Cricket: Bognor-Chichester derby goes with formbook

Bognor continued their fine form in Sussex League division three with a home win over Chichester Priory Park, whose good start now seems a long time ago.
Zayne Bux bats for Bognor against Chichester / Picture by Kate ShemiltZayne Bux bats for Bognor against Chichester / Picture by Kate Shemilt
Zayne Bux bats for Bognor against Chichester / Picture by Kate Shemilt

There were contrasting fortunes for the teams’ respective second XVs.

Bognor v Chichester

Sussex League division three

BOGNOR won the first league derby between these sides for more than 20 years as the rivals’ seasons continued to go in very different directions.

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Chichester were looking for a victory to halt a recent poor run and stand-in captain Mark Bamford won the toss and asked the hosts to bat.

It looked a good decision as openers Mikey Harris and Max Ashmore were removed quickly with the score on 32.

In response Bognor captain Zayne Bux led the fightback and put on 85 for the third wicket with Elliott Clarke.

Clarke was dismissed for 35 by Chichester’s Rob Carver but this didn’t slow Bux as he added 79 for the fourth wicket with Jim Fallick.

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Bux was removed for 91 by James Chriss (2-84), assisted by an excellent catch on the boundary by Ben Hubbard.

Fallick (49no) and Luke Seward (29no) saw the hosts through to the interval as Bognor closed on 240 for four.

Chasing a total of 241 in 47 overs wasn’t going to be easy and it was made especially difficult when Bamford and Dan Weigl were dismissed in successive balls by Graham Bush (4-31) with the score on 20.

John Edwards (30) tried to anchor the innings but wickets kept falling at the other end, Ashmore bowling well again. When Edwards was dismissed, another team score under 100 looked likely as the scoreboard read 66 for six.

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Unlike previous weeks, Chichester’s lower order didn’t capitulate as Charlie Futcher (25), Rob Carver (16) and Garry Austerberry (19) tried their best to salvage something.

A six from Austerberry cleared the ground and the road on the other side of the fence. Eventually Chichester’s luck ran out and they were all out for 128, a fourth defeat in a row, this time by 112 run.

The defeat saw Chichester fall into the relegation zone, a disappointment after such a positive start to the season.

This weekend, Priory Park host fourth-placed Glynde & Beddingham while Bognor go to Burgess Hill.

Billingshurst 2nd v Bognor 2nd

2nd XI div three west

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At the picturesque Jubilee Fields, a see-saw game saw the hosts come out on top by four runs.

Bowling first, Bognor’s muscular all-rounder Rich Cox bowled 24 consecutive overs and for the fifth week in a row grabbed a five-for, the big man from Bersted taking five for 69.

Bognor nibbled away at Hurst’s line-up, and with support from lively young seamer Tom Woolnough grabbing two for 16 and evergreen skipper Andy McGregor snaffling 2 for 44, Billingshurst were bowled out for 199. The hosts’ tail did wag nicely with Jon Alexander (40) and James Powell putting on 49 for the last wicket.

Bognor’s reply began steadily with a 52-run partnership between Josh Broad and Mark Woolnough before Broad was dismissed by Alex Lowther for 44. A flurry of wickets saw the visitors tottering at 134 for seven as Hurst skipper Ricky Ramsey (3-58) and old boy Chris Shambrook (2-60) snaffled the wickets.

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Cox’s second display of the afternoon commenced as he opened his shoulders to clatter the ball to all parts and 193 for eight, a win for either team was possible. But Cox was bowled by Lowther (4-29) who then cleaned up the tail to bowl out Bognor for 195.

Chichester 2nd v Middleton 2nd

Captain Johnny Heaven finished with five for 13 to help Chichester seconds make light work of league leaders Middleton seconds after securing an impressive 138-run win at Priory Park.

Chichester reacted superbly to being put into bat in cloudy conditions and regularly put partnerships together to tick the score along nicely.

An excellent 71-run partnership between Mike Alder (43) and James Stemp (66) put the hosts on top and in a great position to post an imposing total.

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Three wickets each for opening pair Tom Stride (3-63) and Stan Ball (3-50) meant wickets fell throughout Chichester’s innings, but fluent knocks from Heaven (30) and Ed McCarthy (41) pushed the home side to 259 for nine from their 53 overs.

The visitors never gained momentum through their reply with four wickets in the opening ten overs putting Middleton under early pressure.

The top order struggled against the seam of Heaven and they found themselves 52 for six, with a lot of work to do to avoid their first league defeat of the season.

A knock of 57 from 56 balls from Mark Robson provided a brief positive spell for the visitors, but off-spinner Elliot Purser (2-32) saw Chichester over the line with the last two wickets.

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The second was largely thanks to an unorthodox catch with his groin from Matt Bennison at short cover as Middleton were dismissed for 121.

Chichester remain third in the table.

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