Crows contest thrilling tie on opening day

Both Park and visitors Chichester Priory Park were all out for 170 as Park’s campaign in Division Three got off to an exciting start after the disappointment of last summer’s relegation.

Park’s new skipper Clive Tong won the toss and chose to bat. Park lost an early wicket after Ben Phillimore was bowled, but Dale Payne and Australian overseas player Joel Bruun took the score to 72 before Payne (31) was caught mid-off.

Paul Brookes soon followed lbw to Chichester skipper Johnny Heaven, who picked up his fourth wicket with his very next ball, when Ed Smissen was superbly caught at third slip.

Park had lost three wickets for nine runs in the space of four overs, and although Tong blasted a couple of boundaries, he was next to go.

Bruun was dispatching the ball to the boundary and brought up his maiden Sussex League fifty in the 19th over, but was caught going for one to many sixes seven overs later for an excellent 78.

Colin Ayres took over the mantle of finding the boundary until he was stumped by some swift glovework for 19. Fox Parker was caught at first slip off the very next ball.

Jon Peters saw out the rest of the over before becoming Richard Hancock’s second victim. Richard Coleman was last man out, caught in the covers off a full toss, in the 37th over.

Park took to the field for 10 overs before tea. Tong took the top of Simon Hasted’s off stump with his 10th ball and followed it up in his next over by having Sam Harvey (11) caught by Parker diving full length to his right.

Rakesh Patel pulled up with a hamstring injury at the other end, but Brookes took over and 21-2 became 33-3 in the sixth over after Brookes had Sean Dobbs caught low by Smissen.

At tea the score was 49-3 off 10. Chichester added 30 runs in four overs after tea until Brookes trapped Peter Lamb (23) lbw. George Perry (24) continued to dispatch the bad ball to the boundary until one swipe too many had him caught in the slips by Smissen off Bruun with the score 85.

Heaven (43) and Azeaz Safi (19) took 45 off eight overs until Coleman dismissed them both in successive overs. When he took his third wicket - a caught and bowled - Chichester were 144-8.

The pendulum swung back in Chichester’s favour with Rob Carver and Albie Condron taking the score to 165 before Tong brought himself back on and immediately bowled Condron.

Chichester’s final pair for a potentially match-winning third run only for Peters to run out Rob Carver for 21 with a direct hit from the midwicket boundary.

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