Village cricket: Not too many bad shots from Badshot...

Lurgashall v Badshot Lea

Lurgashall batted first and made their usual solid start with an opening stand of 75 from Sean Lynch (39) and Drew Clark (38).

Contributions from Tim Dixon (31), Alex Wadey (34) and Adam Sharp (21) pushed the score along to 207 for five. However the lower order collapsed and they were all out for 219 in 43 overs.

Badshot Lea lost an early wicket but made steady progress and three stands of 50-plus took them to victory in the 46th over by four wickets with ten balls left.

Gentleman of Bedales v Lavant

On the hottest day of the year so far, Lavant travelled to Bedales School to play on the flattest pitch the team have ever seen.

Bedales opted to bat first and Lavant were fielding for 35 overs during the hottest part of the day. Lavant’s bowlers stuck to their task and despite a very fast outfield they restricted the run rate.

Davies struck when Bott was caught at mid-off, followed shortly after by a caught and bowled to dismiss King. Stevens and Dane steadied the Bedales innings until Hall induced the stumping of Stevens. Despite some lusty blows from Dane, Bedales ended on 141.

Lavant lost two wickets, then Burford and Brooker nearly kept up with the rate required. As they tried to increase pace they both sliced catches to third man, but with strong hitting from Nichols, the total was in sight until he was bowled.

The final over was taken by a part-time bowler when one of the main bowlers had an over left - and Burford and Portsmouth saw Lavant home.

Dogmersfield v Fernhurst

In division three of the I’Anson League, Fernhurst lost the toss were asked to bat first. Josh Allen (50no) and Mike Allen (43) were the top scorers in a total of 248 for seven.

Dogmersfield scored freely at the required run rate of six per over and at 60 for two after 11 overs were well on target, but although the run rate was kept up, wickets started to fall.

The run rate slowly fell back and needing to score 217 to get a winning draw the innings closed on 190 for six - giving Fernhurst five points.

Fernhurst are second in the table.

Boxgrove v Ashling

James Thorpe’s undefeated 149 allowed the home team to post a formidable total of 213 for three in this timed game.

Ashling’s first defeat of the season seemed certain as they slumped to 51 for five with plenty of time remaining for Boxgrove to wrap up the match, but a dogged rearguard action from Paul Colley (25*) and the Ashling tail allowed them to see out time to claim an unlikely draw at 108 for seven.

James Bugden took three for 23 for the home team.

Kirdford v BBC Bushmen

pic gregg short

On the hottest day of the year, Kirdford skipper Popeye Jeffery elected to bat first.

The opening pair of B Jeffery (12) and P Charman (27) did well until some short-pitched bowling sent the Kirdford skipper back to the pavilion with a large black eye, having been hit plumb in the face. All of the following batsmen decided to wear helmets.

Some brilliant hitting from man of the match Gregg Short (56), F Thomas (22) and latterly I Gravenstede (27) made sure that when Kirdford declared, they had a good total of 183.

The Bushmen’s reply started strongly, and at 72 for three it looked like a BBC victory. Short bowled a wonderful spell to take the two important wickets that exposed the tail.

The pendulum swung again though as M Jackson (32) and L Jones (22) produced a brief flurry of boundaries to take the Beeb to within 50 of the total. The skipper called on his trusted chairman John Upton, who demolished the BBC tail and sent Kirdford to their second win of a glorious summer.

Emsworth v Aldwick Acorns

Batting first, Aldwick Acorns could manage only a below-par 159 - but without Alex Cooper’s exciting 95 it would have been a lot less.

Cooper fell just five runs short of what would have been a well-deserved century. Younger brother Danny Cooper was the visitors’ next highest scorer with just 11. M Muller (4-29) and J Mason (3-36) were the wicket-takers.

Wickets from Ben Bainbridge, Adam Robinson and Tom Hoare could not prevent a home side victory by six wickets. Emsworth’s J Johnson (46*) and M Offord (40*) batted sensibily to earn a comfortable victory.

Warninglid v Aldwick

A first trip to Warninglid ended with the home side hanging on for a draw after Aldwick had posted 225. Aldwick’s Keelan Belcher hit the ball to all corners of the ground and duly retired on 101. Louis Paul was Aldwick’s next best batter with 39.

Despite a few middle-order knocks. the home side were never going to achieve 226 for victory. A fine opening spell from the returning Nathan Belcher (1-10) and wickets from Ollie Smith (3-33) had Warninglid hanging on at 170 for eight.

Regis Rebels Midweek XI vs Eastonians

Bognor won the toss and batted on a decent Regis Oval track. In trouble at 41 for three, father-and-son Mark Hood (35) and Harry Hood (24) saw Bognor to 136 for eight.

This was enough as the wily leg-spin of Anil Pakhrin on his debut tied up the Eastonians with a well-bowled three for 16. With support from Louis Paul (2-20) and John Hooker (2-5), Eastonians were bowled out for 80, Bognor winning by 56 runs.

Regis Rebels Sunday XI vs Salthill

On a spinning wicket, the hosts won the toss and elected to bat. In two innings of different contrasts, Mikey Harris’s deft touch-play was complemented by Ryan Walkley’s wristy promise.

Both played fine innings and registered their maiden senior centuries (both retired on 101) as Salthill worked hard for a breakthrough. With some blows from the younger members of the Bognor team, the Rebels finished on 276 for five, J King taking two for 47.

In an age gap of 47 years, the seasoned Jon Denby opened the bowling with young Ed Firlotte on his senior debut. The wily Denby took two for 23 and Firlotte gained decent swing and taking his first men’s cricket wicket.

Support came from Jamie Woolnough (2-38) and excellent reverse swing from Hiren Patel (3-8) as inroads were made into the Salthill order. Salthill went down with a fight with Patnaik (34) and S King (36no) took the score to 126 all out, Bognor winning by 150 runs.