Author: Al Rix

Sunday 26th August 2007

Walberton CC v Lodsworth CC at Walberton

Walberton CC 99 all out (P Harbird 53: Matt Hall 4 overs 3 for 19, Vipol 3 overs 3 for 13, Vikram 5 overs 2 for 10))

Lodsworth CC 90 all out (James Hickey 23 Andy Long 13, Vikram 13 not out; N Jackson 11 overs 3 for 51, R Lockwood 9 overs 4 for 7, L Venter 8.1 overs 3 for 17)

Lodsworth lost by 9 runs

Why the heck do we play this beautiful but utterly frustrating game?

Lodsworth performed brilliantly when fielding, restricting Walberton to 99 all out. The bowling was accurate with Andy Long (7 overs 1 for 26), Matt Hall (4 overs 3 for 19), Vipol (3 overs 3 for 13) and Vikram (3 overs 2 for 10) keeping the Walberton batsmen on a tight rein. Superb catches by Jon Houghton (3) fielding close in, Andy Long, Matt Hall and Paul Phillips kept the pressure on and only opener P Harbird (53) was able to make headway. Even Bob Powell got in on the act with a lightning stumping (his description). A great team effort.

Then Lodsworth batted and contrived to loose a match they should have won easily. James Hickey (35) hung around for a decent period but all the other top order batsmen – Alfred de Souza, Jon Houghton, Ollie King, John Clifford and Rod Taylor – trooped back to the pavilion like lemmings heading for a cliff. The middle order fared little better against the bowling of R Lockwood (overs 4 for 7) and L Venter (8 overs 3 for 17). It was left to the tail enders Matt Hall, Andy Long (13) and Vikram (13 not out) to muster some resistance and it briefly looked as if Lodsworth might pull off a late coup. But no – a dubious LBW decision left the victors looking slightly embarrassed and Lodsworth 9 runs short.

Anyway – that’s cricket and all will be back next week.

Bob Powell

Vice Captain

Lodsworth CC v Arundel Castle Estate CC at Lodsworth

Arundel Castle Estate CC 104 all out (C Ashworth 41, C Budd 14; Martin Howard 5 overs 3 for 9, Andy Long 10 overs 2 for 16, Matt Hall 7 overs 2 for 22)

Lodsworth CC 106 for none (Alfred de Souza 85 not out, Ollie King 19 not out)

Lodsworth won

After two disappointing losses Lodsworth bounced back with a vengeance and severely trounced a respectable Arundel Castle Estate CC. Put in to bat, with the exception of C Ashworth (41) the Arundel XI were pinned down by some accurate bowling from Andy Long (10.2 overs 2 for 16) and Matt Hall (7 overs 2 for 22) before Martin Howard tore apart the visitors middle order with 5 overs 3 for 9.

There were six brilliant catches from Alfred de Souza (2), Ben Randell, Martin Howard, Andy Long and Matt Hall, and a great run out by James Hickey as the visitors struggled to 104 all out.

Lodsworth replied with a devastating innings by Alfred de Souza of 85 not out, (including seven 4’s and five 6’s), while Ollie King won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor with 19 not out. The winning total of 106 was achieved in just 15 overs. This was the first ten-wicket victory by a Lodsworth team for several years and all the more satisfying as we have been on the receiving end of some big hitters in recent games.

Sunday 5th August 2007

Lodsworth CC v Fittleworth CC at Lodsworth

Filttleworth CC 184 for 4 (I Homeward 102, P Kitchener 36; Paul Phillips 12 overs 1 for 44, Matt Hall 11 overs 1 for 41)

Lodsworth CC 130 all out (Jon Houghton 43, Mall Hall 23, Alfred de Souza 19, Graham Braithwaite 16: A Wall 7 overs 4 for 34, A Kitchener 8 overs 3 for 21)

Fittleworth won

On paper Lodsworth had a strong batting lineup. Rod Taylor and Andy Long (both injured) were missing, but with Graham Braithwaite, Alfred de Souza and Jon Houghton in the team it seemed there was the necessary firepower to reverse a string of defeats by Fittleworth CC over the last five years … but it was not to be.

