Cuckfield move to top in Sussex

15 July 2008

Cuckfield have displaced Hastings at the top of the Sussex Premier League after they inflicted a 42-run victory defeat on Brighton and Hove while Preston Nomads moved into second place following a nail-biting win at Hastings.

East Grinstead won their third game on the trot, beating Horsham by seven wickets and Eastbourne kept their title hopes alive with a six wicket win at home to Three Bridges.

Cuckfield were put in by Brighton and Hove and despite losing early wickets, they reached 230 for six declared of which Chris Mole made 67, Jason Shelton 46 not out and Kamran Mirza 32 not out. The most successful home bowler was Sussex pro Chris Liddle who took 3-47.

Chris Liddle 3-47 for Brighton and Hove

Brighton were then dismissed for 188 of which Matt Green made 43 and Tim Marks 31 as Neil Fairhall took 4-22 and 17-year-old acting skipper James Thorpe finished with an impressive 3-49.

Indian international Dinesh Mongia was again in form as East Grinstead enjoyed their third win in successive weeks. He posted an unbeaten 80 in a winning score of 140 for three to beat Horsham by seven wickets.

Earlier the visitors had been dismissed for just 134 of which Michael Thornely made 74 with Stuart Simmonds (5-35) and Craig Fowle (3-19) doing the damage.

There was a dramatic finish at Hastings after a roller coaster affair ended in a one wicket win for visitors Preston Nomads thanks to last wicket pair of Nick Hobbs and Stephen Rigg.

Hastings slumped to 17 for five with Carl Simon, back from Antigua for Nomads, starting the collapse and finishing with 4-22 from 14 overs but it was the left-arm spin of Stephen Rigg that kept the wickets falling as he took 5-64.

It was the lower order batting of Tim van Noort (36) and John Morgan (29) that took the Hastings total to a respectable 164 which proved to be nearly enough but Nomads eventually won at 167 for nine from 48.4 overs with Rigg and Hobbs seeing them home after Jeremy Green had earlier made 54.

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Eastbourne, who have games in hand, kept their title hopes alive by winning by six wickets at home to Three Bridges who were dismissed for 166 of which Danny Alderman made 57 and James Chadburn 59.

It was the professional bowlers who did the damage for the home side with James Kirtley finishing with 3-27, Ollie Rayner 2-32 and Tom Smith 2-40.

In Eastbourne’s winning total of 167 for four, Ben Brown hit 74, Angus Stewart made 41 not out and Tom Smith 40 not out.