Cuckfield and Haywards Heath cricketers lose - but stay first and second

Haywards Heath remain 15 points behind Cuckfield at the top of division two of the Sussex League after both lost their latest games.
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Haywards Heath v Findon - Division two

Heath lost the toss and the visitors from Findon elected to bat on another beautiful day at the picturesque Clair Park.

With extras the biggest benefactor to Findon’s early score Heath made the breakthrough when the pace of Jemuel Cabey undid Bradley Bridson, bowled for 7 (33/1).

Shane Peach with Keon Harding looking on in the Lindfield CC matchShane Peach with Keon Harding looking on in the Lindfield CC match
Shane Peach with Keon Harding looking on in the Lindfield CC match
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New batsman Alasdair Wilson went for 5 (38/2) driving Jethro Menzies to the returning Charlie Dowdell at mid-off.

Josiah Menzies, also making a welcome comeback, soon removed Glenn Bridson for 4 (55/3) again caught by Dowdell between his knees and Heath were on top.

Harry Metters and Felix Jordan were batting patiently but on 128 Skipper Callum Smith made a breakthrough having Jordan (43) trapped in front.

Findon again scored steadily with Heath happy with the run rate but the lack of wickets was proving frustrating. On 193 Smith took the 5th wicket, the vital one of Metters who was superbly caught by a running catch from Tim Upchurch for a gutsy 73.

Lindfield's Harry Moorat on the driveLindfield's Harry Moorat on the drive
Lindfield's Harry Moorat on the drive
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Jonny Phelps removed Johann De Jager without scoring (194/6). Alex Stephens and Archie Cairns got Findon past 200 but the innings ended on 214 as Heath achieved maximum bowling points. Skipper Smith took 5-43 and Phelps 2-51.

With 215 required in 48 overs it was a case of whether Heath had the patience and depth in their order to get them over the line.

Jonny Phelps and Jethro Menzies opened and Phelps was fortunate to survive a couple of dropped catches.

Menzies looked back in touch and Heath easily advanced to 91 when Phelps called his team-mate to the danger end and he was run out with a direct hit from Alex Stephens for 32.

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Ben Matthew started brightly until he played back to cut and was bowled by Jabe Rogers for 11 (137/2).

Skipper Smith tried to keep the pressure on the away team and was caught for 2 attempting to go over the top off Felix Jordan and Heath were 146-3 and the nerves started.

Steve Goulds was Jordan’s second victim, caught for 2, 151-4. Phelps looked in imperious form and past his second century in three weeks but fell on 160 for 108 and Heath were five down.

The two Charlies, Dowdell and Mifsud, dug in and although the run rate slowed they showed enough determination to give Heath hope.

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On 178 both fell to Jordan and Archie Cairns and Heath still needed 37. Tim Upchurch and Jemuel Cabey tried to rescue things and Cabey started to open up and take the game back to Findon and hit back to back boundaries to take the score to 193 but Upchurch was cleaned up by Cairns and Heath were eight down still needing 22 runs.

Cabey took the score to 202 before Cairns had him caught. Freddie Whitehead and Josiah Menzies were the men in charge but Whitehead was bowled by Jordan for his fourth wicket and Heath were bowled out 12 runs short.

Heath now have two vital games in a row with next week - away to West Chilts this week and home to Cuckfield a week later.

Lindfield v Mayfield - Division two

Lindfield's recent encouraging form was blown away by the all round performance of Mayfield West Indian overseas star Keon Harding, who took five wickets and hit an unbeaten century.

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Batting first, the hosts struggled early on with the pace of Harding, who mixed up his length well creating problems for the Lindfield top order.

Farhad Reza (19) tried to take the momentum away with some fearsome strokeplay but it wasn't until the introduction of Harry Moorat that Lindfield got to grips with the game.

His 66 off 113 balls anchored the innings, allowing Simon Shivnarain, wearing four layers of clothing on a blisteringly hot day, to play around him with a well-taken 29.

Wicketkeeper Shane Peach with an unbeaten 30 brought the home side up to a competitive 217-8.

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In response, Lindfield got off to a good start taking early wickets and reducing Mayfield to 26-3.

However this was the high point for the Swans as it brought together Harding with Tristan Kilops.

Kilops went on to make 65 off 105 balls before succumbing to the bowling of Reza.

However, Harding, being watched by England fast bowler and friend Jofra Archer, went on to make an unbeaten 127 to help his side win comfortably with two overs to spare. Dom Morrgan was the pick of the bowlers with 2-60.

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Lindfield captain James Aggio-Brewe said: "We keep getting ourselves into good positions to be competitive but struggle to get over the line. We must put that right in the upcoming fixtures."

Cuckfield v West Chiltington - Division two

Cuckfield CC remain top of Sussex League division despite defeat at home to West Chiltington.

On a gsunny day, Cuckfield wanted to avenge their only loss of the season. After losing the toss, Cuckfield took to the field with 16-year-old Henry Rogers (2-28) and Joe White (4-35) making early breakthroughs to leave Chilts 43-4.

Only Charlie Tear (58) resisted the onslaught and the introduction of Nick Patterson (2-49) paid dividends.

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Josh Taylor (49) started patiently while Tear counter-attacked. Patterson removed Tear, and Ben Van Noort (58) and Taylor set about rebuilding.

They the score to 155 before the impressive White had Taylor caught by Ben John and two balls later removed Ben Lucking (0). Theo Trevelyan Clark and Van Noort took West Chiltington to 222 before Josh Hayward (1-46) claimed the final wicket.

Joe Cambridge (6) and Nipun Karunanayake (35) opened the reply. Hugo Gillespie (2-47) removed Cambridge early but Karunanayake and Ollie Graham (58) took Cuckfield to 76 before Ben Lucking (3-66) struck.

Cuckfield lost three wickets for five runs to Lucking, Morne Louw (3-35) and a run out, handing the momentum to West Chiltington.

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At 88-5, Cuckfield looked to be capitulating but Graham and Henry Rogers (40) again shifted the game in Cuckfield’s favour.

After Graham departed, Rogers became more expansive and was joined by skipper Ben Candfield (24), however both departed leaving Cuckfield 186-8.

Josh Hayward (8) was bowled swiftly followed by a poor run-out as Cuckfield were bowled out for 195.

Goring v Cuckfield 2nd - Division 4 West

Cuckfield twos beat promotion rivals Goring by one run in a low-scoring thriller on the coast.

Goring won the toss and needed no invitation to bowl first.

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Nine of the ten Cuckfield wickets to fall were catches, as Dominic Sear tried to hold the innings together from one end, and scored 65 in a total of 130 all out.

In the reply Matt Slinger (3-30) bowled well and Candfield took two key wickets.

Greg Seed (1-23) and Will Nolan (3-15) helped finish off Goring and keeper Connor Bettsworth claimed five dismissals for the day.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​