Cricket: Middleton celebrate first win... Pagham slip up

In a reversal of both teams’ early-season fortunes, Middleton won in the Sussex Premier but Pagham lost in division two.
Tommy Davies batting for Middleton against Bexhill / Picture by Louise AdamsTommy Davies batting for Middleton against Bexhill / Picture by Louise Adams
Tommy Davies batting for Middleton against Bexhill / Picture by Louise Adams

Here are the reports – and don’t forget to log on to this site every Sunday for a full league round-up.

Middleton v Billingshurst

Sussex Premier League

Middleton are celebrating their first win of the season against the side who joined them in being promoted last year.

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Home skipper Sean Heather won the toss for the third game in a row, and elected for the first time this season to field.

Middleton’s West Indian overseas player Jofra Archer, fit again after injury, took the new ball for the first time since joining the club in May 2013.

In-form Jamie Thompson got Middleton off to the start they wanted, taking a wicket with the third ball of his first over, removing opener Shane West.

Archer, returning for a second spell, soon had Billingshurst’s dangerous overseas all-rounder Dhanusshka Mitipolaarachchi brilliantly caught by Beck Hemingway, diving full length in the covers, when on nine. But celebrations were short-lived as umpire Terry Burstow signalled a no-ball.

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It was left to Anthony Ender to account for Mitipolaarachchi, having him caught behind by wicketkeeper Will Burrows, with his score on 42.

Three overs later Archer struck again, dismissing David Rose, leaving Billingshurst five down for 89. He followed up with five further wickets ending with six for 69, leaving Billingshurst all out for 145 in just 40 overs.

Heather, continuing from where he left off the previous week, looked in fine touch, steering his side to victory facing both the first and last ball of the Middleton innings.

The winnig shot was a perfectly-executed six over long-off off the bowling of Ben Williams, the Billingshurst captain, taking his side to victory and his personal score to 54.

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Earlier in the innings he had shared a partnership of 66 with man of the match Archer, who hit 58 in 42 balls including seven fours and three sixes.

The result puts Middleton back in touch with teams around them in the lower half of the league.

Pagham v Lindfield

Sussex division two

Lindfield won the toss and batted first and were soon in trouble at 16 for three.

But excellent batting from Max O’Dowd and somewhat streaky batting from Hayden James saw them recover to 136 for four.

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A partnership of 61 saw Lindfield reach 197 for four with 13 overs left.

O’Dowd got to a superb 101 before he was brilliantly caught by Sean Rutter. This wicket saw Pagham get back into the game with the last five wickets falling for 38 runs.

Nabib Rahman was the pick of the bowlers again, finishing with four for 58 with the remaining six wickets shared between Peter Cotterill, Mike Hales and Eranga.

Pagham’s top order were soon pondering where the next run might come from. Only 25 from Stuart Rutter and 31 by Mike Hales enabled Pagham to obtain two batting points as they were dismissed for a below-par 154.

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Hayden James took the first seven wickets to fall with accurate seam bowling and finished with seven for 32 from 17 overs. Pagham lost by 81 runs but their 12 points keep them top of the tree.

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