ELSTED took first use of a flat batting track. They lost Robert Norris early on but Kelvin Finch looked in fine form and his first four scoring strokes were boundaries.

He and Andy Wadey put on 65 for the second wicket with Finch doing the bulk of the scoring, before Andy Wadey was caught for 16. Elsted lost two more cheap wickets but Finch was still at the crease and found a more than useful partner in Simon Kyte.

Finch duly completed a fine half-century and went on to pepper the boundary, hoisting the ball into the adjoining polo patch. This pair went gaily on their way and Midhurst found it difficult to stem the flow of runs, Finch completing a magnificent century.

At the end of the allotted 35 overs he was undefeated on 127 and Kyte, giving him admirable support, was undefeated on 47 to enable Elsted to amass a formidable 234-4.

When Midhurst batted they found runs hard to come by against the accurate attack of Guy Masson and Andy Wadey. Masson accounted for both Midhurst openers, but Cowell and Hughes added 55 before Hughes was well caught by Terry Wadey off the bowling of Darren Gates.

The hard-hitting Powell then upped the tempo, hitting five towering sixes, but when Elsted turned to the spin of Kelvin Finch, he dismissed both Powell and Cowell in the same over.

So Midhurst's run chase was thwarted and Elsted went on to win the high-scoring match by 38 runs, Finch taking 2-4 and Guy Masson bowled eight tight overs to take 2-14.

Headley v

Wood Street Village

WOOD STREET won a tense game by 17 runs at Headley, after the home side had bowled them out for 115.

With the wicket proving difficult after overnight rain, runs were hard to come by and when Headley had their visitors at 70-8, a home win looked on the cards.

However, Wood Street’s lower order added a crucial 45 runs that proved to be the difference between the two teams.

Headley’s opening bowlers Ashley Canning and Clive Bate had caused plenty of problems early in the game, with Canning in particular gaining some disconcerting bounce.

Headley were able to hold onto their catches and the game looked to be in their grasp until Dobson, Noble and Grey added the crucial late runs, aided by some wayward bowling.

Two overs were lost to rain during the Wood Street innings, so Headley had 42 overs to get the runs.