East Preston cruise to comfortable victory

EP’s opening bowlers Jack Sunderland and Mark Coskin tore through Southwick’s top order as they fell to 18-5 and then 25-6 early in their innings.

Mark O’Keefe and Steve Martin steadied things with a 38-run stand for the seventh wicket, before O’Keefe was caught by Joe Carter off Tom Chamberlain’s bowling for 18.

Martin then added 35 for the eighth wicket with Warwick McClymont, before Wickers’ last three wickets fell for just three runs and they were all out for 101. Martin top-scored with 29, while McClymont added 20 as Sunderland took 5-34 from 13 overs to follow on from his six wickets the previous week and Coskin finished with 3-22 off 10 overs.

East Preston made a steady start to their innings with a 45-run stand between captain-for-the-game Tim Miles and Gary Weedon.

Miles was one of Russell Martin’s two wickets, for 10, before Weedon was run-out for 31, after hitting four fours and one six, with the score on 61.

Sunderland fell for a first-ball duck and Colin Smith was out for 15, before Dan Williams struck 30 not out, with five fours and one six, and Chamberlain finished nine not out as EP reached their target in just 27.3 overs.

Batsman Smith said: “As a unit, we bowled really well. Jack again bowled well, Mark looked like he was back to his old self, Tom and Dan picked up a wicket each and Joe Carter bowled well without any luck.

“Gary then started promisingly in our reply before I ran him out and Dan finished things off with a quick 30 not out.”

EP travel to Felbridge on Saturday, with captain Richard Laker, Chris Williams and Tom Reeves all back available.