Last week was a tough one. The league was so close yet slipped through our grasp whilst the opposition umpire attempted to learn the LBW rule mid game. But the mark of a slightly better than average team is the ability to bounce back and no better opportunity than a winner takes Third face off against the keenest team in the league.

With a LOT of rain Thursday and Friday we were relieved to learn Shoreham had covers…. sat idle miles away from the wicket. We were greeted with the wettest of wet wickets that screamed win the toss and bowl first. The ever keen oppo knowing a bowl first wicket when they saw one punched the air as I called tails incorrectly for the 18th time this season. Looks like we would bat then.

In a change of order out strode Bedwell and Hodges with the latter out caught (or not?) behind ball 3… it felt a bad toss to lose. Nerves were jangling as Johnston battled hard facing 10 balls without scoring but Bedwell was batting gloriously with some sumptuous leaves combined with powerful stroke making. Once Johnston was off the mark he joined the “lets score runs together” party and the Bedstone brothers put on a 79 run partnership with Bedwell first to depart for an extremely well made 52 from 62 balls. Johnston, muttering something about there being room for only one leg spinner in the village, then took charge despatching their spinners to all parts of the ground including some glorious straight 6s off their beleaguered leggie before departing for 55 also from 62. We will of course be addressing the dangerous 62nd ball before the 2025 season.

The middle order all chipped in with a special note to Lucas Brookman batting 4 for the first time. Looking very assured he manoeuvred the ball around brilliantly including some lovely sweeps. Charlie played some powerful shots for his 21 from 22 and Simon Barker in at 6 batted very well for his 34 from 36 but left us all pondering the difference between waiting and looking. Do you wait before you run? Or look and then run? Would you ever wait, then look, then run? Is there a difference? Well if there is I am yet to know as Simon ran me out for 9 but probably for the best as Mr Square Cut James West scored a quick 12 to see us amass a very impressive 229/8 from our 40 overs. It was a cracking effort.

There is no complacency in this team. None. But on that wicket and with that score even the least complacent felt we were in with a shout. The opposition knew it too spending the whole of the tea break rolling the wicket. But it was to no avail as Alex Lush struck ball 4 with a slightly better than average ball that their best bat played all around and we have them 0/1. What a start.

Lush, absolutely frothing at the bit now to try and overcome about 16 different club records that no one has ever heard, is firing in. He strikes again 3rd over trapping their number 3 for the most out of out LBWs (apart from the one against Outwood that wasn’t given by the aforementioned umpire of course). 15/2. He strikes again in his 5th over! 30/3. And then again! 2 wickets in 2 balls as their bat throws up a dolly of a catch back to Lush that he would almost certainly have dropped off anyone else’s bowling. 30/4 with Lushy on 6/4. Surely we couldn’t see a hat trick? Surely? A hat trick and a 5 for in the same delivery? In the last game of the season? With our night out to look forward to? He couldn’t, could he? That’s right he couldn’t. But what a spell. Have a blow their Lushy. If only.

Lushy then took wickets 5 and 6 in the 1st and 2nd ball of his 6th over (4 wickets in 6 balls) to bring up his 5 for and yet another hat trick ball. He couldn’t? Could he? Surely this time? Nope. A massive leg side wide followed but it was an outstanding spell of bowling from Alex Lush ending with 6 wickets for 20 runs including 2 Maidens from his 9 overs. A match winning effort that saw him crowned leading wicket taker in Division 1 with 33 wickets for the season. An outstanding effort.

After the Lush show was over all other bowlers played their part to bowl Shoreham out for 91. There were a couple of wickets for Johnston, 1 for Bedwell and 1 for West (with potentially the ball of the game - a lowish full toss on leg stump that would get even the best batsmen out). In addition to a fine bowling performance Nathan Salter made a fantastic impact in the field with enthusiastic scampering, a cannon of an arm and the odd Cruyff turn to everyone’s surprise.

It was an emphatic win to secure 3rd place in the league and a great way to bounce back after last week and bring the 2024 season to a close. I’d like to thank all 34 players that played their part over the course of the season and whilst the end is tinged with a little disappointment there are many positives to take. The WAIT for the 2025 season begins, something we can all be LOOKING forward to.