The 2's travelled to Worthing for Saturdays match. A cold and wet game was on the cards according to the forecast and so it proved to be. Eastergate winning the toss decided to have a bowl and the decision was almost immediately repaid as G Harris drove the 3rd ball of the game to the outstretched hands of Rew Reed who, in the conditions, was unable to cling on to take the catch. This was to be a telling drop as Harris went on to score 144 with some lusty blows and a smatter of luck.
Worthing had 105 on the board before Rew Reed (9-1-31-1) broke the deadlock bowling Box for 35, Fergus Gereats (5-0-41-1) then got the second clipping the top of N Harris (15) off stump.
Jake Warner (6-0-47-0) on debut bowled well, as did Mark Bentley (2-0-29-0) for no return. Matthew Bentley (6-0-42-1) eventually uprooted G Harris with a deceptive slower ball and Josh Reed (9-0-46-1) picked off B Mac (34) at the death.
Worthing finishing on 275 for 4 off their 40 overs.
With Thom Radford unavailable, John Etherington opened with Rew Reed. John Suffering with a chest infection was struggling for breath but still managed to start the innings briskly, in fact they were way ahead of the run rate with both batsmen hitting boundaries.
Etherington (26) fell in the 17th over with the score on 94 to Anup, 2 overs later Josh Reed (0) fell to Anup also.
Will Wells (17) continued with Rew Reed to help Rew over the line to his maiden ton for the club, Wells falling to Watkins straight ball. Matthew Bentley came to the crease and again showed his improvement with the bat in failing light. Rew Reed (102) eventually fell playing across the line and getting caught and bowled by Watkins.
The Bentley duo looked good at the crease and with some lovely stroke play took the Eastergate score up to a respectable 210 for 4 off the 40. Matthew ending on 20no and Dad Mark on 21no.
All in all a good game that could have had a drastically different outcome had the ball stuck in the hand, but that's cricket!! Notable fielding from Curtis Leonard stopped a lot of runs but did make a mess of his shirt!!
