Cricket's August Cup starts with some stunning performances from West Sussex clubs

Chichester v Worthing

August Cup

Elliot Scott shone with the ball as Chichester ran out comfortable victors against Worthing in the first game of their August cup campaign at Goodwood.

Having lost the toss and been asked to bowl first, Chichester started strongly as new signing Martin Ford alongside club stalwart and groundsman Matt Geffen applied early pressure.

Geffen (8-2-16-2) picked up a wicket with his first ball as the Worthing opener misjudged a leave that crashed into the top of off-stump. At the other end Ford (7-0-22-2) bowled with pace and hostility, not allowing the batsmen any easy scoring opportunities, and duly picked up two wickets, the second thanks to an excellent catch in the slips by Tim Wergen.

Owen Spicer (6-0-30-2) and Ben Gregory (8-0-46-0) kept the pressure on as only Dunn (72) and the unorthodox Mahesh (22) scored with freedom.

At 132-6 Chichester seized the initiative as the skipper turned to Elliot Scott, playing his first competitive game for the 1st XI. Scott has worked hard with club spin guru and mentor James Mayne over the winter to develop his skills, and he used them to full effect as he bowled with great control to pick up 4-17. Worthing were 139 all out.

The Chichester reply got off to the worst possible start as Simon Hasted (0) edged behind off the second ball of the innings, before Will Futcher (4) was trapped LBW to leave Chichester 8-2.

Wergen joined Matt Bennison at the crease and took the initiative. With Wergen’s powerful stroke play and Bennison’s dabs and nurdles, they took the score to 72 before Wergen was bowled for 34. Captain Sean Dobbs continued Wergen’s assault on the bowling, with Bennison content to push full-tosses for singles.

The pair saw Chichester home with 12.2 overs to spare, with Bennison (50*) bringing up his half-century with a boundary to secure the win. Dobbs finished with a fine 36 not out. Chichester visit Pagham this week.

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West Wittering v Worthing Chipps

August Cup

West Wittering fell short chasing 218 against Worthing Chipps despite a valiant comeback led by former skipper Carl Tupper.

Chipps elected to bowl. Harry Staight (2-32) led the line superbly for Wittering but Chipps rebuilt on a bouncy wicket and fast outfield.

Spike Western (2-37) and Joe Pink (2-31) had auccess and at 115-5, Chipps looked set for less than 150 but a lower order effort, helped by dropped catches took them to for 217-9.

West Wittering lost Pink for a duck in the second over and things went from bad to worse.

Zander Muir (4) and Matt Burgess (4) fell to stunning slip catches. Enter Tupper to join fellow club stalwart Mark Taylor at the crease. The experienced pair set out rebuilding things before Taylor was caught playing his favoured cut shot. Another flurry of wickets took Wittering to 74-7.

Harry Staight, limping from an ankle injury, joined Tupper and demonstrated his strength as a middle order batsman.

But he was caught on 35, his 65-run partnership with Tupper having taken Wittering to 139-8. Western clubbed 14 in a 37-run partnership before getting bowled in the 37th over. Tupper was run out for 61 leaving Wittering 183 all out.

n Worthing Chippingdale 2nd posted 208-7 at home to West Wittering seconds.

In the reply, Andy Priest scored 50 not out but no-one could stay with him as Witts ended on 148.

Goodwood v Fernhurst

Goodwood elected to bat and when Rich and Clifton opened, the scoring was slow.

There was a strong breeze and S Meyer (8.0.3.24) and Unwin (8.1.1.16) bowled well.

Heyworth joined Rich in the ninth over and they moved the score on to 68 before Heyworth was bowled by Hillis (6.1.2.37).

Beard (7) added quick runs and Carver added 26. Mike Smith was next in (52no) and he and Rich (53) provided the bulk of the Goodwood runs. Fernhurst tidied up the end of the innings with help from Geddes (4.0.2.24) and J Meyer (4.0.2.15).

