Cuckfield still in the hunt after Nomads win

But with Roffey beating Worthing, Cuckfield are relying on the league leaders slipping up to win the title.

When play finally got under way at 3.30, Dan Phillips and Ollie Gatting walked out to the middle after the visitors won the toss and decided to bat.

Despite a boundary off the first ball, the Nomads batsmen found life tough going as Tom Weston’s armoury of cutters and slower balls proved difficult to score off on a slow surface. He first removed Phillips, caught at deep square leg, before undoing Moses with another slower ball, leaving Nomads 21-2.

The introduction of spin into the attack, in the form of Josh Hayward, made life even tougher for the Nomads batsman. He first removed Shepheard, caught at mid-off from a leading edge, before seeing Ibrahim chip to cover for 0.

While at the other end, the combination of Hayward and Brad Gayler saw Ollie Gatting run out. This left Nomads struggling at 26-5, before Jeremy Green looked to consolidate along with Stuart Faith.

Scoring opportunities were scarce, as Hayward’s first two overs cost just two runs, and Ben Candfield’s four-over spell cost just 11 runs, causing Nomads to stagnate. Despite some slightly more enterprising batting from Jeremy Green, including a six into the pavilion, it appeared that the visitors would struggle to post a competitive score. Sear and Patterson combined to continue to apply the same pressure that had been built up in the infancy of the nomads innings, Sear having Faith caught cover, before Patterson removed both McKemey and Jeremy Green, who top scored with 28.

The return of Hayward quickly saw to the Nomads tail, having both Kernan and Rigg stumped by Gayler, to finish up with figures of 4 overs, 9 runs and 4 wickets as Nomads posted 83.

Cuckfield went out to bat needing a low total on a pitch that had offered assistance to the bowlers. Despite this, the ever-reliable opening partnership of Dom Sear and Jordan Silk set about reducing the target quickly, before Silk was adjudged LBW with the score on 28.

Mole and Sear then combined, both playing booming drives off both seam and spin, to take Cuckfield to 61 before Mole gloved one to a diving McKemey to give Steven Rigg a wicket. Weston added 10 more, before missing a straight one from Ibrahim, however it was too little, too late as Sear mixed careful defense with a few expansive shots to score 33 not out and see Cuckfield home comfortably in the 19th over with 7 wickets in hand.

2nd XI

Riding high in the table and sensing the weather might intervene, Preston Nomads won the toss and put a struggling Cuckfield team into bat. The decision looked to have backfired as the new opening partnership of Ben John and Graham Hart took control of the game racking up a 50 partnership before Hart was trapped lbw by Adam O’Brien. George Galbraith-Gibbons and Darren Senadhira both picked up the mantle, but were both bowled by O’Brien for 12 and 16 respectively. But Cuckfield collapsed from 117-3 to 185 for 9 as O’Brien took 6/74.

Nomads had 43 overs to chase down the target and did so in the 41st over losing 5 wickets in the process. George Read hit 64 and was well supported by Liam O’Brien (27) and William Wright (18) before James Robinson dismissed all three. Max Lincoln (35) and Mason Robinson (26) then put on 61 for the 4th wicket to guide Noams home. Robinson finished with 4/62.

3rd XI

Balcombe won the toss and elected to bat on a damp pitch at Cuckfield. The change bowling of Will Rossiter took the first 5 wickets with a top score of 14.

The Balcombe number 3, Charlie Dowdall, was settling in however, and went on to carry his bat for 100 while only one other batsman broke 20 as number 11, Harvey Mitchell made 27 not out to help Balcombe to a competitive 217 for 9 from their 47 overs.

Rossiter took 5/47 for Cuckfield.

After losing Rossiter for a Duck, the rest of the Cuckfield top order all got starts, but wickets fell regularly and only Tommy Watson pushed on to 42.

A lower order resistance from Rodney Candfield (38) frustrated Balcombe, but they bowled Cuckfield out for 161 in the 35th over as Sam Dutton, Adrian Ruzicka, Charlie Eastwood, Harvey Mitchell and Charlie Dowdall took two wickets each.

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1 Make this website your homepage

2 Like our Facebook page at facebook.com/pages/Sport-Sussex

3 Follow us on Twitter @SportSussex

4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!