Roffey's thoughts turn to 2021 season after August Cup run ends

Roffey captain Matt Davies says strengthening the batting is a target for next summer after the Sussex Premier League champions’ run in the August Cup was halted at Eastbourne.
Harnoop Kalsi / Picture: Steve RobardsHarnoop Kalsi / Picture: Steve Robards
Harnoop Kalsi / Picture: Steve Robards

The home side progressed to next week’s final when their 40-over total of 159-8 proved too much for Roffey, who were all out for 124 to lose by 35 runs.

With hopes of an appearance in the final at Horsham dashed, Davies told the County Times: “We gave them too many runs at the end of their innings and then lost a couple of early wickets when we needed to get off to a better start.

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“We’ll be looking to strengthen our batting for next season.”

Knowing the well-used wicket was unlikely to get easier as the game progressed, Eastbourne elected to bat after winning the toss, and although Roffey contained them brilliantly for three quarters of their innings, a target of 160 proved beyond them.

Bathed in warm late summer sunshine, the huge partisan crown at The Saffrons was entertained by a struggle for runs in bowler-friendly conditions, but home spirits were not high at the halfway stage of the Eastbourne innings, when only 44 runs were on the board for the loss of three wickets.

Rohit Jagota began with a maiden before Malcolm Johnson was caught off a skier by Sam Henderson. At 14-2 from 10 overs, alarm bells were ringing for Eastbourne but, as they had frequently done in their five consecutive wins in the qualifiers, the Lenham brothers – 18-year-old Scott and Archie (16), burgeoning Sussex prospects, staged a recovery.

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Watched by grandfather Les and father Neil, who between them had played 662 matches for Sussex, amassing more than 26,000 runs, Scott made a painstaking 52 and Archie 16 – until he was run out by a direct hit from Henderson.

Without ever cutting free, and with boundaries at a premium, Eastbourne gradually built a defendable total, finishing on 159-8 from their 40 overs, despite 3-27 from Jamie Atkins and 2-22 from Harnoop Kalsi.

With one blemish Roffey had fielded tigerishly, but, with the occasional ball lifting on the exceptionally slow dry, dusty wicket, Roffey’s normally confident travelling supporters were none too optimistic, fearing that perhaps 20 too many late runs had been conceded

Much depended on Roffey’s big batting guns, and while opener Jagota made 33 and Mike Norris 36, Eastbourne kept whittling away.

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Roffey had reached 62-4 at the halfway point, but even the exhilarating sight of a Spitfire soaring above the ground failed to bring about the necessary rally.

Two late run-outs engineered by Scott Lenham in the quest for quick runs – the asking rate having risen to 10 an over - saw Roffey subside from a parlous 91-5 to 124 all out.

Ben Twine with 4-15 wrapped up the tail, backed by 2-16 from Archie Lenham, who captured the wickets of two visiting danger men, Jagota and skipper Davies.

Two years previously, Roffey had walloped Eastbourne at The Saffrons to win the Sussex Premiership for the fourth time in five years, but this time, without Ben Manenti and Jibran Khan the mid order looked seriously depleted.

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