Rain ruins vital Sussex Cricket League clashes

But this year’s anti-cricket weather came back with a vengeance, meaning that only one game was completed last Saturday.

At Roffey with bragging rights very much at stake, the mouth-watering local derby suffered an early abandonment, despite the very best efforts of young groundsman Josh Dance.

The monsoon was unbeatable – frustrating both Roffey and Horsham in their quests to return to winning ways.

Elsewhere, the picture was almost the same, with three of the other four fixtures abandoned, resulting in another case of 10 points all round, except for Mayfield, who got 20 for beating Bognor with one ball to spare in a T20 match, in which 299 runs were scored.

They got a game on despite Middleton’s game versus visiting East Grinstead being abandoned after only 8.1 overs, just a couple of miles up the road.

Leaders Cuckfield remain 38 points clear of East Grinstead, with Eastbourne staying bottom, accompanied by Mayfield in the drop zone.

With just four weekends remaining in this year’s Premier League, games now revert to a 50 overs a side, win/lose format.

Horsham host Middleton on Saturday, when Roffey travel to Mayfield, who are just 10 points below them.

Eastbourne host leaders Cuckfield, while challengers East Grinstead and Preston Nomads face off at Saint Hill, with Three Bridges welcoming Bognor.

On Sunday – weather allowing – Roffey have their home Sussex T20 Cup quarter-final versus Preston Nomads, with Mayfield hosting Middleton and East Grinstead playing Hastings in the other quarter-final ties.

Findon are already through to the semi-final stage.

Meanwhile, Horsham’s New Zealand overseas player, Ben Lister, has played his last game for the club.

After a disappointing season, taking 11 wickets in 12 league games, Lister was signed by Kent – subject to international commitments - for the remainder of their Metro Bank 50 over campaign and last three Championship fixtures.

But he has been recalled to the Black Caps’ ODI squad, with forthcoming fixtures in the UAE ahead of NZ’s tour of England prior to the forthcoming World Cup in India.

SLINFOLD CC

Slinfold Cricket Club have unveiled their long-awaited new pavilion.

Cricket has been played on the picturesque village ground for around 200 years, with the iconic club looking forward to celebrating their 250th anniversary in 2025.

Meanwhile the new pavilion is an historic milestone.

And the burgeoning club, no stranger to winning local competitions, are eager to build on their successes by improving the facilities at their ground, providing an asset for the village community, and creating a lasting legacy of which the club and village can be justifiably proud.

Vice-chairman Martyn Haines explains: “Our arrangements have not met the standards laid down by the league.

"Our old clubhouse, a former Tote hut at Lingfield Park racecourse, did sterling service, but was around 100 years old and totally inadequate, having to be supplemented by marquees for changing room and social purposes, becoming increasingly expensive to repair.”

Slinfold CC developed plans to design and fund a new club pavilion in conjunction with the Parish Council, reflecting the spirit of the neighbourhood plan in accordance with central government and district directives, taking considerable steps to accommodate the wishes of local residents, including the retention of all trees.

Haines added: “I’ve lived in the village for almost my entire life and played cricket on the ground since I was a boy, and both are very important to me.

"So I’ve been anxious to ensure that nothing out of keeping should be done.

"We are an ambitious club, keen to play cricket at a higher level, which we feel that our new facilities will promote, and we are particularly intent on encouraging even more colts’ cricket.”

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