Cricket season gets underway with T20 Cup clashes

The first weekend of the new cricket season got underway on Saturday as the Sussex League sides warmed up for their campaign with the Gray Nicolls T20 Cup.
Cricket pre-season friendly: Billingshurst (batting) v Three Bridges. Shane West survives a  shout. 25.04.15. Pic Steve RobardsCricket pre-season friendly: Billingshurst (batting) v Three Bridges. Shane West survives a  shout. 25.04.15. Pic Steve Robards
Cricket pre-season friendly: Billingshurst (batting) v Three Bridges. Shane West survives a shout. 25.04.15. Pic Steve Robards

After being light on numbers last week, a stronger-looking Horsham side eased to a 123-run victory at home to division lower St James’s.

Sussex’s Will Beer fired 67 from 36 balls after the hosts won the toss and elected to bat.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Tom Johnson also made 55 from 18 balls with three fours and six sixes as they posted 209-7.

St James’s were then bowled out with the fourth ball of the final over for 86.

Nathan Roberts and Ben Shoare both took 3-9 with the ball.

Billingshurst suffered a 46-run defeat away to Preston Nomads in an all Premier Division clash.

The hosts were inserted after losing the toss and an unbeaten 60 from Jeremy Green and 46 from Ollie Gatting helped them to 171-4.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Dhanushka Mitipolaarachchi fired 68 not out for Hurst in their reply, but they fell just short, making 125 all out in 20 overs.

Slinfold captain Guy Thorne scored 46 runs as they completed a 44-run victory over Division 4 rivals Crawley.

Andy Parsons made 17 and Jonathan Hughes 15 as they posted 143-8 after losing the toss and were asked to bat.

Razwan Hussain (20) and Saeed Ahmed Khawaja (20) contributed as Crawley replied with 99 all out in 17.3 overs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Slinfold’s Thivagar Jeyachandran claimed figures of 3-12 with the ball.

Premier Division outfit Bexhill eased to an eight-wicket win over Hellingly.

The hosts won the toss and inserted their visitors who made 103-9 in their 20 overs, before Bexhill replied with 107-2 in 15.3 overs.

Division 2 side Findon beat division-lower Bognor Regis by five wickets.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Having lost the toss, Bognor were 80 without loss thanks to a fine opening stand between captain Elliott Clarke (51) and Andrew Quincey (40) and pushed on to 166-5.

The home side, however, came home with an over to spare with 171-5. Harry Metters made 48 and Bradley Bridson hit 39.

Premier Division side Cuckfield beat league new boys Southwater by 117 runs on their home patch.

Sussex’s Steffan Piolet made 40 and Jason Oates scored 45 in Cuckfield’s 172-4, while Nick Baker (10) was the only Southwater batsman to make double figures in their effort of 55 all out in 18.2 overs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Reigning league champions Roffey beat Brighton & Hove at the Nevill Sports Ground.

Goring overcame division-lower Ansty by six wickets by chasing down the visitors’ 119 run total.

Batting first after losing the toss, Ansty posted their score for the loss of seven wickets with Richard Smith (26) top scoring.

Goring’s reply was led by an unbeaten 46 from Sam Thorns and assisted by Danny Pittham’s 46 as they 122-4 in 17 overs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Stirlands caused an upset at Pagham with a 35-run over their Division 2 hosts in a low-scoring game.

Williams Gubbins (58), Adam Norris (15) and Ajinkya Deshpande (11) were the only Stirlands players to make double figures as they posted 102-7 after losing the toss.

Paul Dorkings then stole the show with the ball taking 6-8 as Pagham were skittled for 67 in 13.1 overs.

Stuart Rutter (13) and an unbeaten 25 from Kevin Condon were the only significant scorers for the hosts in an innings that saw six ducks.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Eastbourne overcame Hastings & St Leonards by 43 runs at Horntye Park after winning the toss.

An early scare saw them reduced to 51-4 in seven overs, but a 105 partnership between Callum Jackson (62) and Chris Borsoi (54*) resulted in a final score of 175-6.

Hastings replied with 132-5 in their 20 overs.

Chichester Priory Park eased to a comprehensive 10-wicket victory over Division 4 side Wisborough Green.

Hosts Wisborough lost the toss and were asked to bat and they posted 118-7.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Opener Tim Dodd scored 36 and Australian Nick Barron added 29 in their side’s total, before Chichester replied with 120 without loss.

Division 2 side Ifield beat Division 4 opponents Keymer & Hassocks by 24 runs.

Guru Kedarnath (35) and Joe Cooke (24) helped Ifield post 137-8 after they lost the toss.

Keymer’s Andy Westgate (28*) and Lee Pittavino (23) top scored as they replied with 113-6.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The battle between the Glover brothers went the was of Worthing captain John. He hit 47 for his side in a 123-8 scored after winning the toss against Portslade.

Andrew Mamoany took 3-28 with the ball for Portslade, who replied with 95-9 in 20 overs.

Portslade skipper Paul Glover scored 19 and Tom Mooney scored 25.

Middleton beat Steyning by 18 runs in an entertaining clash at the Memorial Playing Fields.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sean Heather (55), Will Burrows (37*) and Patrick Colvin (35) made contributions as Middleton scored 165-5 after winning the toss.

Ben Shelford (27), Gary Hunt (55) and Ed Lamb (40) all scored well for Steyning who finished just shy with 147-7 in 20 overs.

Beck Hemingway recorded 3-13 with the ball.

Burgess Hill eased to a eight-wicket victory away at Three Bridges.

Batting first after winning the toss, Hill’s opener, captain Tom Trowbridge made 51 and Nathan Cooper and Ian Simpson both made 21 as they posted 133-5.

Three Bridges replied with 125-9 in 20 overs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

East Grinstead overcame Haywards Heath by 91 runs thanks to a match-winning innings from Fynn Hudson-Prentice.

Having lost the toss, the away side were asked to bat and Hudson-Prentice made 73 in their total of 201-5.

Heath replied with 110-5 in their 20 overs.