CRICKET: Benn replaces bro as skipper

Challen has taken over from his brother, Gareth, after the club took the captaincy from Gareth and gave him a suspended ban, after three of the club's players were reported to the league following their behaviour in their defeat at Arundel last week.

Benn Challen was Littlehampton captain from 2006 until 2008 but has no intention of carrying on in that role beyond the end of the season.

His side drew with Goring, who started the day as Division 3 West leaders, on Saturday and Littlehampton, who have a game in hand, now sit 60 points behind Middleton, who are the new leaders and the team Littlehampton visit this Saturday.

Benn Challen said: "We can still get up this season as the league is so tight, with a lot of draws.

"Three wins on the trot will get a team right up there. We'd have to play well to do that but, at the moment, we're not playing well enough to go up."

Littlehampton piled up 277-9 from their 53 overs after Goring had put them into bat.

Graham Blann blasted 65, with 15 fours, at the top of the order in a 87-run opening stand with Rick Heberlein, before Littlehampton slipped to 156-7.

Stuart Hanks (35) and Luke Vinter added 35 for the eighth wicket, before Vinter put on 42 for the ninth wicket with Chris Hanks (17) and a further unbroken 44-run stand for the last wicket with Stuart Stoneham (eight not out).

Vinter struck nine fours and finished unbeaten on 57 to register his first league half-century.

Dropped catches again cost Littlehampton in the field as Challen felt they put down seven chances.

Sam Botham top-scored with 97 and Ben Cartwright hit 46 but Goring finished 51 runs short of victory on 227-7.

Vinter moved on to 50 league wickets for the season with 3-55 from 19 overs and Dan Rive took 2-46.

Challen said: "We got off to a good start with Blanny, before we lost a few wickets, but Luke, Stuart and Chris then batted really well.

"I was really happy with 270 as anything above 250 was a good score. We dropped a few chances and put down Botham four or five times but Luke bowled really well again – his first nine or 10 over spell went for only five runs and it was the best I've seen him bowl this season, despite him taking seven and eight wickets in some games."

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