The toss was lost and Lodsworth were put in to field. Fittleworth steadily notched up 184 for 4 off 40 overs with I Homeward hitting 102 before falling to Paul Phillips. Lodsworth bowled accurately on the hottest day of the year but although containing the run rate to 4.6 per over could not remove the batsmen.

In reply to Fittleworth’s total the home team were dismissed for 130 in 31 overs. There were some determined individual performances with resilience being shown by Jon Houghton (43) supported by Matt Hall (23). Alfred De Souza (19) and Graham Braithwaite (16) briefly sparked but both were dismissed just as they began to get into their stride. It was an excellent game of cricket played in a friendly spirit but Lodsworth slipped to their second defeat of the season bringing their record to W3,D4,L2.

Lodsworth man of the match – Jon Houghton

Sunday 22nd July 2007

Lodsworth CC v Tangmere CC at Lodsworth

Tangmere CC 58 all out (J Murray 12: Paul Phillips 7 overs 6 for 14, Amol 3 overs 2 for 8)

Lodsworth CC 46 all out (Amol 8: A Steward 10 overs 5 for 6, M Parris 8 overs 3 for 10)

Tangmere won

This was, to quote the old football adage ‘a game of two halves’. In the first half Lodsworth gave possibly their best bowling and fielding performance of the season while the Tangmere batting collapsed to 58 all out. In the second half the position was reversed and the Tangmere bowlers mauled the Lodsworth batsman who reached just 46 all out.

Tangmere started confidently enough but Paul Phillips was in devastating form and in 7 overs claimed 6 wickets for just 14 runs – possibly his lifetime best figures – while Amol took 2 wickets for 8 runs off 3 overs. Both bowlers achieved remarkable turn off a hard but green wicket. There were excellent catches from Amol, Andy Long (2) and Matt Hall. The Tangmere batsmen had no answer and only J Murray reached double figures.

Lodsworth started their innings with a mixture of confidence, perhaps tinged with apprehension, for if Tangmere had been unable to master the bowling on the lively wicket, did it hold similar perils for the home team? The answer was swiftly forthcoming as two wickets fell in the second over and Tangmere surged to a comprehensive victory with A Steward taking 5 wickets for 6 runs off 10 overs and M Parris claiming 3 victims for 10 runs off 8 overs. Jon Houghton attempted to hold the batting together but not one player on the Lodsworth team reached double figures and five fell to LBW.

In the short bruising encounter Lodsworth’s unbeaten run of seven games came to an abrupt halt. The team has two weeks to regroup and recover the winning formula before the August fixtures.

Lodsworth man of the match – Paul Phillips

Sunday 8th July 2007

Tillington CC v Lodsworth CC

Lodsworth CC 120 for 9 (Martin Howard 29 not out, Ed Atkins 27; M Hill 10 overs 4 for 13)

Tillington CC 66 for 8 (D Clark 18, T Germany 14 not out; Andy Long 11 overs 3 for 5, Matt Hall 7 overs 2 for 12)

Match Drawn

Three weeks of incessant rainfall having caused the cancellation of games against Graffham and Smithbrook, Fernhurst and the Matt Hall XI, it came as a relief to wake to clear skies and the opportunity to play near neighbours and close rivals Tillington CC. Work commitments and injury forced a number of late changes and Lodsworth welcomed Ed Atkins for his debut game with the team and Harry Dimond another of the very talented young players in the village.

Lodsworth batted first and were quickly in trouble. It could be blamed on three weeks of inaction but James Hickey, Rod Taylor, Jon Houghton and Ollie King were all back in the pavilion with only 24 runs on the scoreboard. M Hill caused most of the damage with 10 overs 4 for 13. It fell to skipper Matt Hall to stabilise the team with a resilient 19 and Ed Atkins to show what a great talent he is with a sparkling 27. Martin Howard was equally impressive with 29 not out and Lodsworth went in for tea with a defendable 120 for 9.

