Encouraging display from Sidley

The batting problems which have undermined their start to the Sussex Division Two season were pushed to one side and they were just one over away from avoiding their fourth consecutive defeat.

Captain Scott Woodroffe said: "The first time we managed to post a decent total we couldn't defend it but there were lots of positives to take out of it. We were really disappointed after the match but we did play really well."

And particularly the batsmen. Confidence was bound to be fragile in light of a succession of sub-standard scores but virtually all of them made runs, including overseas player Faisal Naveed.

The talented Pakistani batsman showed signs, despite the presence of a leg injury which prevented him from bowling and made him a major doubt for the game, that he is getting to grips with English conditions by crafting a brilliant 75 until he was run out.

His form pulled the rest of the batsmen along too. Peter King again made a solid contribution, Chris Hunnisett also kept the scorers busy and Keith Luck, promoted from the second team after successive high-class knocks, made the transition comfortably. But it all stemmed from the top where Tyrone Wildman was back amongst the runs with a trademark rapid 50.

The total of 241-7 was always chaseable, however, on such a benign wicket. And Stirlands got off to the positive start they so desperately required and Sidley subsequently found themselves up against it for most of their innings.

But they kept plugging away and fought their way back into the match by taking wickets regularly during the second half of the home innings. King (4-80), who has probably been their leading performer so far this campaign, put the ball in the right area once more. But Sidley, without the bowling menace of Chris Deeprose and hampered Faisal, couldn't quite penetrate the hosts' batting to the extent that they were ever in a winning position.

Stirlands' overseas player Saeed Ajmal hit 61 and, together with skipper Danny Cox (58), swung the pendulum narrowly in their favour, rounding off a two wicket win off the first ball of the final over.