Match Reports
Lancing College v Lancing Rovers

The Rovers headed down to 'HQ' to face, what we soon found out, was a very keen and encouragingly good 1st XI in a T20 match on the newly founded OL Sports Day. 

With other sports also being played against the College to determine an overall winner, we lost two of our debutantes to hockey after just 25 minutes, and with another Rover scouring the South Coast for a pair of whites and some spikes we fielded the rest of their innings with ten men, four of which weren't exactly greyhounds!

Cal Nichols on debut took the new ball, bowled three very tidy overs before heading off, along with fellow debutante Fin Sutcliffe, which triggered a reluctant President to take to the field. Lewis F bowled alongside Cal and was equally tidy, and the College were being kept relatively quiet. Six bowlers were used in total, George H-H, Alex Barritt another first-timer, Ethan F and skipper Ballas and all bowled pretty well, but a couple of the 1st XI started ticking along nicely and the score started to mount. Marly R looks a quality batsman and he was unlucky to run out of balls finishing on 48*, in a total of 144-4. Alex B the pick of the bowlers taking 2-34.

To say the Rovers started badly would be a gross understatement, with both Notty and Alex back in the hutch without troubling the scorers before the end of the first over, and when Isaac A departed in the second over the score was 5-3! So it was down to Disco and Sheff to try and dig us out of the rather large hole we found ourselves in, but the quality of bowling was such that we could only tick over at three or four an over, nowhere near enough. It didn't help that Sheff only had one leg so quick singles were a complete no-no as well. 

Disco fell for a workmanlike 25, but the required run rate was now in double figures as the skipper strode to the crease. Fortunately for the Rovers, the College had fired all their bullets, and the bowling got a touch easier. The top three bowlers only went at 4.3 runs per over, the final eight overs went for 95 as Sheff and Ballas found the boundary with ease. The skipper edged one to gully in the final over for a rapid, but jug avoiding 48, with four still required off the last four balls.

So, having won his hockey match, Cal was back, and strode to the crease, dot then a single got Sheff on strike. He then skied the penultimate delivery, but it went so high he managed to get back for two when it was shelled, it was by no means a sitter, scores level.

Sheff managed to guide the last ball to the boundary and we recorded our first win against the 1st XI in the last three attempts, it was a good game, and helped the 'OLs' to overall victory on the day.

We go again on June 25th for the Peter Robinson Trophy.