Chichester and Stirlands keep up promotion pressure

Action from Chichester's win over Haywards Heath / Picture by Kate Shemilt

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The Sussex League season is boiling up nicely for Chichester Priory Park and Stirlands - both won their latest games to remain in the hunt for promotion.

Here are the latest reports...

Chichester Priory Park v Haywards Heath

Sussex League division three

Chichester Priory Park kept up the promotion pressure on the top two with victory over fifth-placed Haywards Heath.

After showers moved away, Chichester captain Johnny Heaven won the toss and asked the visitors to bat.

Haywards Heath made a cautious start with just 63 runs trickling off 20 overs. Opener Chris Blunt made a patient 38 before he was bowled by Heaven. Blunt’s innings summed up Haywards Heath’s batting: plenty of batsmen made starts but no-one kicked on.

Credit to bowlers Dan Joseph (4-72) and Matt Geffen (3-54), who had a knack for dismissing batsmen at crucial times. Runs flowed towards the end of the innings as Haywards Heath captain Callum Smith (44) and David Woodfield (39) pushed the score along.

The visitors sclosed their innings on 204 for eight.

Chichester got a lifeline when both openers were dropped in the slip cordon before the score reached double figures.

Will Futcher didn’t last too much longer and was caught behind for 14. Simon Hasted followed not long afterwards, dismissed ‘hit wicket’ when he fell on to his own stumps.

As last week against Mayfield, George Stephens helped to steady the ship with an entertaining 41. His innings included two huge sixes that threatened to clear the Roman Wall that surrounds one side of Priory Park.

His aggressive partnership with Sam Harvey took the match away from the visitors. Even when Stephens was dismissed, Harvey found another able partner in Ben Caldera (26).

The loss of two late wickets took a little gloss off the performance but Chichester schased down their target with two overs to spare, winning the match by four wickets.

Later, news filtered through that the two teams above Chichester, Burgess Hill and Portslade, had both lost. Chichester have closed the gap on Portslade to 13 points and they are only 27 points off the leaders.