Lindfield's late bid to escape relegation receives a boost

Using the best of the bowling conditions, the hosts took immediate control as Dom Morgan (2 for 33) and Shohel Ahmed (2 for 23) reduced the visitors to 92 for 4. Left arm chinaman bowler Tom Hinley chipped in with 3 for 32 as Joel Baker was the only of the Bognor team to resist, hitting a well compiled 35.In reply, the hosts batted with a composure often missing this season, as Nathan Pugh made an obdurate 35. Hinley continued where he left off with the ball, stroking a half century and taking advantage of being dropped three times. His unbeaten 74 took Lindfield over the line as strains of The Great Escape theme tune echoed from the bar.With Dicky Attenborough, Donald Pleasance and Steve McQueen warming up for the final game of the season against Mayfield, it is possible Lindfield can avoid the drop if other results go there way. However, anything but a win next week will see the Swans entangled in the barbed wire on the Swiss border.Simon “Big X” Shivnarain commented, “Finally we have showed some consistency with the ball to win two games on the bounce. It would be some escape if we were to get over the line next week, but Mayfield are a quality side, and we have a lot of work to do.”

SEE ALSO Ansty lose out to promoted Three Bridges'‹ | Sussex Cricket League: Roffey regain title, Three Bridges secure promotion'‹Scaynes Hill CC 2nd XI v Lindfield CC 2nd XI: Stand-in skipper Dom Reason was pulling our what’s left of his hair following a disappointing loss at Scaynes Hill. Batting first, the home side amassed a commanding 238 all out after Nick Wright (47) and Kevin Middle (37) made the most of some errant bowling. Leg spinner Luke Sowton picked up a couple of wickets, but went for 71 off his eight overs., whilst Rodney Mariappan took a decent 3 for 35 to keep the visitors in the contest.However, Lindfield’s batting couldn’t live up to the challenge as wickets fell regularly. Opener Scott Clarke hit 26 to get things going, but found little support from the middle order until Thanvi Choudhury batted stylishly for his 54. With him gone, the game was up for the visitors and they succumbed to 182 all out. Andrew Parsons was the pick of the bowling with 4 for 44.Lindfield CC 3rd XI v Hurstpierpoint CC 2nd XI: Lindfield were never going to push the strong Hurstpierpoint team which gained promotion on Saturday after a batting collapse in the first innings. The hosts found themselves 66 for 9, after the batting order had to be changed twice, when Lindfield batsmen found themselves in the little boys room as opposed to at the crease where they should have been. A sting in the tail saw the home side reach 122 after 63 year old Phil Tolhurst hit another unbeaten half century.The chase was never going to be a problem for Hurstpierpoint as Ben Tunley (35*) and Matt Parsons (44*) saw the division winners over the line in just 25 overs. The game proved to be the final one for Lindfield skipper Neil Pedley who officially retired from the sport after 40 years of plodding his medium pacers across Sussex. His knees have finally packed up following thousands of overs of hard graft and dreadful batting. He shall be missed.Keymer & Hassocks CC 2nd XI v Lindfield CC 4th XI: An end of season feeling saw Lindfield surrender to an over strength Keymer & Hassocks team after the visitors had set 165 for 7 thanks in the main to Ian Jackson hitting 40.The hosts surpassed the total after some early jitters thanks to Tom Morrissey’s 117 not out which saw them win by five wickets.