Bring your own tea, keep your distance, keep your hands clean - but most importantly: Play cricket

Cricket is back across West Sussex - and Goodwood, West Chiltington and Thakeham, Eastergate, Ashling, Littlehampton, Pagham and Findon were among teams to play on the first day they were permitted after lockdown restrictions were eased.
A lovely scene at Findon CC / Picture: Stephen GoodgerA lovely scene at Findon CC / Picture: Stephen Goodger
A lovely scene at Findon CC / Picture: Stephen Goodger

Here are the reports we received - get involved in our coverage by sending reports - concise ones please, no more than 200 words - to [email protected] - we like the odd picture too and news of anyone who's done anything remarkable in the course of a game or even during the tea interval.

Goodwood v Eastergate

Cricket was back at Goodwood on Sunday and the first fixture of the season was against Eastergate CC. The weather was glorious and the ground looked resplendent.

Ryan Barratt hits out during the Littlehampton-Pagham game / Picture: Stephen GoodgerRyan Barratt hits out during the Littlehampton-Pagham game / Picture: Stephen Goodger
Ryan Barratt hits out during the Littlehampton-Pagham game / Picture: Stephen Goodger
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Goodwood lost the toss and were inserted. Rob Carver and Owen Spicer dispatched the ‘vector of disease’ to all corners of the ground with some tremendous strokeplay.

Eastergate’s opening bowlers Saunders and Grant stuck at it but got no reward.

Reed (1-62) bowled Carver (47) but Mike Smith and Owen Spicer took the score on to 143 before Owen was lbw to Dakic (1-25).

Smith and John Heyworth put on 84 in the last ten overs. Smith scored 107, Heyworth 32, and both ended not out as Goodwood finished on 242-2.

Rules and regulations in place at Goodwood CCRules and regulations in place at Goodwood CC
Rules and regulations in place at Goodwood CC
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Under the new guidelines players provide their own tea and sit on their designated, socially distanced chair.

Fresh from a match the previous day and a 15-mile bike ride that morning Matt Geffen (1-23) opened the bowling for Goodwood.

He dismissed Saunders (9) while James Mayne (2-47) disposed of A Bateman (16) and Smith (0).

Stanley Mayne (2-15) was the pick of the bowlers.

Johnny Heaven’s welcome return to Goodwood colours saw him bowl well (2-43), aided by a rare catch from James Mayne. With the exception of Drake (30) and J Batemann (47) Eastergate never really got going. There was an excellent knock at the end by Dakic (54no) but it was all too late.

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Spicer bowled with pace, John Clifton teased and Eastergate finished on 188-8.

Thanks went to Richard Geffen for his hard work putting everything in place to make it happen and to Matt Geffen and Tim Odell for maintaining the ground to such an excellent standard.

Littlehampton v Pagham

Pagham soon lost both openers with only ten on the board. Nick Smith was dropped when on seven but went on to make 52.

Wayne Green rolled back the years and looked very classy for his 32. But from 117-3 Pagham subsided to 149 all out in the final over.

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In reply the home side soon lost the dangerous James Askew to the spin of Sean Rutter. They recovered and it looked like a home win. But very tight overs from Smith and Rutter left them needing 38 off four overs and they fell seven short. Nick Smith took 2-15.

Ashling v Knowle Village

When Ashling finally got the season under way on Sunday, four weeks of net sessions appeared to have been of no use as their first four batsmen fell with less than 20 on the board.

The flair of Vaz (48) allowed Ashling to post a total of 92 with extras being the next highest scorer. Knowle used nine different bowlers with Eales’ 2-5 the best figures.

Ashling bowled well with fierce spells from Charlie Colley (2-26), James Crundwell and Vaz, who took five Knowle wickets between them, with four caught behind by Adam Shaul, wicketkeeping for the first time.

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However there was to be no miracle as a steady 47 not out from McQuirk saw Knowle cruise home on 96-5 after only 21 of their allotted 35 overs.

West Chilts and Thakeham v Findon

West Chiltington and Thakeham Cricket Club took to the field for the first time this season last Saturday.

Hand sanitisers and cordoned-off areas were visible at Chilt’s main ground where their twos hosted Findon’s twos. It went to the wire as the home side won.

The visitors batted first and made a competitive 212-8 off 40 overs.

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Alex James, Owen Cave and Jamie Lewis all fell just short of half centuries as Chilt’s kids and oldies shared the wickets. Malcolm Fitzgerald took two as he kept up his record of playing in every one of the merged clubs’ seasons dating back to 2001.

In reply, the hosts coasted as debutant Ed White and youngster Benji Jackson excelled.

At the Long Furlong, Findon and Chilt’s ones played out a more one-sided affair.

The visitors made 260-4 off 40 overs with new club coach Matt Machan hitting 50 and Reuben Taylor 108*.

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In reply, no Findon batter reached 20 as all-rounder Ludo Milne grabbed 5-19 the first time he had bowled for the first XI. Lyle Aichroth bagged 2-9 off four overs.

At Abingworth in Thakeham, Chilt’s thirds overcame Findon thirds by 100 runs. The hosts piled up 299-5 off their 40 overs. Debutant Ollie van Noort and Alfie Batchelor hit contrasting centuries.

Chilt’s fourth XI won in Hove against Goldstone Caners by six wickets. Ben van Noort hit a half century and Jack Shaw took three wickets.

The club’s Sunday XI overcame Brighton Malayalee at Abingworth. Colts Maisie Taylor (four wickets) and Jacob Fearon (three) helped restrict the visitors to 165 all out. Archie Fairclough-Wood’s unbeaten half century saw them home.

The club also had an intra-club match on Sunday.

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The colts were also back in action. Their strong under-18 suffered a loss at home to Stirlands while the U12s lost to Horsham. However the U15s overcame Roffey.

Chilt’s overworked fixture secretary Dan Barnes said: “I thought I’d finished this job for the season but this year, we’re all having to do it twice! Great to see cricket finally being played.”

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