Cuckfield record first win at the Nevill since 2008

Brighton won the toss and elected to bat first on an uncharacteristically hot day at the Nevill Ground.

One lbw a piece for Thorpe and Weston saw both openers dismissed for 2 runs each leaving the home side 8 for 2 after 7 overs. Spectacular one handed catches from Nick Patterson and Harry Clark saw the back of Simon Hetherton (6) and Liam Smith (6) leaving Brighton 34 for 4.

Waheed Safi joined Chris Atherton and Safi played a stonewall defensive game, while Atherton waited patiently for run-scoring opportunities.

The pair put on 52 before Atherton was caught by Raval off the leg-spin of Ben Candfield for 46. Safi batted time scoring 13 from 54 balls, but no other batsman made double figures as Brighton were bowled out for 120 in the 45th over. Ben Candfield took 3/9 from his six overs and there were two wickets each for James Thorpe, Billy Meboroh-Collinson and Dale Morris.

Cuckfield had 65 overs to score 121 to win, but on a difficult pitch on which they had seen how hard it was to score. Jeet Raval and Dominic Sear opened up for Cuckfield but the partnership was short lived as Raval saw a lifting delivery clip the back of his bat and defect onto the stumps the second ball of the innings. Tom Weston joined Sear and the pair dug in to quell the exuberance of the home team.

Runs were hard to come by and with the score on 11 in the 10th over Weston hit one back to Chris Mates to be caught and bowled for 7. Gayler followed quickly for duck, but Chris Mole then joined Sear and looked to give some impetus to the Cuckfield innings.

Having largely seen off the Brighton openers and the new ball Sear was unlucky as one kept low and he was bowled by Hetherton, but his score of 6 from 53 balls belies the story of how hard he worked for his team in the searing heat.

Harry Clark joined Chris Mole and as the opening bowlers tired the pair took the game back to Brighton, playing watchfully and punishing anything loose. It was a characteristic masterclass from Mole of adapting to the conditions and the circumstances as he hit a run-a-ball 67. And Clark wasn’t playing second fiddle to anyone as he hit 34 and the pair finished the game in the 33rd over to win by 6 wickets.

Cuckfield 2nd XI won the toss and batted first at home. Having lost the early wicket of Wisdom to Tong, George Galbraith-Gibbons (19) and Darren Senadhira (31) began to build a partnership taking the score to 46 before Galbraith-Gibbons was bowled by Sam Hobbs. Wickets fell regularly throughout the rest of the innings which was held together by Chris Taylor (51*) as Cuckfield reached 183 for 9 including a cameo of 21 from Matt Wynn.

Paul Brookes took 3/54 and there were two wickets each for Sam Hobbs and Matt Peters.

Three wickets for Jamie Hutchings put Cuckfield in a great position as Crowhurst Park found themselves 50 for 3. As wickets fell opener, Joel Bruun was building an innings. The change bowling of Wisdom brought a fourth wicket with the score at 77 and Cameron Flanagan joined Bruun.

The score quickly moved onto 111 before Robinson dismissed Bruun for 64. Flanagan continued where Bruun left off, making 59 and taking the game away from Cuckfield before becoming Hutching’s fourth victim. Crowhurst reached Cuckfield’s target in the 31st over to win by 3 wickets. Hutchings took 4/35 for Cuckfield.

Cuckfield 3rd XI v Dormansland

Cuckfield won the toss and put Dormansland into bat at the St Clair ground. Two wickets for Jack Best and one for Chris Osborne left the hosts 23 for 3. A 67 partnership between Tom Nickols and David Williams took the score to 90 before Williams nicked off to Osborne and Nickols followed soon after, also caught off Osborne. Max Jones (50) anchored the rest of the innings as Cuckfield affected two run outs and Slinger took two wicket to bowl DOrmansland out for 185 after 45 overs. Osborne took 3/56, Best 2/16 and Slinger 2/38.

Will Rossiter (53) and Tom Morrissey (56) set about the chase for Cuckfield with considerable ease before Phill Stagg accounted for both, but the platform had been set and 41 from Piers Harrison ensured Cuckfield got over the line inside the 37th over to win by 4 wickets. Stagg took 4/62.

Cuckfield 4th XI v Streat and Westmeston

Streat won the toss and elected to field first at Cuckfield. The home team’s top four all got in and got out in the twenties Tom Wright (24), James Buckeridge (22), Dan Turner (23), Mike Caidan (24) and the rest of the batsmen all contributed double figures, but no player got a big score as wickets fell regularly. Cuckfield posted 170 for 7 from their 47 overs as Geoff Hart took 3/44.

Guy Dixon had early success for Cuckfield as he removed both openers and the number 4 leaving Street 40/3. Simon Hardy picked up the fourth wicket breaking a 40 partnership between Jamie Bowles (15) and Roger Tapping. Chris Foulerton joined Tapping and the pair put on another 53 runs before Hardy removed Foulerton for 36, then the incoming Porter for 8 and Tapping for 31. It was not enough though as Streat reached their target in 36 overs to win by 3 wickets. Hardy took 4/23 and Dixon 3/20.