Cuckfield lose out to league leaders in low-scoring affair

Cuckfield lost to Roffey by 4 wickets in a low scoring game. On a scorching hot Saturday, Cuckfield skipper Josh Hayward was relieved to win the toss and have a bat first on a good hard pitch.
Joe Cambridge faces Ben ManentiJoe Cambridge faces Ben Manenti
Joe Cambridge faces Ben Manenti

Cuckfield’s openers, Greg Wisdom and Billy Meboroh-Collinson played watchfully against the opening attack of Rohit Jagota and Leigh Harrison scoring 21 off the first 10 overs before Jagota claimed his only wicket of the day, that of Wisdom, caught at mid-wicket for 7.

The change bowling of Luke Barnard and Ben Manenti brought a flurry of wickets including a run out, Meboroh-Collinson for 16 leaving Cuckfield 33 for 5. Joe Cambridge and Ben John looked to have stemmed the flow of wickets, but theirs was the first in a string of 20 partnerships as wickets continued to fall regularly.

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Joe White’s 41 not out was the highlight of the Cuckfield innings as they were bowled out for 123 in the 48th over.

In the chase, after Weston castled Ben Manenti for 11 with the score 23, Jibran Khan came in a biffed 31 off 25 balls before he became the first of four victims for Phil Semmens at 67 for 2. Three more wickets for Semmens (4/30) and a comedic run out meant Roffey lost six wickets as they completed the chase in the 28th over.

Cuckfield 2nd XI v Plumpton & East Chiltington 1st XI: Stand-in Cuckfield skipper James Robinson won the toss and elected to bat first at Plumpton.

A rocky start with an early wicket for Sam Newman preceded starts for all of the rest of the top of the order, George Galbraith-Gibbons (20), Dan Turner (16) and Richard Amer (34), but none converted to a big score. With the innings in the balance, a middle order partnership from Will Rogers (64) and Nathan Buckeridge (22) solidified things and Will Rossiter hit a quickfire 32 not out to set a total of 197 for 7 from the 40 overs. There were two wickets each for Newman and Richard Ward.

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George Martin and Chris Spiller opened up for Plumpton and made a solid start before Spiller was bowled for 20 by Rogers. Two wickets followed in quick succession for Robinson and then Galbraith-Gibbons removed Martin (55) and Chris Batchelor (17). A late order charge from Ward (20) and Nick Sheldrick (18) was not enough as a runout and two wickets for George Mercer saw Plumpton end the game on 155 for 8, 42 runs short of the Cuckfield total.

Cuckfield 3rd XI v Rottingdean 2nd XI: Rottingdean bucked the trend and elected to bowl first at Cuckfield having won the toss. George Manns and Sam Candfield opened for Cuckfield putting on 50 before Manns (20) was caught off the bowling of Greg Tyrrell. Piers Harrison (26) joined Candfield and picked up the reigns, but he too fell in the twenties to Aaron Lees.

At this point Sam Shepherd joined Candfield and the pair put on 101 for the third wicket as Candfield (97) was denied his hundred by Lees. Shepherd made 81 not out in Cuckfield’s total of 255 for 3 in 40 overs.

Wickets fell regularly in the chase and Rottingdean were 67 for 5 when Simon Clarke joined James Yates, bringing a rear guard action to take the score to 131 before Yates was run out by Kenny Rogers. This partnership broken, wickets tumbled as Goff Baker picked up his second and third and Jack Beat knocked over two to bowl the visitors out for 174. Baker took 3/32, Osbourne 2/23, Best 2/17.

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Cuckfield 4th XI v Balcombe 2nd XI: Balcombe won the toss and elected to bowl first. Tom Wright (59) and Andy Middleton (36) made a fantastic start to the innings and 27 not out from Dom Seed helped Cuckfield to 175 for 7 from their 40 overs.

In the reply, the evergreen Peter Collins knocked over the top 4 to blunt the Balcombe innings. A 34 from Alex Mills and twenties from Lee Walters (20) and Ben Meyerratken (26) helped the home side get close, but they finished their 40 overs 14 runs short of the Cuckfield target as they were bowled out for 161. Collins took 4/16 and Ellis Buckeridge took 2/24.

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