After weeks of frustrating wet weather, it was totally wonderful to gather on a dry cricket square under blue skies with the sun in total command.  Welcome to the ‘belated’ 2023 cricket season!

Captain Nav had assembled a very strong looking team for the trip west to the Regis Oval.  Bognor, now competing in their 2^nd year in the prem, represented a tough and challenging opposition full of exciting young players. The Oval is always well attended by a vocal set of fans who get on the beers served from the excellent Last Wicket Bar.  The day was set!

Nav won the toss and on said sunny day decided to take the bull by the horns and batted.  Openers Nathan and Zach did a good job in seeing off the initial onslaught moving to 17.  Poole was excellently caught as Lion-Cachet went on to score 29 in a good opening knock. Kiwi Jaedyn continues his fine form here at the Nomads. He is a real gem of a find and hope he stays for years to come.  A 40 ball 39 run inns really set the tone for acceleration. Eventually getting run out.  Jonty Jenner got his 2^nd stint here at the club off to the perfect start with a flowing inns of 29 including a huge six into Bognor’s football ground.  However, it was Ammad Khan who stole the show with a patient opening start to his day. He calmly got off the mark and batted sensibly to 20,30 and 40.  He combined steady play with two massive 6 straight sixes. As he departed on 61 the team knew they were in a very good position.  That left the door open for Nav and Colly to play their natural game.  And that’s to make runs and quickly!

We settled on 270 all out off 47 overs.  If Bognor are reading this, I was very impressed with Ryan Maskell behind the stumps.  Very neat and tidy and a pleasure to watch!

Tea taken (not provided)

Maskell and Walsh got the response off to a very good start. Buoyed on by an ever-increasing boisterous fan base they made 35.  However, when you’re a young wicket keeper it does you no harm to cling on to the skippers catches.  Young Joe Musto (17) is a total product of our Nomad youth policy who has been playing at all levels here at the SCMG.  With Nav steaming in Joe made not one but two very satisfying catches to unsettle the hosts.  He quickly followed up with another one, off Biz, as the hosts slumped to 88 for 4.  The dangerous Mike Harris was excellently caught by J for just 3.  Noise around the Oval subsided as the hosts ran out of petrol.  It was left with that man Musto to make the final catch.  Bognor 130 runs shy of the total.  Nomads 30 points!

Nav said later ‘it was great to get out here after all that preseason hype and waiting around. I am over the moon!  They did a job on us last season so it nice to get one over them.  Joe was very tidy behind the stumps’

We caught up with our new Overseas Josh Clarkson ‘ I thought it was summer here!’ he quipped.  ‘it was great to get out on the grass today and contribute with a couple of wickets.  He warned ‘I think we gave a few too many runs to the late order batsman which is something to work on’.  He added ‘ I am looking forward to the season and visiting all the new grounds here in Sussex’

Musto said ‘great performance from the team. We batted well and cleaned them up in the end. The first two catches were important to the game’

Full interviews can be found on whattsapp club channel.

Bowman said ‘huge thanks to Bognor for hosting at your wonderful home facility. You guys are a top-notch squad who will be successful this season. Nomads got off to a great start to their Sussex Prem campaign. Our Overseas looks the real deal and is going to be a right handful.  Huge congrats to Ammad on his tremendous knock. Next time he will be looking for that ton!.  Boringly and cliched catches do win matches so for his four behind the stumps Joe grabs my coveted Man of the Match award.  We move on to Roffey at the SCMG on Saturday’