Tong's six of the best fire Park to victory

Crowhurst Park Cricket Club's first team hit back from the previous weekend's heavy defeat with a terrific victory on Saturday.
Clive Tong recorded league best figures as Crowhurst Park saw off Buxted Park on Saturday.Clive Tong recorded league best figures as Crowhurst Park saw off Buxted Park on Saturday.
Clive Tong recorded league best figures as Crowhurst Park saw off Buxted Park on Saturday.

Clive Tong took six wickets with the ball and Ed Smissen scored a half-century with the bat as a weakened Park side won by seven wickets away to Buxted Park in Sussex Cricket League Division Five East.

Buxted Park won the toss and chose to bat first on a potentially difficult deck. Crowhurst Park could not have got off to a better start, with Sam Hobbs (7-1-19-1) finding the edge of opener Craig Olive in the first over and Martin Barry holding a smart catch.

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Then it was Tong’s turn. The all-rounder made full use of the new ball by picking up three wickets in his first two overs, leaving Buxted Park 9-4 in four overs.

Buxted Park desperately needed a partnership to stabilise the innings, but Tong struck again in his fourth and fifth overs to leave the home side 41-6.

Number six Martin Coleman became the main man to stick around and show fight for Buxted Park, however he lost another partner to Tong, who finished with league best figures of 6-56.

A 62-run eighth wicket partnership between Coleman and Will Sutton took Buxted Park into the batting points, but debutant George Marvin (2-21) broke the stand by having Coleman well caught down the leg side by Joel Bruun for 51.

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Buxted Park were soon bowled out for 137 as only one run was added for the final two wickets, the last of which was taken by Keith Hobbs (5.1-1-9-1). A good all-round bowling performance from Crowhurst Park, with Tong standing out.

Buxted Park’s opening bowler Will Sheffield cleaned up Barry in the first over of the reply, and later claimed the wickets of Bruun and Tong, leaving Crowhurst Park 36-3.

Smissen (54 not out) and Jon Peters (15 not out), however, combined for a match-winning unbroken partnership of 102 for the fourth wicket.

Crowhurst Park went away happy with the victory, however there will be plenty to improve on. Park lie fifth in the table with three games to go, the first of which is at home to Cuckfield seconds this coming Saturday.

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Sussex Cricket League Division Five East standings (all played 15 matches): Seaford 342pts, Rye 328, Glynde & Beddingham 302, Rottingdean 287, Crowhurst Park 274, Cuckfield II 254, Hellingly 253, Buxted Park 229, St James’s Montefiore II 117, Lindfield II 114.