FOOTBALL: Local cricket round-up (June 10)

On an excellent batting track, where wickets were at a premium, Littlehampton declared four overs early on 292-4, before Steyning finished their reply on 242-7.

James Askew, dropped twice early on, blasted 114, with 16 fours and three sixes, to move on to 249 runs for the season, and Benn Challen crashed 93, with 13 fours and three sixes, to reach 247 runs for the year, as they put on 150 for Littlehampton's second wicket.

Graham Blann also struck 44, with nine fours, as he shared a 72-run stand with Askew for the opening wicket.

Littlehampton declared after 49 overs to give themselves four extra overs to bowl Steyning out.

Gary Hunt top-scored with 74 and captain Matt Sewell hit 45 for Steyning as Dan Rive took three wickets and Luke Vinter two.

Littlehampton skipper Gareth Challen said: "We couldn't really do much about the draw.

"Steyning knew what their wicket was like – it was very, very dead – and they knew they needed to put us in and try to chase down whatever we got.

"Luke Vinter was trying his hardest but when the ball reached the other end, it wasn't very quick at all – the pitch just didn't do anything.

"The wicket was a bit slow and low but once you got in, it was a nice day to be a batsman.

"That was why I was a bit wary about declaring too early as we didn't want to give them too many overs to chase down what we got.

"They only got four wickets, so needed to go for the win and with 12 overs left, they needed nine or 10 an over, which getable on the wicket, but Dan Rive then got two wickets in two balls and they just batted out for the draw."

Saturday's result was Littlehampton's third winless match in a row after they had started the year with two victories. They now sit sixth in the division but the table is so tight that they could go top if they win their game in hand.

Challen said: "Goring beat us two weeks ago, had their game abandoned last week and won again on Saturday and have gone from second-from-bottom to second in the table. We've just got to get a run of wins together to get right back up there."

Arundel crashed to a 233-run defeat on Saturday at Middleton in Division 3 West of the Sussex League.

After winning the toss, Arundel stuck Middleton into bat but they piled up 300-4 from only 40.4 overs.

Harsh Chauhan blasted 92 not out from only 62 balls, with 13 fours, and Jason Seary and Will Burrows also struck half-centuries. Jamie Thompson also smashed 36 from only 15 balls, with one four and four sixes, as he put on 82 for the fifth wicket with Chauhan.

Left-arm spinner Neil Chitty took two of the wickets to fall but went for 77 from his 10 overs.

In reply, Arundel were dismissed for just 67 from 23.5 overs as only one batsman, Justin Murray, with 30, got into double figures.

Arundel failed to take any points from the game, remain bottom of the table and are now 15 points behind second-from-bottom Findon.

In West Sussex Invitation League Division 1, Clymping went down by 76 runs at home to Crawley Eagles, who have now moved up into second place in the table.

Clymping put Eagles into bat and they scored 256-7 from their 49 overs, with 95 from Asif and 79 from Fallah. George Gaskin led the Clymping attack with 4-66.

Clymping were then all out for 180 in 41 overs. Karl Pierce top-scored with 56 and Andy Hancock struck 42 as Shiad took 4-49.

In Division 4, Rustington piled up 252-8 at Aldwick but had to settle for a draw as the home side finished on 165-5.

Simon Gosden hit 61 and Simon Blowen 42 in Rustington's total, before Grant Wilson, with 48, top-scored in Aldwick's innings.

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