East Preston 283-4 (49 overs) – 12 points

Selsey 269-4 (45 overs) – 5 points

Andy lost the toss again, but was not upset at being asked to bat first as that would have been his preference anyway on a good hard EP wicket in the sunshine.

Sean and Jack put on their best opening partnership of the season, with both looking very fluent until Jack was given LBW, to one that he felt pitched outside leg stump for 25 (69-1). Smutt also looked in good touch, although his over reliance on the late cut eventually led to his downfall as he chopped onto his stumps for a brisk 24 (86-2), with EP already scoring at almost six an over.

Sean looked well set for a 50 when he got a nick to the keeper to be out for 42 (126-3) and that would have been the point at which EP of old would have started to collapse. However, Tom R sensibly played himself in while Darryl started to find the boundary more easily. Selsey’s fielders looked on in almost total silence, unable to find any words of encouragement for each other as they forlornly chased the ball, and their only response to the flurry of runs was to post more and more fielders on the boundary edge, but still Darryl and Tom found the gaps.

With the end of the innings approaching, both batsmen became more expansive with their strokeplay, which was only temporarily halted when Tom tried to reach a wide one of the first ball of the last over to be caught behind for a well crafted 55 (269-4). Miggins was promoted ahead of Gary to indulge in some quick biffing and did not disappoint as he took 9 from his three balls to leave Darryl with two balls to get a second ton of the league season. He only needed one of those, which he despatched for four and pushed a single of the final delivery to finish unbeaten on 102 and EP had set their highest total of the season (283-4).

Jack immediately removed opener Andy Horner for a duck with a fine swinging delivery to clean bowl him (0-1), and although Tom C went for 14 in his first over, Jack struck in the next one to bowl Walton (22-2). Selsey skipper Davies continued to blaze away, taking another 14 from Tom C’s first four balls of the fourth over, but then hit the fifth straight to Tom R at cover to be out for an almost bizarre 12 ball 33 (40-2).

Sean replaced Tom but, starting with two wides, he did not improve and was quickly replaced by Steve Laker.

Selsey should have been 70-4 but Jack bowled Nick Horner with the only no-ball of the day and, although he was still looking very dangerous, Jack had reached the end of his ECB-limited spell. With the ball still moving about, Andy gave Tom R the ball and he bowled tightly to concede just 19 from five overs without any luck, although to have used five bowlers by the eleventh over, showed that EP were having to chase the ball as much as Selsey had earlier. As the ball got older and more roughed up, Andy turned to Miggins who brought control to the attack and he got some good turn to bowl keeper Miles (120-4).

More rotation of the seamers from the sea end failed to produce any wickets for EP until Sean returned for a second expensive spell to bowl Nick Horner, who had made the most of his earlier no-ball reprieve, for 91 (205-5), to leave Selsey looking for 79 off 39 balls. Usually that would have been the time to play out for the draw but, to their credit, Selsey’s batsmen had a go against some very attacking fields and continued bowling changes but ultimately fell 14 short (269-4).

If only Minno’s eyesight had been a bit worse and he had not called that no-ball!