Cuckfield lose to reigning champs Roffey

The Cuckfield opening attack of Browning and Hutchings didn’t hit their straps and the home side turned to their dependable duo of Hayward and Patterson.

At 66 for 0 after 20 overs, Cuckfield needed a breakthrough - cue the leg spin of Ben Candfield, dismissing Rivers for 19. Hayward then trapped Norris lbw for 4 and Candfield picked up the wicket of Flemming (40). At 71 for 3 after 26 overs the momentum seemed to be shifting, but this brought Rohit Jagota to the crease for Roffey.

He and Chris Webb (20) stabilised the innings in a watchful partnership of 44 before Webb was well caught by Dom Sear off the bowling of Steffan Piolet. South African Ben Manenti joined Jagota and proceeded to put on a display of six hitting, with one over going for 26. He was stranded on the crease, lbw again by Hayward, having hit 7 sixes in his 57, adding 88 for the fifth wicket. Jagota (91) then upped the pace before being caught off the bowling of Nick Patterson. Roffey declared after 55 overs at 253 for 6. This could have been a lot more were it not for the metronomic control of the Cuckfield Skipper, Josh Hayward, who finished with figures of 20-6-71-2.

The Cuckfield reply was blunted early as Sear and Piolet both fell cheaply giving the Roffey openers George Flemming and Leigh Harrison one wicket a piece. At 16 for 2 in the fifth over, Jack Denyer and Harry Clark began to dig in and build a partnership.

It was not to be though as George Flemming removed Denyer for 18 and then Clark for 27. Cuckfield collapsed to 85 for 7, but Hayward and Candfield threatened to thwart the inevitable with a partnership of 48, before Hayward was stumped, giving Flemming his fourth wicket, for a run-a-ball 39. It again seemed to be all over, but Candfield picked up where Hayward left off in a last wicket partnership of 46 with number 11, Jamie Hutchings. Candfield finally fell caught by Norris in the deep off the bowling of Jagota for a superb 47. Cuckfield were bowled out for 183 with the lower order doing most to add respectability to the innings.