Rogers hits brilliant century but is outdone by Three Bridges star in defeat

Cuckfield 1st XI Vs Three Bridges 1st XI

On a blisteringly hot day at Three Bridges, two breathtaking individual innings lit up a high-scoring Sussex Premier League clash. Henry Rogers’ majestic 169 for Cuckfield was upstaged by a sensational unbeaten 190 from George Thomas, as Three Bridges chased down 343 to seal a stunning seven-wicket victory.

Having won the toss, Cuckfield stand-in captain Nick Patterson elected to bat first on a flat, sunbaked pitch, hoping it might offer more in the second innings. Openers Rogers and Joe Cambridge made a confident start, negotiating the new ball with ease.

The pair brought up their fifty partnership in the 11th over and continued to build steadily as it became clear the pitch was offering nothing to the bowlers. Cambridge, the more aggressive of the two early on, reached a fluent half-century before he was bowled by Ben Lucking for a run-a-ball 65, ending a 133-run opening stand.

Rogers, meanwhile, reached his own half-century in 81 balls and moved into overdrive after the drinks break, launching a series of powerful strokes straight down the ground. Support came from Ollie Graham (39), Jake Gibson (33 off just 20 balls), allowing Rogers to continue his assault. He brought up his century in 137 balls and then accelerated to 150 in just 160, clearing the ropes eight times.

He was finally dismissed by Thomas, caught on the longest boundary, for a stunning 169 off 167 deliveries. Cuckfield declared on 343 for 7 after 57.3 overs, with Lucking (3–52) the pick of the bowlers on a tough day for bowlers. Conor Golding (2-64) and Thomas (2-44) picked up the other wickets.

Three Bridges took on the run chase from the get-go as James Russell and George Thomas eyed big runs on what continued to be a flat pitch. James Russell fell lbw to Ollie Graham for 24 with the score on 69, but from that point, George Thomas took complete control. Timing the ball sweetly from the outset, he reached his half-century effortlessly in just 38 balls and continued to find the boundary regularly. He was well supported by Rahul Tangirala, who helped build a vital 138-run second-wicket partnership.

Cuckfield struggled to contain Thomas, who was merciless in his assault on every bowler. He brought up his century in 88 balls and continued to accelerate. After Tangirala (65) fell to Rogers and Luke Beaufort (14) was removed by Gibson, Thomas found another reliable partner in Bridges captain Joe Walker (38*). The pair added 101 for the fourth wicket, calmly guiding their side home with two overs to spare.

Thomas finished unbeaten on 190 off 151 balls – an innings featuring 24 fours and 4 sixes – as Three Bridges reached their target in exactly 50 overs, closing on 344 for 3.

Cuckfield hope to bounce back from this when they host Ifield at home next weekend.

Cuckfield 2nd XI Vs Seaford 1st XI

Cuckfield lost the toss and were put into bowl. Cuckfield's bowlers delivered a disciplined and effective performance to dismiss the opposition for 158 in 39.5 overs.

Matt Slinger and Harry Streak were the standout performers, both claiming 4 wickets apiece. Slinger returned figures of 9–0–29–4, while Streak was equally impressive with 8.5–3–29–4, showcasing accuracy and control.

Theo Barker and Will Broyd chipped in with a wicket each, helping maintain pressure throughout the innings. The bowling unit was well supported in the field, with just 7 extras conceded and consistent energy across the park.

Cuckfield CC put in a strong batting display, led by an excellent knock from Josh Downey, who struck a fluent 64 off 64 balls, including 9 boundaries and a six. He set the tone at the top of the order with confident stroke play before being dismissed with the score well set.

Dominic Sear added a patient 30 off 47 balls, providing stability in the middle overs, while Johnny Prior played a crucial role in the latter stages, finishing unbeaten on 46 off 50 balls. His calm presence ensured Cuckfield were able to get over the line.

Cuckfield CC combined sharp bowling batting with solid batting to register a deserved victory and get 30 points making it back to back.

Cuckfield 3rd XI Vs Portslade 2nd XI

On a sunny and warm day, Cuckfield 3XI travelled down to Portslade to take on their second team. Upon initial inspection of the pitch, it was deemed to be flat and true, however, throughout the day, the pitch showed variable signs of bounce, adding an extra dynamic to the match. Skipper Hawkins lost the toss, and Portslade elected to bat, although this was allegedly his preferred choice regardless.

Cuckfield took to the field, and the fine opening partnership of Osborne (3-26) and Sears (3-29) seized control of the game, with both bowling tidily to leave the hosts reeling at 22-5, and then 52-7 at the conclusion of their spells. Sears once again demonstrated his wide repertoire of skills and variations, including “The Big Dipper” to take two wickets.

However, with the first change bowlers coming on, Portslade began to rebuild their way into the game, with Case (70) playing a fine knock, and batting well with the tail. Taylor was brought on, and took a wicket in his first over, before Lord took the final two wickets to leave the hosts all out for 139, a score that Cuckfield felt was slightly above what Portslade should have been allowed to reach. Despite this, and with the pitch providing a challenge to both batters and keepers, Cuckfield felt confident in chasing this total down.

After a tea that included a fine selection of ice creams provided by Osborne, the now familiar partnership of Buckeridge and Amer opened the batting. Although Amer fell early, Buckeridge played some aesthetically pleasing cover drives to reach 22, before falling with the score at 26-2. At this point, as Lord and Taylor came together in the middle, Portslade sensed a real chance to take advantage of this opening to fight their way back into the match.

The aforementioned pair rebuilt the innings, with some well-placed boundaries and good running, before Lord fell to leave the score at 79-3. Wynn (47) joined Taylor, and played a typically expansive knock, riding his luck on a couple of occasions, but ultimately unfurling some eye-catching shots, including the shot of the day down the ground for 6. However, he fell with 4 runs left to chase, before Taylor (33*) guided the winning runs to third man.

A satisfactory victory for Cuckfield, that reflected the quality shown throughout the day. This match brought up three consecutive wins for the 3XI, as well as rising to 6th in the league table, within 19 points of the team currently placed in 2nd, Lindfield 2XI. Lindfield are the opposition for next week at home, and with Cuckfield’s strong recent form, this game is certainly set up to be an entertaining spectacle.

Cuckfield 4th XI Vs Brighton and Hove 5th XI

What a day for a game of cricket. Soaring temperatures and clear skies, it was definitely a hot one. Cuckfield managed to lose the toss but this would not hinder our desire to win this week. We took the field with purpose and were soon rewarded with a few quick wickets by Adam Jull (3-30). Brighton & Hove managed to steady their ship and started to score well but with the loss of a few more wickets each to Sam Shepherd and Goff Baker the run rate started to dry up. Paul Meader (3-33) taking the last 3 wickets leaving Cuckfield to chase down 149 to win.

The sudden influx of cloud and small outburst of rain cooled the temperature down marginally but soon cleared and the heat was back with a vengeance of humidity. James Buckeridge (39) and Glenn Smith (54* got cuckfield off to the start they needed seeing off the openers and frustrating the bowlers. A mistake by Buckeridge saw him trapped LBW to a good ball but he was soon replaced by Rob Wilsdon who was scoring at a blistering pace making 26 of 19 deliveries before being caught. Digby Deighton (18) and Glenn saw the home team reach the target without further loss sealing a good win.