Second successive for Clymping after three-wicket triumph at Souwthick

Clymping appeared to be coasting to their victory target of 198 at 112-1, before a flurry of wickets fell to leave them 191-7 and captain Chris Green expressed his relief to have got the win and said: “We got off to a good start, but then they came back at us when the pitch died later on.

“They set good fields and Paul Grennan almost single-handedly won it for them.

“But we’re pleased and ultimately relieved to get over the line, but should have won it far more comfortably than we did. We got 28 points from it, though, which is good, and the start we’ve had, two wins from two, is excellent.”

Clymping won the toss and, with their strong batting line-up, put Southwick into bat.

Southwick made a solid start with a 60-run opening stand before Nick Taylor was out for a 37-ball seven, caught by wicketkeeper Stuart Hanks off Gary Tester.

Wickers skipper Russell Martin hit a fluid half-century before he fell for a run-a-ball 53 after striking seven fours and two sixes with the score on 84.

Dan Feniuk then held together Southwick’s innings with a unbeaten 51, with eight fours and one six, off 72 balls, as Wickers finished their 49 overs on 197-9.

Off-spinner Rob Fauvel led the way for Clymping with 3-22 from six overs, while Tester and George Gaskin both picked up two wickets.

Green was happy to be chasing that total as he felt around 220 was a par score, and Southwick’s total never looked enough.

Although Graham Merritt-Blann fell in the third over with the score on 14, Tester and Hanks put on 98 for the second wicket to put Clymping in control.

Hanks was out for 59 after striking nine fours and two sixes. Gareth Challen and Green then fell, before Tester followed for 63, after hitting six fours and two sixes.

It was the opening batsman’s first dismissal of the season after he hit unbeaten half-centuries in a friendly against Arundel and in their opening league game against Felbridge & Sunnyside last week.

Kim Dean, with 21, and Karl Pierce, with 17, got Clymping to the brink of victory, before Richard Waddington and Rob Fauvel got Clymping over the line with 14 balls to spare.

Southwick captain Martin said: “Our batting was disappointing, but we bowled well and Clymping are a good side and in my opinion will be right up there.”