After several weeks of excellent weather across our region a spectacular lightning show turned up on Wednesday evening here in the South East. It moved through the channel and any of our members living to the east would have had a great view as the storm made landfall in Eastbourne/Hastings. Those of us here in Mid Sussex and Brighton would of seen hints as the system made its way through. Perhaps the greatest benefit was the accompanying heavy rain that fell during Wed/Thursday morning. When I spoke with Head Groundsman Curtis on Wednesday evening he seemed rather pleased that the ground was receiving a good soaking. But he ventured ‘we really needed this but I hope it stops in time for Saturday!. Well, there is a mixed bag of weather coming our way with more electrical activity predicted for various times. BUT it looks as though we are going to get lucky on Saturday with a calm dry day on the cards. Fulking and Mid Sussex are in focus for our four Senior Teams.

Lets get to it.

Sussex Table Toppers are at Clair Park, Haywards Heath 11.30 am Top v Bottom

After 4 wins on the trot our 1st team will travel north to Mid Sussex in tremendous spirits. Our opening pair of Nathan and Jake have been brilliant this season with the latter scoring that 162 last weekend. Our ‘engine room’ batting has been producing quality runs with Nav belting late boundaries down the order. With the ball Dan and Nav are brilliant openers with Adam taking poles at will. Owen K is peeling back the years with excellent figures and 8 wickets. Nathan’s punishing fielding drills are paying off as the team are doing very well in this area. Skipper Dan Phillips must be very pleased with how things are going and don’t forget we have players still waiting in the wings. School will soon be out for young Bertie and Aidan which will provide excellent competition for 1st team places.

Sussex Prem new comers HH have found life a little tough here in the top division with just 1 victory to their name and 59 points. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. On their day the team can bat very well. On 15th May they scored 254 at Cuckfield to record a 24 point victory. Jethro Menzies 72 and Max Barson 68 got runs up top with Harry Sims 30 not out seeing them through. Last week Heath were at Horntye Park. A Harry Finch ton put them under pressure but again a good team batting performance saw them to a draw scoring 224 for 9. Menzies and skipper Callum Smith in the runs. Wickets have been hard to come by for the team but they did bowl EG out for 152 on 29th May wickets shared around.

Skipper Callum Smith has been a member of Haywards Heath CC for many years and the club will be very proud to be back in the top flight. They wont want to be giving up that status anytime soon. And that’s what makes this game dangerous for our guys especially at Clair Park. It will be very important for our bowling attack to be right on point for ball one and not let the Heath build any momentum.

Bowl/field well and Nomads will win. If not Heath could well hang on for a draw. Interesting game in prospect.

Roffey Twos Travel to Fulking in Important Sussex Div 2 Match. 12.30 am Start. North Square.

Last week we hosted Roffey ones in an important match but this week the two’s face each other who are both looking over their shoulders in Sussex Div 2. Sussex Div 2 is a very competitive environment under pinned by a brutal knock by Ex Sussex pro Chris Nash for Horsham last week. Our 2s batted superbly for 254 but alas it wasn’t enough as Horsham went top.

Roffey travel to Fulking with the same number of points, 74, as our boys boys being 2nd to bottom in the League. They have one win to their name and three losses so far. Last week must of been a choker for them at home to bottom club Billingshurst. Roffey batted very well to score 252 for 5, Chris Webb with a ton. But against all odds the visitors chased it down! On a more positive note their win came on 8th May at Chichester Priory. They chased down 228 in 43 over with that man Chris Webb scoring 141 not out.

With the ball both Lewis Shivnarain and Mark Pavlovic lead the way with 5 wickets a piece.

Its not a must win game for our 2nd team by any stretch but you feel that if James and the team could garner maximum points it would make life a little more ‘comfortable’ over the coming weeks. Another 250 run total should do it!

David and the Threes Travel to St Andrews in Mid Sussex Div 6 1pm start 40 overs each

St Andrews have been quite strong over the past several weeks and have three wins to their name. Last Saturday they let Ifield get away with the bat as the hosts scored 223 runs. However Nick Elkins 55 and Ollie Brookes 60 recused the day as they chased down in 38 overs. Against rivals BH 2s on 29th May on St John’s Shaun Nichols was the hero with 6 for 16 in a big win for the club. St Andrews will be looking for a promotion spot come late August.

With the solitary win our Third team are in desperate need of a moral boosting victory and move up the table and out of the relegation zone. Its going to be a difficult assignment this week but if the team play to its potential then hopefully David can celebrate a narrow victory.

Fours to grace the South Square at Fulking as Streat Travel. 1.30 Div 8 1pm Start

Streat 1s are just above the Div 8 relegation zone with one win and 4 losses so far. That win came last week when Dominic Fifield scored 86 not out batting at 3 in a score of 221 for 7 v Plumpton. Streat veteran’s David Christmas and Richard Berrick cleared up with 3 wickets a piece. Its a win that would of been roundly celebrated at their wonderful home facility, Middleton Manor and they will want more at the SCMG.

Our 4s have had two victories so far and currently sit on 89 points. Saturday’s encounter has the potential of being quite the humdinger as both teams will be going flat out for maximum points and a route up Sussex Div 8. Skipper Stephen O and his team to utilize home soil and get up on the rails

Well there you have it, our look towards an exciting days play where our Senior playing members will be at Fulking or in Mid Sussex. The main media feed will be coming from Haywards Heath from 11am so stand by through the normal channels but there will be updates from the other matches. Please stay tuned.

CLEAN SWEEP ANYONE???!!!

Cobo