Invitation League round up: Wins for top two in Division One, Southwater and Arundel

On Saturday Southwater thrashed bottom club Clymping at home to extend their lead at the top to nine points.

The visitors batted first and made 214-8 off their 49 overs, Southwater bowlers Paul Osborne and Danny Humphreys taking three wickets each.

In reply, although ‘keeper Greg Young was out for one, the ever reliable Baker and Brouwer combination did it again with an unbeaten 214 run partnership.

Both made centuries as Southwater look the team to beat as we near the halfway stage.

And Southwater made it a double-winning weekend by defeating St Andrews (Burgess Hill in the T20 Cup on the Sunday.

Paul Osbourne hit 84 of Southwater’s 168-4 and in reply St Andrews fell only five runs short of victory, skip Hayden James with 79 runs from just 24 balls. Southwater are top of their group with two wins from two.

Arundel stayed in second in Division One after a good win at the equally inconsistent Littlehampton. The home side made 244-6 dec off 45 overs, ‘keeper Mike Askew with a ton.

However Arundel chased it down in the last over with their ‘keeper Crook also reaching three figures.

Felbridge are now in third after winning at struggling East Preston.

The Surrey side again failed with the bat making 140 all out but then bowled out EP for just 83.

In the final match, Ram squeezed home in another low scoring thriller against West Chilt.

Deprived of their talismanic batsmen, Jarvis and Howgate, Chilt made just 144 all out but nearly won the game taking nine Ram wickets before their hosts got home.

Speaking after their first defeat of the season, Chilt’s 1st XI captain Tim Monday said: “As a club, we were missing too many players in both the bowling and batting departments.

“This Saturday we host the leaders who have some useful bowlers to back up their strong top order batting. We’re looking forward to welcoming back Tim and James and it should be a good game.”

In the relegation places, Clymping and East Preston need to start winning or will be cast adrift at the foot of Division One.

In Division Two, Broadwater won the top of the table clash in the Worthing derby at Chippingdale.

Graham Waller made a ton for the visitors as they overhauled Chipps’ 212-9 in the last over.

Horsham Trinity are third after a win in the Horsham derby at Broadbridge Heath.

Heath made just 149-8 in their 49 overs with Trinity’s Nigel Smith bagging three wickets.

Heath though made a game of it, taking eight Trinity wickets before losing - Fred Bridges taking three wickets.

Jack Gold top scored for Trinity with an unbeaten 59 as they won by two wickets.

The following day Trinity lost in the T20 Cup at Brighton. Trinity made 138-6 from their 20 overs, the hosts chasing it down for the loss of three wickets in 17.3 overs.

Elsewhere in Division Two, Storrington lost at Scaynes Hill.

The ever reliable Pickard brothers took six wickets between them - Matt taking four and Dan two - as Hill made 240-8 dec.

Storrington youngster Tom Good blasted 45 runs batting at number ten but it proved in vain as the Swans were bowled out 34 runs short of victory.

In Division Three, Barns Green sunk to the foot of the table after defeat at Clayton.

Captain Matt Bassett made exactly a hundred in Green’s total of 173 all out before their hosts got home four down in the 37th over. Division Four runaway leaders West Wittering 1st XI tied with Horsham III at Cricketfield Road - both sides making 238 with Wittering losing one less wicket.

Partridge Green I moved into third place in the table with a home win over Brighton side St Matthias I.

Chris Hand took four St Matts’ wickets before Green got home thanks to two half centuries from Howard Wheatley and Joe Tourie.

West Chilt II are next to bottom after suffering a three-wicket home reverse against Findon II after being bowled out for just 144. Veteran Aussie Brian Chambers, who opened the batting and got through five overs bowling, said: “The club may be finding its level at last but like the 1st XI, we were missing some batsmen and we’re not even half way yet.”