Geffen (5.1.21.1) and Lamb (4.0.19.3) opened the bowling for Goodwood and Westly and A Kidd the batting for Fernhurst. Lamb chopped the top off the batting order with three wickets in three overs.

S Meyer (32) and Baker (18) were the only Fernhurst batsmen to reach double figures as Matt Bennison (8.1.29.3) and Stanley Mayne (8.1.29.2) took things away from them. Matt Beard and Smith rounded things off.

Chi PP IV v Bognor III

August Cup

Priory Park fourths ran up a healthy total of 247 against Bognor in their opening August Cup game.

Steve Price (76) and 59 off 46 balls by David Baily were the highlights. Daniel Harper (59) and Joe Delaney (36) boosted Bognor but they were bowled out for 188.

Eastergate v Aldwick

Aldwick travelled the short distance to Eastergate in the first game of the August Cup.

Eastergate were invited to bat, and despite being 35-3, they recovered thanks to a partnership between Jack Saunders 74 and Alex Robinson 22. Saunders put on another 72 with Andrew White to see Aldwick to 204 for 8 in their 40 overs. There were two wickets each for Aldwick bowlers Ian Horner, Josh Mann and Ollie Smith.

Aldwick started well with Alex Cooper 23 and Liam Tinson 16 putting on 42 for the first wicket. The innings started to collapse with only Ian Horner 23 scoring double figures. Aldwick eventually capitulated for 112. Jonathan Dakic had fine bowling figures of 4-25, well supported by Jack Bateman with 3-27.

Bognor v West Chilts

West Chilts elected to bat on a good deck, and despite an early wicket for Ben Woolnough, Hugo Gillespie and Matt Machan made good progress.

However, the spin of Joe Ashmore and Jamie Woolnough set the tone for the remainder of the game, and Machan fell for 42 and Gillespie for 52 in successive overs. Only an unbeaten fifty from Josh Taylor got Chilts up to 191.

Bognor got off to a flier despite losing Tom Woolnough for nought, with Ryan Maskell and Ashmore playing some eye-catching shots.

A flurry of wickets left them in a bit of trouble at 78-4. Ashmore (42) rebuilt alongside Mike Harris (34) and Bognor looked good.

Regular wickets on an increasingly dusty track meant it was still five to win from the last over, and despite the best efforts of Jamie Woolnough (24), a wicket off the last ball meant a tie.

Broadwater v Slinfold

Slinfold captain Sean Overton said it was great to be playing competitive cricket again.

“We were very pleased to start with a win against a dangerous Broadwater side,” he said. “It was a good effort to reduce Broadwater to 173 all out as at one stage it looked like they could score a lot more. A lot of credit has to go to spinners Dan Smith and Guy Thorne, who bowled very well in the middle overs and picked up wickets, before James Parker came back to pick up the final wickets.

“In reply after losing Adam Goacher early we steadied the ship with regular partnerships. Mushal Murad and Guy Thorne both batted beautifully and can take a lot of credit in getting us over the line in what turned out to be quite A close chase in the end.”

Ebernoe v Kirdford

Kirdford visited Ebernoe’s beautiful ground on a sunny day. Asked to bat first Kirdford’s opening partnership of Ben Jeffery and Stuart Brown put on a quick 50. Richard Stemp of Ebernoe took four wickets to put Kirdford on the back foot, but a late rally by Ed Bayne (30), James Spearing (20), Alex Keville (20) and 50 by Jamie Rountree got Kirdford up to 217 off their 35 overs.

Ebernoe’s top order are feared on the circuit but Keville and Bayne between them took three wickets in the first 10 overs to leave Ebernoe 56-3. Simon Pett nabbed the key wicket of Hunter Davies, followed by another two wickets in a five-over spell.

Will Bayne and Angus Brown cleared up the tail with two wickets each to leave Ebernoe all out for 129 – the first time in around 30 years that Kirdford have won there.