Worthing CC close in on promotion - Grinstead grind down Southwick

Jaimin Chauhan (45) and Thomas Alexander (47) salvaged something from a difficult innings for the visitors, who totalled 161 as Darryl Rebbetts took 4-19 and Shane Felton 2-43.

Worthing made fairly light work of the reply and 43 apiece from Rohan Ryan and Rabbetts took them home with seven wickets in hand in less than 40 overs. If Worthing win two of their final three, they will win the title.

Here's Stephen Goodger's pictures from the win.

Southwick v East Grinstead 3rd - Division 7 Central

At a sweltering, sun-baked Buckingham Park, Southwick were asked to bat first by their opponents, but the Wickers batters wilted in the heat.

Opener and stand-in skipper Matt Vokes set the tone with a duck as wickets tumbled at regular intervals.

Only perspiring president Adam Walter troubled the East Grinstead attack with a tenacious 62 which included nine fours and a six.

Dan Reilly and Craig Dawson both reached double figures without managing to build further, opener Dean Ghasemi scored 18 and last man Paul Hudson hit a creditable 14 not out, leaving the Wickers 160 all out from 39 overs.

Nathan Austen with 3-34 and Haydn Toms 3-30 were the star performers for the away side.

A wicket for Paul Grennan in the first over raised the hopes of the Southwick side but further success proved hard to come by.

Hudson got a ball to jag back and bowl Akash Ashok and also had Jonathan Howard caught behind by keeper Vokes but not before he scored 71.

Tight bowling from Southwick kept the result in doubt but Henry Ash’s 43 not out took EG to victory.

Skipper Vokes said: “It was a tight game where we finished 20/30 runs short of a good score. We bowled well but important decisions didn’t go our way, that’s cricket.”

Southwick twos were gifted 30 points as Rottingdean couldn’t raise a team.