through West Wittering began the reply and an expensive first over going for 10 gave them hope before Pagham took an early wicket.

Ed Lowe (132*) and Sam Caddy (56*) both settled quickly with a 188-run partnership. The away team chased down the runs in 28 overs with only one wicket lost.

Zander Muir travelled over from Denmark to play – and sat there for the length of the 188-strong partnership with his pads on.

Aldwick v Clymping

Division. 6 West

Aldwick tried hard to throw the victory away but managed to win by one wicket off the penultimate ball.

Joe Bain (107*) starred for Clymping in their 169-9. Luke Barkes took 5.33. Alex Cooper (102) got Aldwick most of the way. Paddy Horne took 4-28.

Aldwick travel to Himani this week, hoping to continue their push for promtion to Division 5 West.

West Wittering 2nd v Storrington

Division 8 West

Storrington batted well early on before Ollie Small took the all-important first wicket. Storrington got to 93-2 at drinks.

Kevin Allsobrook and Mark Brien both bowled excellent economic spells, taking crucial wickets – and West Wittering fielded well.

Allsobrook followed up his hat-trick from last week and finished with another five-wicket haul (5-28).

Storrington tried to score more quickly toward the end of the innings but struggled due to the good bowling and finished on 129 all out. Brien took 2-15, Joe Sissons 2-22, Small 1-23.

In the reply West Wittering’s openers made a good start before two quick wickets opened the door for Storrington.

Steve Day struck 50 in an excellent partnership with Dominic Fecher seeing West Wittering over the line for an important win while pushing for promotion. Day was 66 not out, Fecher 38 not out.

Pagham v Aldwick

Div 12 West (SW)

Aldwick scored 161-6, Lara Johnson scoring 46*.

Pagham won by four wickets, Luke Salter scoring 66*

Special mention goes to the Massey family, Gainah taking 4-49 on her debut and Andy taking the other two wickets.

Rustington 3rd v West Wittering 3rd

Div 12 West (SW)

Rustington elected to bowl and Kaelan Baker and Freddie Small had a slow start.

Small kept the scoreboard ticking over with 22. A great partnership between Ollie Bowman (14) and Daryl Philips (46) helped Wittering to 133.

Poppy Hutton and Bowman opened the bowling, and the bowlers managed to keep the run rate down.

Baker took one wicket, William Shuttleworth two, but Rustington’s batsmen reached their target.

In a red letter day at Horsham Cricket Club last Sunday, Slinfold eased through to win the Mirfield Cup final again, as has become their custom, and Southwater Scorchers waltzed towards Sussex Slam glory.

The local knockout Mirfield Cup was launched way back in the 1950s, with Slinfold winning it in its eighth year, and, much more recently, when they have now triumphed five more times, notching up their third win in the last four years, this time - batting second, seeing off Billingshurst, after bowling them out cheaply.

In The Slam, Southwater batted first, posting 154-8 off their 20 overs, courtesy of 40 from Mark Stoner and opener Stewart Homewood’s 34, despite 2 wickets apiece for Sam Collins, Hayden Webb and Jake Humphreys. When Roffey responded, Webb completed a top allround display with a slightly better than run a ball 50, but after his enforced retirement, Roffey ran out of steam, Southwater winning by 27 runs, although only 4 wickets had fallen.

Delighted Horsham Cricket Club’s Chris (Shaka) Shambrook told the County Times: “It was great to be able to welcome these excellent local clubs to compete in such challenging competitions at our Cricketfield Road ground, and wonderful to see so many people in support. It was a really good day and we look forward to hosting the Sussex Slam Finals on August Bank Holiday Monday.”

Ashling v Portsmouth Academicals

A magnificent 107 by James Lander enabled Ashling to compile a formidable 199-7. There was good support from Ben Harrild (23) and debutant Ollie Davies (19no).

Paul Whittle batted patiently for 41 with good support from John Tucker (25), and it looked like the visitors might challenge.

Ollie Davies limited the runs with accurate pace and skipper Mohit took 4-23 and Steve Harvey 3-6 as Academicals were out for 114.

Southwick v Edenbridge 2nd

Division 8 Central

Having lost the toss and been asked to bat, Wickers struggled to score and lost early wickets. Each of the first three batters was out for eight.

Farhad Barakzai looked in fine nick until a brilliant one-handed catch by Toby Fuller saw him out for 17.

At 68-5 Father Adam and Son Findlay Walter combined for a gritty partnership of 77 from 114 balls.

Adam ran himself out two short of a half century but his Fin finished on 24 not out in a total of 148-7.

Edenbridge also found runs difficult to come by as a fiery Paul Grennan and metronomic Gary Mussen tied them down and took wickets.

They were 54-5 and staring at defeat but a partnership between Carter De Ste Croix (27) and Andy Hill (33) saw them push on.

At 103-5 Southwick were in desperate need of a wicket. Despite having not played for five weeks, Grennan, full of vim and vigour, bowled Hill.

De Ste Croix soon followed thanks to magnificent run-out by Harry Cracknell while a stunning catch by keeper Craig Dawson helped put Southwick on the path to victory.

Grennan returned his best figures of the season, taking 6-16.

Skipper Tom Bell said: “Adam and Fin’s superb partnership off 77 for the sixth wicket meant we posted a defendable total on a wicket difficult to score on. We fielded well again and Grennan put in another trademark, match-winning performance.”

Southwick’s 2nd XI lost their match at Clymping by 44 runs despite a sterling all round effort from Mike Barnes who took 5 for 33 from 6 overs including 3 in an over and top scored with 29.

Having been crowned champions of the Sussex League’s Division 12 West (South) when matches were called off in awful weather, Goring thirds underlined their dominance of the division with a 163-run thrashing of Littlehampton fours at Amberley.

Put into bat on a damp, green pitch, Goring lost both openers for 11, before Nithin Kavumpurath (22) and James Clark (25) steadied the ship.

Paul Fryer (46) and Ewan Barclay (41*), with support from Paul Groves (25*), took them to 217-7 off 40 overs, despite a slow outfield.

In reply, Littlehampton were never in contention as they slumped to 16-5 and finally 54 all out, with only Kevin Foot (27*) resisting.

The wickets were shared among five bowlers - Ewan Barclay (3-11), Mike Shoulders (2-6), James Fryer (2-6) and one each for Jack Reimoser and the evergreen Justin Brownlee.

With one round of matches left in the division, Goring thirds still have a 100% record, the best in the whole of the Sussex League.

In a well-balanced team, James Fryer, at the ripe old age of 13, is likely to be the division’s leading wicket-taker with 28 and his father, Paul, has a batting average of almost 100.