LITTLEHAMPTON Cricket Club captain Dan Rive admitted Saturday’s win over local rivals Clymping was of much relief to his side.

The victory lifted Littlehampton level on points with fourth-from-bottom East Preston and moved them 31 points clear of second-from-bottom Selsey.

After six games without a win, Littlehampton gained the maximum 30 points from their victory, while Selsey picked up 20 points from their surprise success at title-chasing Southwater and Rive said: “It came as much relief.

“We probably posted an under-par total as we should have been closer to 240, which is what we’d been looking for.

“We just lost wickets at the wrong time but 191-9 was a competitive total.

“Nathan Perry batted well, as did Michael Askew, and they put on a very good partnership, but once Nathan was out, the runs dried up.

“Graham Merritt-Blann and Sam Varcoe scored 11 off the first two overs in Clymping’s reply but we then took four wickets in the space of two overs with Tom Lee and George Kitchen both taking two in an over.

“That took the momentum out of their innings, although Karl Pierce and Sam Varcoe both batted well.

“We need 59 points out of a possible 90 to guarantee safety now. Southwick and Felbridge are both winnable games and we play Southwater as well.”

After Tom Lee was bowled by Andrew Mitchell early on, Perry and Askew put on 81 for Littlehampton’s second wicket.

Askew was out for 31, after hitting four fours and one six, from 47 deliveries, and, after Amit Midha was out for four, Perry fell for 62, which included 11 fours from 58 deliveries, with the score on 109.

Sam Mellor added 23, Rive hit 16 and Ryan Budd struck 16 not out as Littlehampton finished on 191-9. Mitchell and Richard Waddington, who could bowl only nine overs owing to a side strain, both took three wickets for Clymping. Waddington’s wickets took his total to 16 in the last three games and 22 for the year.

Clymping fell from 11-0 to 15-4 in their reply, before Varcoe (39) and Pierce (39) put on 62 for the fifth wicket. Once Varcoe was the fifth man out with the score on 77, Clymping collapsed to 115 all out as Lee and Budd claimed three wickets each and Kitchen and Perry both picked up two.

Clymping skipper James Salisbury said: “They got off to a flyer, so to get them back to finish on 191-9 wasn’t a bad effort.

“It was quite a quick outfield and a decent wicket, so it was a good all-round effort in the field.

“We were a bit unfortunate that Richard Waddington, who has been bowling well, got a side strain and wasn’t able to continue.

“We thought we had a chance but we just lost too many early wickets.

“Karl Pierce batted well and gave us half a chance but it was too little, too late, really, and we’ll just move on from it.”