Your Press Officer billed 15^th August 2026 as a potential moving day for the 2s 3s and 4s where three wins would have made a huge and positive gain in their respective Sussex league tables.  Meanwhile our Ones played out an ultra-exciting match at Clair Park and came out with 30 points in the Sussex Premier League.

Match of the Day at Barcombe Faisal suggested ‘We got beaten by the better Team.’  Div 6

Batters Didn’t Make Use of Presents. 

Our exciting Threes have been playing rolls royce cricket of late producing six wins from seven going into the business end with a shout of promotion.  If they don’t quite make it this term it won’t be because of this one. In truth they will rue the previous 5 losses which has blighted their run to the top.

We travelled to top of league Barcombe full of hope and vigour. A new ground for some of us. Their usual green surrounds replaced by a barren wasteland of yellow straw like outfield and rock-hard ground. Their facility suffering like any other here in Sussex. One quick look at there brought home the severity of conditions we are currently facing.  I spoke to a gentleman of 86 who has been a Barcombe fixture all his life he said ‘I have never seen it like this in my lifetime!’

As a side story Sussex needs a hell of a lot of rain to sort this out!

The hosts decided to field under cloudy but warm conditions.   Sameer continued a great season hitting two sixes on route to 45 before getting caught.  William will be disappointed to have been caught by a diving catch for 20.  However, despite them being the league leaders they then started dropping catches for fun. The entertaining Barcombe match report suggesting ‘the dropping was infectious!’

With chances being handed out like candy it’s certainty that most of our batters will be rueing not being able to go make that telling contribution, or they should be.  On a road and with a lightning outfield Dishanth and Adam both got great starts into the 40s.  Angus Yule perhaps hit the shot of the day a delicious cover drive.  He made a quick 30 but had time to grab a big half century.  Young Abbad, who’s stock is on the rise here at the SCMG, scored a 16 ball 29 not out at the end.  A thrilling cameo.   But at tea, despite a poor fielding display, the hosts seemed very confident chasing 268.

And so, it proved.

Nomads got out the traps well as Dishanth took a nonchalant catch out deep and then George Sowerby produced a seed to bowl the opener.  Nomad energy levels were off the scale as the hosts went to 29 for 2.   But that was all she wrote as the experienced and my tip of the day Wheatley got to work.  He and the skipper Harry Stewart embraced the club confidence as a careful start became a brutal examination of lines and lengths.   We simply didn’t get it right as Joshua went to a mercurial ton and Man of the Match.  Six sixes and 18 boundaries later Barcombe skipped to an impressive 30 points just 4 down.

Fais said later ‘we were beaten by the better team today.  We thought that 260 should have been defendable but it clearly wasn’t.  I am proud of this team we have been really strong this season.  But promotion now isn’t in our own hands’

Two’s Poor on the North but can thank Ifield.  Division 2

Season long 2s batting issues turned up once again in a shocking performance against the Ramblers.  There was nothing to write home about the 1^st inns with both bat and ball.  Ziggy is perhaps gaining late momentum this season with another fine three wickets.  Mid table LC ending up with an average 252 off the 45.

It’s a total that Nomads should be challenging all day long at home.  But we got skittled just the 94 runs behind.

Thank God for Ifield who beat a poor Worthing side which kept us just above that mid September play off game. But it seems you all want to play in that???

Work to do!

4s Cut Adrift at the Bottom of Div 7.  After basement Loss at home.  Div 7

To be honest the Press Officer has now given up on the 4s making any attempt to break out of a rut spanning 12 losses on the season.  On Saturday they held all the aces at home on our wonderful South Ground.  A very average Ansty outfit (nursing three straight losses) were allowed to get to a competitive 264.  Their top order all making healthy contributions.

Despite JP scoring a nice half century up top no one batted well enough or indeed long enough as we lost by 24 runs.

We have talked about the 4s playing well in defeat.  This wasn’t one of them!

Ones Squeak Past Haywards Heath.   Sussex Prem

It was a brilliant day at Clair Hall as our old mucker and fans favourite Baalaaj Khan made a ton for HH before throwing it away for the Heath.  Nick made 40 up top for the Nomads then Jonty 54 and Zan 74 not out made it 275 off the 50.  Heath looked to be on course the balcony erupting as Khan got to his impressive ton. But a moment of madness had him stumped as Heath collapsed.  They went from 225 for 3 and coasting to 263 all out.  Nomads helped by the three ZK wickets and an AL run out.

A quite brilliant afternoons cricket especially if you’re in the Nomads camp.   Nomads remain mid table with three to play.  Heath kicking themselves!

U13s Had it Tough in Festival Mode. 10^th through 13^th August

A C Dale 65 and C Thorn four for 48 on 11^th August at Horley were the highlights of a tough week for our U13s.  That day proved to be their finest in a 34-run win.  But heavy losses to Horsham, Eastbourne and Findon would have hopefully stung our youngsters and given them something to think about in the close season.

Our U16s are in festival mode this week.  Good luck to all connections.

 

Cobo 17/08/2026