Tillington were in all sorts of trouble after the restart, loosing R Noakes, B Whickham and G Westmore for ducks, while D Clarke (18) staved off a complete the collapse. Lodsworth looked for a swift victory but the last two Tillington batsmen, T Germany (14 not out) and L Spice (3 not out), defied the bowlers and held on for a draw. Andy Long was the best of the Lodsworth seamers with 11 overs, 8 maidens 3 for 5.

Lodsworth Man of the match – Ed Atkins

Sunday 20th May 2007

Milland CC 64 all out (G Stopher 37: Martin Howard 6 overs 3 wickets for 17 runs, Jon Houghton 6 overs 2 for 13 runs).
Lodsworth CC 66 for 6 (Oliver King 28 not out: G Stopher 10.3 overs 5 for 32)
Lodsworth won by 4 wickets

The Lodsworth cricket team have yet to be truly tested, nevertheless three wins in three games is a brilliant start to the 2007 season under new captain Matt Hall.

For the third game in a row the Lodsworth bowlers were dominant. Paul Phillips (7 overs 1 for 13) and Andy Long (7 overs 1 for 9) laid a firm foundation so that with 14 overs bowled Milland had just 22 runs on the board. Martin Howard (3 for 17) and Jon Houghton (2 for 13) scythed through the middle order aided by catches from Long, Hall and Amol, and the depleted visitors were back in the pavilion with just 64 runs to defend. G Stopher provided the only real resistance with an individual contribution of 37 runs.

But the Lodsworth batting looks fragile and has yet to consistently produce the big individual innings’ that characterised the team’s performances in 2005 and 2006. James Hickey and John Houghton were out for 1 and 5 respectively and the 20-year-old Indian batsman Alfred de Souza was brilliantly caught when on just 5 runs. Martin Howard went for a duck and Paul Phillips was run out on 6. Indeed a shock defeat looked possible as wickets tumbled. Milland’s G Stopher took five wickets for 32 runs in 10 overs but Oliver King (28 not out) and Andy Long (8 not out) ushered the home team to victory by 4 wickets.

Man-of-the-match Martin Howard

Thanks to …
Jill King, Zena Davies and Sheila Houghton for tea, Hunter Graham for umpiring and George Bristow at the Hollist Arms for after-match hospitality. Thanks also to the Recreation Hall Committee – we recognise it is difficult to produce a quality cricket ground when the community field has to serve a multitude of purposes, from football to fetes and stoolball to Guy Fawkes night. But three weeks into the cricket season the outfield is showing considerable improvement. Thanks guys!

Sunday 6th May 2007 at Lodsworth
Easebourne 84 all out (I Fumagall 33: Jon Houghton 8 overs 4 wickets for 21 runs, Matt Hall 5 overs 2 for 4, Paul Phillips 8 overs 2 for 16).
Lodsworth 88 for 4 (Rod Taylor 49 not out, Alfred de Souza 27: Paul White 7 overs 3 for 48)
Lodsworth won by 6 wickets

This was a resounding win for Lodsworth against an admittedly under strength Easeborne team. The key to the success was once again the tight opening attack of Paul Phillips (8 overs 2 for 16) and Andy Long (8 overs 1 for 18) who restricted the visitors to just 48 runs, with the loss of three wickets, off the first 16 overs. One of Easebourne’s youngest players, I Fumagall, was the only batsman to emerge with credibility as other wickets fell to Jon Houghton (4 for 21), Matt Hall (2 for 4) and Martin Howard (1 for 7). Matt Hall and Alfred de Souza took two difficult catches and Easebourne were back in the pavilion after 32 overs with just 84 runs on the board.

