Park complete first double

Ed Smissen is solid in defence for Crowhurst Park against Pulborough. Picture by Simon Newstead

Pulborough chose to field on winning the toss despite having just three men at the ground for the start of play. The visitors were lucky to be allowed to wait until their full team arrived before play eventually started 20 minutes late.

The Payne brothers got Park off to a useful start with an opening stand of 27. Dale Payne and Ed Smissen put on a solid 45-run partnership before Park lost three wickets in two overs to find themselves in trouble at 72-4.

Kellen Powell and Nick Taylor turned the game back in Park’s favour, however, with a superb 97-run partnership until wickets again fell quickly to make the score 181-8. Pete Beaumont and Paul Brookes took the score within reach of 200 and Park declared on 203-9.

Early wickets have been relatively easy to come by in recent weeks and this was the case when Park took to the field with Paul Brookes trapping Imran Khan lbw in the second over. Bradley Payne then struck twice, one of them thanks to an excellent catch by Smissen, to leave Pulborough 38-3 off 13 overs.

That became 44-5 after Brookes claimed two more victims, the second them via the catch of the day from Nick Peters. Opener Stuart Barber and wicketkeeper George Holman fashioned a 63-run partnership to frustrate Park before the latter was caught at mid-on by Dale Payne to give Brookes his fourth wicket.

Peters trapped James Smilie lbw and along with his superb fielding display, rightfully earned the Claremont School man of the match. Smissen picked up two quick wickets to leave Pulborough 150-9 and Paul Lindfield clean bowled skipper Lee Callagan with no further runs added to seal victory.

Standings (all played 15 matches): 1 Eastbourne 358pts, 2 Goring-by-Sea 337, 3 BEXHILL 315, 4 Findon 303, 5 Ifield 260, 6 CROWHURST PARK 258, 7 Middleton 218, 8 St James’s Montefiore 201, 9 Pulborough 160, 10 Glynde & Beddingham 136.