Cuckfield hot favourites as Haywards Heath are beaten

Heath won the toss and Jonny Phelps opened the batting with Amila Thilakarathna. They were watchful to new ball bowlers Joe White and Henry Rogers. With the score on 24, White struck twice in two balls, removing Amila for one, caught behind by Ben John, and cleaning up Ben Matthew with a beauty.

Skipper Callum Smith and Phelps put on 50 before Phelps was caught by Ben Canfield for 43 off veteran Nick Patterson. Jemuel Cabey played an ill-judged shot and was caught by John and Patterson had taken two in an over.

James Anyon, bowling with superb control, giving Heath little opportunity to score, had Smith (25) caught by Ollie Graham in the slips although it had appeared to hit his grille rather than gloves. Heath had slipped from 82-2 to 84-5. Chris Blunt and Ollie Bailey started to dig in with Blunt looking to play the anchor role.

Anyon took the sixth wicket on 121 with Blunt edging behind to John for 11. Charlie Dowdall and Bailey upped the tempo and Bailey went past 50 but was Patterson’s third wicket on 165 holing out at long on for 51 taken by Joe White. Charlie Mifsud joined Dowdall (40), who took on Sam Candfield’s leg spin but top edged and the bowler took the catch, 196-8.

Tim Upchurch and Mifsud took Heath past 200 and Upchurch was caught by Ollie Graham off Hayward. Mifsud scored 23 not out and Heath finished on 215-9, Paterson taking 3-52, White 2-13 and Anyon 2-27. Cuckfield’s reply was started with Nipun Karunanayake and Joe Cambridge. Phelps and Cabey opened the bowling and Nipun (25) hit a full toss from Phelps to a diving Cabey and it was 36-1.

Cambridge was joined by ex-Heath player Graham and Phelps made a second breakthrough trapping Cambridge in front for 31, 83-2. Oscar Jago-Lewis was undone by Cabey on 28, snaffled by Chris Blunt 132-3. Cabey had a head of steam up and had Henry Rodgers caught behind by Ben Matthew for seven and Ben Canfield trapped in front for two and Cuckfield were looking nervous on 155-5.

Anyon was unfortunate to be removed by Phelps for one, caught by a worldie from Amila on 156-6. Ben John and Graham counter punched, but Heath were not being able to build any pressure. John was trapped in front for 30 by Smith and Cuckfield were 214-7. Josh Hayward completed the job and the leaders won by three wickets.

Graham played with his usual grit for an unbeaten 58, Phelps taking 3-47 and Cabey 3-65. Heath drop to third, eight points behind West Chilt. Cuckfield are 39 ahead at the top and look destined to a return to the premier. Heath host St James this week as the win/lose format returns.

Lindfield v Findon - Division 2

A high scoring draw against struggling Findon did little for Lindfield's hopes of avoiding relegation. Winning the toss, the visitors chose to bat under blue skies, on the flattest of pitches and quickest of outfields.

Findon moved along merrily, with Bradley Bridson and Alasdair Wilson taking the attack to the Swans. James Aggio-Brewe dismissed Wilson for 66, but Findon had reached 180-2. Bridson went on to 106 off 110 balls before Aggio-Brewe got his second wicket of four. Glen Bridson chipped in a well made 40 and Archie Cairns hit an unbeaten 27 to push the visitors' score to 282-8.

Lindfield got a good start with a century stand between Max Kidman and Jayson Butler, putting on 138 for the first wicket. Butler made 65 and Kidman 76, but the middle order struggled to take advantage. Toby Shepperson hit a 51-ball 60 but Lindfield finished 18 short on 264-7.

Ditchling CC

For the first time in Ditchling CC’s 200-year history, the club have hosted a women’s cricket match. Playing in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support, ages and abilities ranged from the club’s own players who represent Sussex in junior age groups to those who'd never played cricket.

Sussex CCC cricket development officer Charlotte Burton oversaw a close game between the Ditchling Dynamos and Ditchling Lionesses. The Lionesses won, watched by an appreciative crowd of 80 spectators. Player of the match Evie Emmott was presented with a bouquet by match organiser Molly Fullard.

Ditchling CC have a thriving junior section where girls play alongside boys. Sussex and England international Freya Kemp, who has been on Commonwealth Games duty with the England T20 squad, was coached at Ditchling for two seasons. Ditchling Cricket Club has been mourning the loss of inspirational president Patrick Nolan, who died last month aged 64 from pancreatic cancer.

The women’s match was the brainchild of Molly, whose grandfather Lawrence Peple, a former club president, died in 2006 aged 67 also from cancer. Molly said: “My grandfather and great grandfather played cricket at Ditchling and in the club’s long history a women’s cricket match has never been played here. I felt it was time to change that and for women to step up.”

The club hopes this will be the start of more girls and women playing at Ditchling.