Broadwater CC and Southwick CC lead their Sussex Cricket League divisions

Broadwater won the toss and batted. Chris Green and Andy Reid opened well and Reid was first out for 42 with the score 56-1.

At 80-2, after Les Ward’s departure, Benn Challen joined Green, adding 35 in a partnership of 81 before being bowled. With contributions from Gareth Challen 15, Akhona Mbanga 17, Keir McCathy 33 added to Green’s 62, Broadwater finished with an above-par 267-9.

Crawley’s reply started poorly with the openers falling cheaply to Fitzroy Hodges for a duck and Mbanga, both to good catches by Reid.

A partnership of 43 followed before Hodges claimed his second wicket.

Wickets fell regularly and Freddie Tomlinson cleaned up the tail to finish with figures of 4-23 as Broadwater won by 90 runs.

Delighted captain Challen said: “We've had two wins, one loss, one called off. We lost our first game but now have a few players back and have won the last two.

"Last year was a difficult year with some older players stepping by and lots of unavailability. Having been relegated to Division 4 West we are now in the correct division to be able to get some younger players in the team while being competitive.

"We will be aiming for a top half finish while bringing on the younger players and enjoying our cricket.”

Burgess Hill 3rd XI v Southwick – Division 8 Central

The Wickers are top of the table after a win at Burgess Hill.

They travelled to Clayton in high spirits and weren’t to be disappointed as they took all the plaudits in an extraordinary triumph.

Tom Bell won the toss and put the Hillians into bat.

Soon, bowlers Paul Grennan and Gary Mussen wreaked havoc among the shell-shocked batters.

Mussen took four wickets and Grennan 3three (all clean bowled again) in 18 overs as the opposition sank to 19-7.

There was no improvement for the batters when the first changes came about as Paul Hudson and young Matt Rowson polished off the innings in frugal style to leave Burgess Hill 23 all out.

Captain and keeper Dan Austin top scored with six as Hill limped along at barely a run an over and without managing a boundary.

Mussen’s figures read 9-6-7-4 and Grennan’s were 9-4-7-3. The metronomic Hudson bowled two overs, took two wickets and didn’t concede a run.

In response the Wickers lost openers Dean Ghasemi (9) and Dan Reilly (2) before strolling to an astonishing victory in just six overs.

Bell said: “We put in an extraordinary performance in the field to bowl them out for 23, led by Grennan and Mussen.

"We knew every run counted on a tricky wicket, and everyone fielded with great commitment to ensure that we didn’t give them an opportunity to get back into it.”

See pictures by Stephen Goodger from the match on this page and the ones linked, and get the local cricket action in the Worthing Herald and Crawley Observer during the week.