Trowbridge triumphant 68 sets up Hill for easy victory

Burgess Hill left Pagham with a much-needed 30 points that lifted them out of the relegation spots as they head into a crucial run of games.

Pagham won the toss and chose to bowl, a decision that seemed wise as Hill slipped to 32-3, losing Ben Hopkins, Kev Ramsay and Kirk Proto early.

Hopkins was first to fall, adjudged lbw after after a run-a-ball 16 including one very true straight six.

Ramsay edged behind off the bowling of David Leader and Kirk Proto followed shortly after another good delivery saw him caught behind.

Rain came and half an hour was lost but it served to benefit Hill as Matt Charman (19) and Tom Trowbridge (68) consolidated.

They put on 65 runs before Charman was lbw to Gareth Davies. Joe Maskell came to the crease and more than supported Trowbridge scoring freely, hitting 42 from just 53 balls including six fours and a six.

Trowbridge fell for 68 in the cruellest of ways, deemed run out backing up as bowler Wayne Green got the faintest of finger tips to a Maskell straight drive.

However this just brought Andrew Ifill to the wicket and his 38 from 23 balls including one the largest sixes surely ever seen at Pagham CC placed Hill very nicely on 217-8 at the midway stage.

Further rain meant two overs were lost, leaving Pagham an uphill task to chase at over 4.5 runs an over.

Maskell opened the bowling with Ifill but it was Pagham who started brightly as Australian Aiden Zammitt scored the first 19 runs of the innings from 19 balls.

However his game was brought to an end bowled round his legs by Maskell.

Hugh Warmisham replaced Ifill at the other end and soon found a nice rhythm hitting a regular line and length.

His persistence was rewarded with the wicket of Stuart Rutter (17) bowling him between the gate.

Hill’s tails were up but Gareth Davies and Barratt rebuilt to keep Pagham in the hunt at 97-3 but it was the introduction of Peter Billinghay that really helped turn the screw for Hill.

First he bowled Davies, before Warmisham completed his 13 over spell of 3-32 with the important wicket of Barratt, taking out middle stump to leave Pagham 113-5.

The win was beginning to look beyond Pagham as the required run rate was ever rising but with only 10 overs remaining Hill still needed to take five wickets.

Pagham kept going for the game, Stuart Hanks came and went for a quick 11, Stuart Leader hit 19 in 25 balls but he ran out of partners as Billinghay took 4-28 in 9 overs, an excellent catch from Trowbridge at long off removing Albert Burgess and Ben Hopkins catching Wayne Green at point.

Five balls later it was all over as Maskell returned to mark an excellent day for himself personally removing Peter Cotterill and Stuart Rutter for consecutive ducks and confirming a 62 run victory for Burgess Hill with four overs to spare.