A "Clash of the Titans" at the top of Division 2 in Cuckfield, where the visitors triumphed with some aplomb. Clearly a severe water shortage in the area (presumably Ardingly reservoir has dried up) meant a pitch that resembled the Gobi desert, with Peter O'Toole (he was Lawrence in "Lawrence of Arabia" people - keep up) making a fleeting appearance as the batsmen took guard.
Having won the toss acting Cuckfield skipper Nick Patterson opted to bat, and was left wondering whether he'd made the best choice as ball one rose sharply off a length and rebounded off a length to 2nd slip. There weren't too many misbehaving deliveries but it was clear to all at the game that spin was going to be a potent weapon. What with a howling gale blowing directly down the hill making trying to run into it difficult at best.
Sure enough Worthing destroyers in chief were spin twins Benn Challen (5 for 46) and Nick Gunning (4 for 37) as the hosts slumped to 163 all out.
A change in the order saw Andy Reid partnering Ben Chambers at the top of the order, with the latter running himself out, but the diminutive Reid weathered the opening storm to take himself onto 39 before top-edging a pull of Patterson, a shot that had brought him plenty of joy throughout his innings.
Challen (76*) and Darryll Rebbetts (36*) saw the visitors over the line with just over 8 overs to spare.
This win takes Worthing back to the top of the table at the expense of their opponents.
Scorecard
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