East Preston take local bragging rights

EP had been bowled out for just 79 in their opening West Sussex Invitation League Division 1 game of the season at home to Felbridge but there was no sign of those batting frailties on Saturday as they declared on 222-7 after 47.1 overs.

After losing Gary Weedon for 10, with 37 on the scoreboard, Tim Miles and Colin Smith put on 81 for East Preston’s second wicket.

Smith was bowled by Littlehampton skipper Dan Rive for 38, after hitting eight fours from 60 balls, and Tom Reeves and Chris Williams then fell shortly afterwards to leave EP 131-4.

Miles was next man out, for 79, after striking 15 fours in his 106-ball innings, before Jack Sunderland boosted the EP total.

He struck six fours and one six in his 50 from 49 deliveries and Dan Williams hit a run-a-ball 19 not out, before Sunderland was out to the first ball of the 48th over, when EP captain Andy Reeves declared.

Amit Midha led the way with the ball for Littlehampton with 3-52 and Tom Lee claimed 2-39. The home side were not helped by Ryan Budd suffering a hamstring injury after bowling just four deliveries.

Sunderland, part of the Worthing Thunder Basketball Club squad who reached the final of the EBL play-offs last month, then also starred with the ball as he took five wickets.

Littlehampton lost wickets at regular intervals throughout their innings, as the 41-run fifth-wicket stand between Midha and Chris Heberlein was their best partnership.

Littlehampton were reduced to 14-3 and 40-4 early in their innings, before Midha and Heberlein’s stand. After Heberlein fell for 12, Midha added 31 for the fifth wicket with Darren Bazley (20).

Midha was seventh man out for 50, after hitting seven fours from 68 balls, and, after Amjad Mohsin fell for one, Sunderland took the final two wickets to fall to finish with 5-40 from 12.4 overs.

Mark Coskin claimed three wickets and there was one each for Dan Williams and Richard Laker.

Littlehampton captain Dan Rive said: “We just didn’t apply ourselves with the bat as we just played too many silly shots.

“We just kept playing the wrong shots at the wrong times and weren’t patient enough.”