CRICKET: Local round-up (September 2)

It was their first home defeat of the season in their last game at the Sportsfield this year and the one and only promotion place will now be taken by Goring, who need 10 points from the final game to seal the title, Pagham or Middleton.

Littlehampton skipper Benn Challen said: "We started off the season well but didn't get enough points or wins in the middle part of the season.

"We also lost away to the bottom two sides, which not many teams have done, and those games cost us.

"Also, Goring away we should have won but lost our last six wickets for about 10 runs.

"If we'd won that, Goring would have had 16 or 17 points less, we'd have had 16 or 17 points more, so that could have made it an interesting final day."

Littlehampton lost the toss on Saturday, were stuck into bat, and were all out for 149 in 50.5 overs.

Gareth Challen hit 33 and Michael Askew struck 32, while Wayne Green took 5-33 from 17 overs for the visitors.

An unbeaten 85, from 86 balls, with seven fours and four sixes, from Nathan Roberts then took Pagham to victory in 38 overs.

Benn Challen said: "We'd have liked to have won the toss and put them in as we were always on the back foot from the moment we lost the toss.

We'd have definitely put them in if we'd won it as the wicket was quite wet. To get 149 wasn't a bad effort as we batted quite well but 180 would have made it more interesting, although they might have got that, anyway."

Littlehampton finish their season at Bognor on Saturday.

Arundel will stay up in Division 3 West even if they finish bottom as Crawley Eagles are not eligible for promotion from the West Sussex Invitation League.

Arundel moved 16 points clear of bottom-of-the-table Henfield on Saturday after they took 10 points from their 26-run loss against Findon.

Bradley Bridson crashed 77 and Felix Jordan hit 64 as Findon struck 219-7 from their 53 overs. Ian Dabinett-Jays, Rakesh Parmar and Will Clark all took two wickets for Arundel.

Geoff Stothert then top-scored with 46, with five fours and one six, and Rohan Ardley hit a 40-ball 43 but Arundel were all out for 193 in 42.2 overs.

Harry Metters grabbed 4-63 for Findon and Jordan took 3-59.

Arundel host Pagham in their final game on Saturday.

East Preston ended their campaign on a high after a 143-run win over bottom-club Portslade in West Sussex Invitation League Division 1.

After being stuck into bat first, EP scored 249-3 from just 42 overs.

Jack Sunderland blasted his second century of the season, with 103 not out, which included 11 fours and eight sixes and took just 75 balls.

Chris Williams hit 75, from 56 deliveries, with seven fours and six sixes and reached 508 runs for the year. Tom Reeves also hit an unbeaten 36, with six fours and one six.

Sunderland ran out Portslade captain Jamie Howick early in their reply and only Dan Holgate, with 45, reached double figures as they were all out for 106.

Mark Coskin took 2-18 to reach 35 wickets for the season, which beat his club best which he had set the previous year.

Tom Chamberlain grabbed 3-15 and Richard Laker took 2-29.

EP captain Andy Reeves said: "It was quite a clinical performance.

"Chris Williams got us off to a good start and Jack then made batting look easy.

"We then picked up wickets fairly regularly and it was quite comfortable as they had a few players missing.

"I'm happy with how we finished after the start we had. We pulled ourselves away from the bottom two and I think we'd have been in the top three or four if we'd had everyone available all season.

"Hopefully, that will be sorted out for next season."

Clymping finished their Division 1 season with a five-wicket win at home to Southwick.

Wickers, after being put into bat, were all out for 173. Captain Chris Summers top-scored with 55, while Andy Wilkinson took 4-3 for Clymping,

Craig Johnson then blasted 91 and Sam Orchard hit 46 as Clymping reached their target in just 29 overs.

Clymping finished the season second from bottom but avoided relegation as Brighton Insurance were ineligible for promotion from Division 2 owing to having only one team.

In Division 4, Rustington, who were already relegated, lost their last game of the year by 64 runs at Bury & West Burton.

Bury scored 194-6 from their 49 overs before bowling Rustington out for 130.

East Preston's 2nd XI won Division 8 with a seven-wicket victory at Hangleton.

Joe Carter took 4-12, Graham Laker 3-20 and Matt Laker 2-26 as Hangleton were all out for 93.

Graham Laker and Carter both then finished unbeaten on 29 as EP clinched the title as Goring 3rd, who finished second, did not play as their match with Clymping 2nd was cancelled.

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