Strong show from Clymping in draw

Salisbury saw his side score 260-5 from 49 overs after being put into bat, before Arundel finished their reply on 174-5.

With leaders Southwater losing to Ram, Arundel would have gone top with a win but they managed to take just three points from a losing draw and the 12 points that Southwater gained saw them move 13 points clear at the top.

Clymping remain bottom of the table and are 23 points behind third-from-bottom Felbridge & Sunnyside, who sit just outside the relegation places.

After losing the toss, Clymping opening batsman Paddy Horne was out for six, with just 13 runs on the board, when he was caught by Jacob Temple off Sean Twine’s bowling.

Chris Green and Alan Budd added 44 for the second wicket, before Green was bowled by left-arm spinner Neil Chitty for 23.

Craig Edwards was the third man to fall for 12, with the score on 82, but Budd and Rory Mitchell then shared a 142-run fourth-wicket partnership.

Mitchell was caught by Nathan Smart, off Twine’s bowling, for 84 after smashing 11 fours and two sixes from 91 balls.

Budd fell three runs later for 94 – also caught by Smart off Twine’s bowling – after striking 12 fours and one six from 109 deliveries.

Richard Waddington finished 14 not out and Neil Pierce unbeaten on 20 as Clymping closed their innings on 260-5.

Twine led the way for Arundel as he finished with 3-41.

Clymping made an early breakthrough when Arundel’s leading runscorer, Joel Crook, was caught and bowled by Edwards for six, with the score on 14.

Arundel captain Joe Bain was run out for 19 by James O’Gorman, before two more quick wickets fell to Mitchell, to leave the hosts 44-4.

Kieran Hornsby and David Wells put on 71 for the fifth wicket, before Wells was caught by O’Gorman off Paul Challen a run short of his half-century.

Hornsby finished unbeaten on 60, from 122 balls, and Samuel Theodoridi hit 29 not out, off 51 deliveries, as Arundel closed on 174-5.

Salisbury said: “It was another good performance from us and it was just a shame we didn’t get the 30 points.

“It was great to get 260-5 in our 49 overs and in particular Rory and Alan batted well.

“Alan has been threatening a big score recently, so it was nice to see him reap the rewards.

“It was a little disappointing really as, after Arundel lost their first two wickets early on, they played for the draw.

“I was surprised because they had a chance to go top of the table if they got more points. We tried all of our bowlers on what proved to be a very good batting track and, in the end, the game petered out into a boring conclusion.

“We were happy with the 16 points, though, and will look to carry on the momentum this week.”

Clymping host Felbridge on Saturday, while Arundel travel to West Chiltington.