Shoreham and Southwick 1st XI v Burgess Hill 3rd XI

Having called the toss correctly skipper Tom Bell asked Hillians to bat first on what proved to be a capricious wicket.

Openers Jon Wright and Gerorge Kay were made to graft for their runs as the ball often kept low alternating with steepling bounce.

Bowlers Gary Mussen and Harry Sutton showed great control and were unfortunate not to take early wickets, Paul Hudson replaced Sutton and kept up the stranglehold until Bell caught Wright for 33 off Matt Were's first ball.

When Kay fell for 13 shortly after to a superb catch by Peter Fieldwick the Burgess Hill innings slowly succumbed to a parsimonious attack, finishing on 140-9 from 40 overs. Mussen and Hudson snared 2 wickets apiece and Were 3 whilst Harry Dorgan returned superb figures of 9-1-18-1. In a fine fielding performance Dean Ghasemi held 2 catches and Were claimed a run out.

In reply the home side began tentatively as the pitch played its tricks.

Ghasemi fell early on for 4 leaving Fieldwick and Farhad Barakzai to carry the fight. Fieldwick soon went for a staunch 15 followed by Sutton for a golden duck.

Barakzai and Dorgan then forged a strong partnership to take the Wickers to 52-4. When Barakzai fell for only 5 he'd supported Dorgan well and the arrival of Craig Dawson heralded the start of a match winning pairing as he and Dorgan added 70 runs to almost take S&S to victory.

When Dawson played all around a William Brownsell delivery and was out for 30 and when Dorgan soon followed for 39 it was left to the doughty Adam Walter and Skipper Bell to see Wickers home with 6 wickets down and 6 overs to spare. Hillians never gave up their quest for victory and bowled well with Brownsell and Rob Barnes bagging a brace each.

Following a tight match a beaming Tom Bell said: "Everyone played a part in a well deserved and hard fought win. It really was a tremendous team effort, both in the field and with the bat."