Mayfield CC

Report by Marcus Campopiano

Sussex Martlets (198) lost to Mayfield by four wickets

The Martlets were again treated to a fantastic away day when Mayfield hosted us in their famous cricket week. The fixture lived up to previous affairs and Mayfield chased down the Martlets’ slightly below-par score of 198 with four wickets to spare.

The Martlets were inserted on a slightly green track in bowler-friendly conditions. Mayfield took advantage of this, dismissing the openers Ben Pullan and Joe Waylett each for under ten runs. Skipper Marcus Campopiano and the Three Bridges overseas, Victor Davies, steadied the ship with a valuable half century partnership until Campopiano was well taken at point for 34.

With some steady partnerships from Mike Loveday and chairman Stuart Ritchie, the innings was brought to a close looking slightly shy of par. Some powerful hitting from J Shaw, R Frean and J Akers-Douglas – all with strike rates around 150 – brought the score up to 198 from the allotted 35 overs.

Mayfield looked confident going into the chase with some crisp boundaries to start. Davies and Shaw both bowled well, with some exceptional pace from the latter with the slips standing right back on the 30-yard circle! Some deceptive bowling and two wickets from Frean gave the Martlets hope but he had only succeeded in bringing E Finch (48) and H Lloyd (99*) to the crease and the Martlets were to toil away only to see the victory become an impossibility.

Lloyd picked out the short boundary on multiple occasions and was very unlucky not to reach a century.

The fixture was played in the right spirit and just goes to show how much Mayfield have improved over the past few years. They would go on to prove this later in the season with yet another promotion. The Martlets look forward to the fixture again and potentially on new soil as Mayfield move pitches over the winter.

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