Littlehampton exit cup as Case shines

LITTLEHAMPTON Cricket Club’s hopes of reaching the Sunday Twenty20 Cup Finals Day were ended by Portslade on Sunday.
Littlehampton's Captain Dan RiveLittlehampton's Captain Dan Rive
Littlehampton's Captain Dan Rive

An outstanding performance by the visitors’ Steve Case, with bat and ball, saw Littlehampton lose by 60 runs in the last eight of the competition and Littlehampton captain Dan Rive admitted Portslade were just too good.

He said: “They were just too good for us. We bowled well up to a point but they then scored 60 or 70 from the last five overs and Steve Case was unplayable at times when he bowled.

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“Their total of 163 was about par on the wicket but we should have kept them to 130 to 135.

“We then lost too many early wickets in our innings and had no momentum.”

West Sussex Invitation League leaders Portslade won the toss at The Sportsfield and their captain Paul Glover was delighted with his side’s total of 163-6 from 20 overs.

Glover and Tony Downs got Portslade off to a solid start with a 45-run opening stand but Littlehampton fought back to reduce Portslade to 91-5, with Andy Greig picking up two of the wickets to fall.

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However, Case and David Wainwright then put on 64 for the sixth wicket as Case smashed a 26-ball 48, which included four fours and three sixes.

Wainwright finished unbeaten on 33, which included four fours off 22 deliveries.

Littlehampton lost Tom Lee for a duck in the first over of their reply and spin twins Case and Glover then proceeded to reduce Littlehampton to 67-8.

Left-arm spinner Case –the leading wicket-taker in Division 1 of the West Sussex Invitation League – returned outstanding figures of 5-8 from four overs, which included a maiden, and Glover claimed 2-24 from four overs.

Darren Bazley, with a run-a-ball unbeaten 28, and Ryan Budd, with 15 not out, ensured Littlehampton batted out their 20 overs with a 36-run ninth-wicket stand, as they finished on 103-8.

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