Hailsham girls are cricket invincibles - Eastbourne Renegades on the up

Hailsham Cricket Club’s under-13 girls have capped an undefeated season by lifting the SCF League County Final trophy at Western Road. And there's happy news for Eastbourne Renegades ladies' team - plus news of a special match at Pevensey CC.
Eastbourne RenegadesEastbourne Renegades
Eastbourne Renegades

Hailsham (pictured on the back page), winners of the South/East Sussex League were up against Southwater, who won the Mid/North Sussex League.

Hailsham were asked to bat first in an almost constant drizzle all morning. Sophie Beck (31*), Romilly Smith (30*) and Maisie Harris (23) helped their side to a commanding total of 145-2 from 16 overs.

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In reply, Southwater never got to grips with the accuracy of the Hailsham attack, with Sophie Beck (2-1), Connie Filtness (2-2) and Molly Crosbie (2-7) ripping through the top order. Maisie and Romilly grabbed a wicket apiece as Southwater were bowled out for just 30.

The Pevensey Sunday sideThe Pevensey Sunday side
The Pevensey Sunday side

The girls have completed an invincible season, winning their league, the Sussex Junior Cricket Festival and now the League County trophy.

Coach Jim Wise said: “These girls have been absolutely amazing this season.

“I’m so proud of their superb achievements and the effort they put in and the encouragement they give each other is lovely to see, well done to each and every one.”

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Meanwhile, Pevensey CC hosted the annual match between their Sunday side and Sussex Disability Cricket XI.

The Sussex Disability teamThe Sussex Disability team
The Sussex Disability team

The fixture is now in its fourth year, and has fast become a favourite for both sides, with an amazing standard of play every time.

The Sussex XI scored a competitve 167 off their 35 over. Pevensey then batted well but ended 11 runs short.

* Eastbourne Renegades produced a sensational team display to beat an excellent Harrow St Mary’s side by two wickets to secure promotion to the Southern Counties League for next season.

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They chased down the 183 required with two overs to spare, with two unsung heroes in Sara Sadiq and 13 year old Kitty Vogels keeping their nerve to secure a crucial five-run partnership to win the game much to the delight of the travelling Eastbourne contingent who celebrated vociferously at the end.

Hailsham girls under-13sHailsham girls under-13s
Hailsham girls under-13s

Earlier, Harrow were restricted to 182/9 in their 45 overs. At one stage they were 26-3 but an excellent partnership of 88 between Alisha Rafiq 36 and Vani Danuka 59 steadied the ship.

Eastbourne wrestled back control in the final 20 overs, conceding only 81 runs and taking wickets regularly.

Sophie Naish 2-22, Arwyn James 2-37, Sara Sadiq 2-40, Hollie Young 1-28, Amie Anderson 1-33 and Tilly Dow 1-0 were the Renegades wicket takers.

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Eastbourne lost captain Mimi Wilton (4) and Arwyn James (2) early on but Polly McCarthy Williams was her usual positive and belligerent self making a superb 47 off 35 balls before perishing caught on the boundary.

A partnership of 45 between Hollie Young 27 and Katie Eagle 36 put Eastbourne well ahead of the run rate but when both perished the game was precariously poised at 127-5. Tilly Dow was next out and it was 130-6.

Then came a superb and well constructed partnership between Sophie Naish and Amie Anderson. Both girls batted with maturity beyond their years, knocking the ball for ones and twos and running brilliantly between the wickets until Amie was ironically run out attempting a two for an invaluable 15, the partnership broken at 40 leaving Eastbourne still 13 short of victory.

When Sophie was also run out for a magnificent 32, it was left to Sara and Kitty to get the final five runs, which were achieved when Sara hoisted one over square leg to get the final two required for victory and lead to the compulsory pitch invasion from the girls.

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Promotion is a deserved reward for everyone who has played a part in the season.

The annual match between the Sussex Disability Cricket XI and Pevensey CC’s Sunday side was a close and exciting – but above all friendly – encounter.

The fixture is now in its fourth year, and has fast become a favourite game for both sides, with an amazing standard of play every time.

Batting first, Sussex were pegged back by Charlie Trunkfield who took three good early wickets.

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Two were with sharp catches from Jonah Corbishley and Laurence Palmer, and the third saw him bowl Meg Loveland (18) with a peach, to stop a promising looking innings.

The strongest partnership of the innings followed as James’ Dallaway (42) and Bunday (24) eased the change bowling around the park and began putting the visitors on top.

It needed a direct hit throw from fielding superstar Dave Trunkfield to removed Bunday and a magic ball from Gaurav Bijlani to castle Dallaway to get Pev back in the game.

A wicket apiece for Chris Loveland and Luca Bijlani continued to apply pressure, as well as an extraordinary leg-side stumping by Graeme Corbishley off the ever threatening Laurence Palmer.

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Charlie Ferguson (34) was the pick of the remaining batsman, driving Sussex up to a competitve 167 off their 35 overs, but all the Pev fielders stuck to their task with great energy,

Pevensey’s reply stumbled to 2-2 as Dan Gee and Jack Spencer-Jones took 1 each, before the watchful Charlie Trunkfield (17) and the cavalier Graeme Corbishley put on 50 runs together giving the home side the advantage.

Corbishley top scored with 48 before being caught at fine leg off the persevering Ethan Turner, which turned the game back the other way.

Charlie Ferguson (2-6) and Jack Dixon (3-17) then decimated the middle order despite a well paced 24 from Dave Trunkfield. Gaurav (26*) and Loveland (17*) forced the game to the wire as they looked to attack in the closing overs.

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But Sussex held their nerve in the field field and were able to keep the home side 11 runs short.

Man of the match was Sussex’s Charlie Ferguson, who at only 14 years old clearly has a great future ahead of him.

But credit must go to all players on the day, for a welcoming, competitive and very inclusive game of cricket.

The 2022 rematch is already booked.

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