CRICKET: Invitation League round-up (August 28)

CLYMPING secured their place as Invitation League runners-up in their final game of the season with a 64-run success over Chipping-dale on Saturday.

Aussie Andrew Danson was their star, with 77 in Clymping's total of 200-9, and then he took four wickets to help dismiss Chipps for 136.

On finishing second behind Broadwater, who have ended up running away with the title, Clymping skipper Gareth Challen said: "We're very pleased with how it's gone.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"With one round of games to go, we are 70 points clear of Portslade, who are third. So, even if they win and take maxiumum points, we are still going to finish 40 points clear in second.

"To come second is a lot higher than we were expecting.

"We've won the league once before, and finished second twice, so this is our joint second-best finish.

"We were top halfway through the season, but the turning point for us was when we failed to beat Ram and Crawley Eagles.

"We had Ram 90-9 but then they got up to 160, and we couldn't get the runs and drew. Then, we lost to Eagles by just four runs.

"But we'll hopefully look to go one better next year."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

East Preston suffered two huge batting collapses in their nine-wicket defeat to Invitation League champions Broadwater. They fell from 62-2 to 63-6 and then from 91-6 to 93 all out.

Sean Rebbetts top-scored with a 68-ball 30, but brother Darryl (19) and Joel Kingsbury (17) were the only other players to reach double figures.

Broadwater then comfortably got home, and Graham Waller smashed 10 fours in his 62.

EP failed to take a point from the match and dropped to seventh, six points ahead of eighth-placed Chippingdale. If the Invitation League restructuring goes through, the team who finishes eighth will be relegated. So, EP captain Andy Reeves is targeting a minimum of 10 points from their final game of the season, at home to Crawley Eagles on Saturday. Chippingdale host Broadwater.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Rustington avoided defeat for the first time this season in Division 2 when they drew against promotion-chasing Storrington.

Replying to Storrington's 214-5, Rustington finished on 110-4 from 52 overs, after an unbroken fifth-wicket stand worth 79 between Nick Collins and Clive Mann. Collins struck 22 not out, and Mann an unbeaten 26.

Dave Mangold had earlier taken four Storrington wickets.

-----------------------------

Click here to return to Gazette sport.

Where are you? Add your pin to the Herald's international readers' map by clicking here.

Email the Gazette: [email protected]