Rain robs Park of victory chance

Crowhurst Park’s cricketers were denied the chance to win a game they dominated for the majority of the afternoon by mother nature.
By The Newsroom
Published 30th Jul 2013, 08:30 BST
Clive Tong's aggressive innings batted Crowhurst Park into a strong position against Ifield when the rain intervenedClive Tong's aggressive innings batted Crowhurst Park into a strong position against Ifield when the rain intervened
Clive Tong's aggressive innings batted Crowhurst Park into a strong position against Ifield when the rain intervened

Park were very much in the ascendancy when, much to the frustration of the players, the Sussex Cricket League Division Two match away to Ifield was abandoned with bad light, torrential rain and thunderstorms hitting the area.

Ifield chose to take first knock on what appeared a good batting track. Bradley Payne (2-61) made two early breakthroughs to leave Ifield 15-2 off five overs. Paul Brookes (2-18 off 15 overs) was keeping things tight at the other end with five successive maidens and in doing so tempted Raza Ali to cut straight to point.

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Jack Groves and Ed Sykes rebuilt Ifield’s innings with an excellent 49-run partnership before Groves was caught by Dale Payne off Ed Smissen. Brookes then clean bowled Tom Wragg and when Clayton Caltsounis unluckily played on to Smissen (2-17 off six), Ifield were back in trouble at 80-6.

A solid 30-run partnership between Sykes and Paul Clifford was broken by young Nick Peters removing both men in consecutive overs. The predicted rain then arrived and after an early tea, Peters trapped Graham Dean lbw with his first ball. Ifield put on 30 for the last wicket to reach 143 all out.

Clayton Calstsounis removed Martin Barry with a fine ball in the first overof Park’s reply. Smissen and Dale Payne survived the next few overs against some excellent swing bowling until Payne was superbly caught by Caltsounis off his own bowling.

When Bradley Payne was out next ball, Park were back in trouble at 24-3. Clive Tong’s aggressive strokeplay along with Smissen’s more serene approach took Park along to 84-3 with Tong on 46 off 37 balls and Smissen on 21 off 74 before the rain came.

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Standings (all played 13 matches): 1 Eastbourne 314pts, 2 Goring-by-Sea 298, 3 BEXHILL 279, 4 Findon 243, 5 Ifield 221, 6 CROWHURST PARK 220, 7 St James’s Montefiore 196, 8 Middleton 184, 9 Glynde & Beddingham 122, 10 Pulborough 120.