Cricket in Sussex: Rain beats almost everyone – but Village Cup and friendly matches go ahead

Saturday’s cricket washout meant Crowhurst Park’s first XI went into their Sunday Village Cup match without having played a single game.

Crowhurst Park fielded a youthful side against the other club newly promoted to Division 2 of the Sussex League, Buxted Park.

The visitors chose to bat first on a pitch of unknown credentials.

It’s ‘like a swamp’ at Haywards Heath CC.

The openers looked solid until Redding Barnes (8) took a heave at Bradly Payne (1-38). A second wicket stand of 51 developed as Buxted started to take control before the dangerous George Read (41) missed a straight one bowled by James Bunday.

Thereafter the visitors prospered but did not dominate – the middle order all made useful runs, namely Ian Allen (51), Toby Leonard (39) and Dominic Heater (23*).

At times Park fielding showed a lack of practice but regular wickets by Sam Osmond (1-36 ) Charlie Ferguson (2-37) and skipper Nick Peters (2-45) saw Buxted close their innings on a respectable but not out of reach 236-7.

In reply Park made a terrible start, with both openers out by the second over (2-3), and it was soon to be 17-3 with Isaac Heater (3-38) and Redding Barnes (2-19) doing the damage.

Park consolidated before the fourth wicket fell at 40 when Jacob Watson (12) departed.

At this point Park could have been in an embarrassing defeat. But there followed an improbable fightback by Clive Tong and Luke Burdekin.

Tong started to counter-attack and the two put on 111.

Things were looking much brighter before a spectacular catch by Ollie Read saw Tong go for a splendid 88. Burdekin (47) played a good supporting role but having made the breakthrough Buxted took regular wickets.

Sam Osmond (16*) showed his potential as Park’s final wicket fell in the 39th over with the score on 191, 45 runs short. Parks MoM was Clive Tong.

Glynde got their campaign off to a winning start, in the National Village Cup 3rd round on Sunday. Glynde skipper Archie Burrows won the toss and had no hesitation in asking Findon to bat.

This immediatly paid off as Will Burton Durham 3-22 and Louis Barron 3-32 started an early collapse as Findon lost 3 wickets for 29. Rhere was then som excellent mid order batting from Glenn Bridson who made a well constructed 62, while Matthew Glover 22 and Felix Jordan played supporting roles.

After this only Graham Manser 28 put up too much resistance to the returning Burton Durham and Barron bowling. Charlie Silvester with 2-34 taking mid order wickets, while youngster Ridley Flind bowled very accuratly conceding just 17 runs in his 7 overs as Fundon were bowled out for 173.

Glynde started their innings very brightly as Matt Cramp struck 26 off just 15 balls with Robbie Mouland keeping the run rate brisk for a short time. After this 2 wickets fell in quick succession, but Charlie Silvester and George Burton Durham continued to keep the run rate moving along with 16 apiece.

Meanwhile Glynde had an anchor man in James Peck, who opened the innings as he passed 50.With 8 overs remaining Glynde had reached 132 for 7 and the game was in the balance.

However Man of the Match Peck finished on 65 not out and a quickfire 21 not out from Dominic Harris 21 saw Glynde cross the winning line with 2.3 overs to spare.

After the game Glynde captain Archie Burrows stated he was delighted, with what was an exceptional win given that this was Glynde's very 1st game of the season. He was also very pleased with the bowling performace of the team with Will Burton Durham and Louis Barron leading the way. “Matt Cramp got us off to a flier, while Man of the Match James Peck the perfect innings in the difficult conditions. Dominic Harris played an excellent 21 in the finisher role and it was a great way to kick off our season and we now look forward to our 4th round match will be at home to Buxted Park on Sunday 21st May.”

Glynde start their Sussex League Division 3 East campaign this coming Saturday with an away match at Lindfield.

Horsham CC & Roffey CC

by Martin Read

It came as no surprise that the miserable wet weather on last Saturday’s Coronation Day resulted in the abandonment of all of the opening fixtures in the Sussex Premier League, in which Horsham Cricket Club were scheduled to host newcomers Mayfield and Roffey were hoping to travel to Cuckfield.

The only consolation was that each of the ten clubs received the mandatory 10 points, with nobody able to get off to a flier by winning when all of the other games were rained off.

So bad were the conditions that only one Premiership game was played across the whole of Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Kent, with the surviving fixture being in far East Kent, where Sandwich won by 1 run off the final available ball of visiting Holmesdale’s 50 over innings, 539 runs being scored between the two sides on the day.

Horsham travel to Sandwich in the ECB National Club Championship on Sunday, when Roffey take the road to East Molesey (also in the National Cup). With the national competition taking preference over county tournaments, Horsham’s postponed Sussex Cup game at Pagham, earmarked for Sunday, will now have to be rearranged at a date to be advised.

Meanwhile, hopefully the weather will relent sufficiently to allow the Sussex Premier to get under way on Saturday when Horsham are due to visit Three Bridges, with Roffey welcoming Middleton – both games being 50 overs a side win/lose matches.

Tenterden 280-3 dec; Winchelsea 104

Winchelsea CC travelled to Tenterden to get their season under way.

The visitors got things off to a good start, winning the toss and electing to field first.

The Tenterden opening batsmen punished wayward bowling with an opening partnership of 202 before Russell Shipton retired on 101.

Gary Sargent scored 81 before falling to the bowling of Mike Stoneham (1-56). Pierre Clements scored 24 before being caught off James Jury (1-23). Daxesh Patel (20no) and Matt Burton (10no) saw Tenterden to a declaration of 280-3.

Winchelsea had a steady start with an opening stand of 22 before Harvey Piper (2-33) broke through.

Wickets fell at more regular intervals. Will Wheeler scored 29 before he was caught off the bowling of Mark Kokkinos (1-15).

Opener Colin O’Neill (29) was the only other batsmen to reach double figures before David Norton (5-58) snared him.

Winchelsea were dismissed for 104.