Raut’s right on the button to set up another Priory win
Sussex Cricket League Chichester won on their annual return to Priory Park, building on a dominant victory against Burgess Hill the previous week.
The visitors were just above Chichester in the league table and they won the toss and elected to bat first.
From the start, Lindfield struggled to get the ball away thanks to excellent fielding from the hosts. Dan Joseph picked up a couple of vital early wickets, including the key wicket of Lindfield overseas Apoorv Wankhede.
Tom Hindley (32) and Dominic Morgan (20no) stabilised the middle order until Abhishek Raut (6-27) put in a superb spell of spin bowling that twisted the batsmen in knots. Lindfield fell from 84-5 to 96 all out, the second time in two games Chichester had bowled a side out for less than 100.
Chichester weren’t going to have everything their own way as the visitors struck early to reduce them to 28-3. Crucial runs from Matt Bennison (26) kept the scoreboard ticking over but Lindfield had a habit of taking wickets at key moments.
At 78-6 the game could have gone either way but Charlie Futcher (23no) had other ideas Stirlands celebrate a wicket against Roffey seconds earlier in the season - but they lost at home to Pagham last weekend
as he calmly saw Chichester over the line for a four-wicket win.
It moves Chichester up to sixth, 50 points clear of the relegation zone. This week brings a tricky away trip to leaders Hastings & St Leonard’s Priory. Having been asked to bowl first, Pagham made the perfect start with Josh Taylor brilliantly caught by Wayne
Green off Peter Cotterill first ball.
On a good batting wicket Stirlands recovered to 1323 but the introduction of spinners Sean Rutter (3-26) and Nikki Tabberer managed to put Pagham back in charge.
Stirlands ended 191-8 after Charlie Norton (76no) and George Briance (48) starred.
Pagham in reply again made the perfect start with the openers putting on 94 before the fall of the first wicket. Jack Stannard made a
timely return to form, scoring 82 not out, and was supported by Stuart Hanks (34) – and though Pagham lost two quick wickets they reached their target with nine overs left. Another toss win by the skipper Andy Priest – he has taken ten out of 11 so far – meant East Preston twos were asked to bat first. Andrew Shoebridge (52), Mark O’keefe
(38) and contributions from Andy Reeves (18) and Toby Dixon (15) gave East Preston a total of 156-6 off 40 overs.
The usual solid WW opening partnership of 61 from Kev Allsobrook (34) and Trevor Delderfield (27) set the foundations. Mark Taylor was faultless for his first half century of the season (52no) and Priest (32no) helped him take West Wittering twos to an eight-wicket win – their eighth victory, which puts them in a promotion place.