Lodsworth had a minor fright as Ollie King and Jon Houghton both went for ducks off the bowling of Easebourne stalwart Paul White. But some scintillating batting by Rod Taylor who finished on 49 not out (three 6’s and four 4’s), and some massive shots by newcomer Alfred de Souza who scored 27 (one 6 and four 4’s) quickly put the result beyond doubt. Lodsworth took less than an hour to score 88 runs off 13 overs and record their second six-wicket win of the season.

Man-of-the-match Rod Taylor

Saturday 28th April 2007.
Ebernoe CC v Lodsworth CC at Ebernoe

Ebernoe 81 all out (M West 23, N Price 21 not out: Paul Phillips 9.4 overs 4 wickets for 17 runs, Jon Houghton 8 overs 3 for 29, Matt Hall 6 overs 2 for 18, Andy Long 9 overs 1 for 10)
Lodsworth 82 for 4 (Jon Houghton 24 not out, Rod Taylor 18, James Hickey 15).
Lodsworth won by 6 wickets

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What a difference a year makes! Humiliated in the 2006 fixture on this same ground, Lodsworth came back with a positive attitude and overwhelmed Ebernoe with a six-wicket victory. Paul Phillips and Andy Long established a firm foundation – their first 18 overs yielded just 27 runs and in the process Ebernoe lost four wickets including their usually prolific skipper R Stemp.

Jon Houghton and Lodsworth’s new skipper Matt Hall took up the attack and despite a rearguard action by Ebernoe’s N Price, the home team were dismissed for 81 in 35 overs. The Lodsworth fielding was exceptional and Martin Howard, Matt Hall, Bob Powell and newcomer Richard Chase held difficult catches.

In reply Lodsworth started shakily, loosing Phillips in the second over, but Jon Houghton (24 not out), James Hickey (15) and Rod Taylor (18) carried the team to a comfortable victory with 82 for 4 in 28 overs. Ebernoe bowlers A Read, N Price, M West and D Turner shared the spoils. This was above all a great team effort by Lodsworth and bodes well for the 2007 season.

Man-of-the-match Paul Phillips

Sunday 24th September 2006

Lodsworth CC v Bosham CC

Bosham CC 185 for 5 (M Allen 119, D Holden 30;Christian Budd 3 overs 2 for 25, Andy Long 8 overs 1for 20)

Lodsworth CC 163 for 9 (Sean Chivers 47, Matt Hall 30,Oliver King 27; D Holden 8 overs 3 for 23, M Farrell 6overs 3 for 27, M Allen 4 overs 2 for 15)

Bosham won a limited-over game by 22 runs.

Lodsworth won the toss and elected to field but barely five minutes had elapsed when they were reduced to 10 men when their talisman all-rounder Jon Houghton was hit above the eye by a full blooded drive that pierced his helmet visor and necessitated 22 stitches.

Bosham were unrecognisable from the team that last visited Lodsworth in 2004. They have evidently recruited a number of accomplished batsmen who piled on the pressure. The Lodsworth bowlers responded well with Andy Long bowling an impressive 8 overs 1 for 20, but Bosham began to hit freely in the last ten overs and finished on 185 for 5. Opener M Allen hit 119, supported by D Holden (30) and M Farrell (20).Christian Budd came on for a cameo last over where he bowled out two batsmen and ran out a third.

With Jon Houghton, still in A&E at Chichester hospital, Lodsworth reshuffled their batting order. Matt Hall, at No.1, hit a determined 30 and Ollie King grafted for 27 but the major contributor was Sean Chivers whose rapid-fire 47 threatened to swing the game in the home team’s favour. But it was not to be. Andy Long (17) anchored a tail-end flourish but Lodsworth finished short of the required total with 163 for 9 as the sun sank over the western end of the recreation ground, bringing the 2006 season to a literal and metaphoric conclusion.

It was a pretty good season. Played 18, Won 8, Drawn 4, Lost 6 with three games cancelled as a result of heavy rain.

Man of the Match: Sean Chivers