Chidham Cricket Club reformed this weekend after 40 years to take part in a challenge match against near neighbours Hambrook.

Both villages are sadly without a cricket pitch at this time but Fishbourne Playing Fields Association came to the rescue and kindly provided the facilities to stage the game.

Hambrook's captain David Rodgers won the toss and elected to put Chidham into bat.

Tom and Gareth Webb opened the bowling, one of four father and son pairings in the Hambrook side. Chidham's innings started steadily with 27 off the first five overs, mainly from David O'Connell and David George, but wickets fell at regular intervals.

The middle order stepped up the pace with two boundaries square of the wicket in the ninth over by Stephen Johnson, but it was the tail enders who really hit out, despite two wickets of successive balls by the spinner David Hall. 56 runs came off the final five overs including a huge six down the ground by Clive Beharrell which brought the crowd to its feet.

Tea was taken outside in the glorious afternoon sun with Hambrook contemplating 127 to win.

Chidham's captain Robin Yeld rotated the bowlers to good effect at the start of Hambrook's reply and the batters found it hard to get the ball away through some tight fielding, especially in the covers by Peter Hilton and David Cecil.

When Philip Taylor Beale took a caught and bowled of a lofted drive by Morgan Flint in the seventh over Hambrook were reduced to 17 for four.

Graham Bradshaw and Peter Clark pushed the innings on in the late stages, but the run out of Mike Smith with 3 overs remaining made a Chidham victory inevitable. The final Batsman, David Rodgers, the Hambrook captain, was bowled on the last ball of the 20th over by wicketkeeper Ken Hills.

Steve Clark from the Chidham and Hambrook Web Site Association, organisers of the event, made the presentation and thanked the teams for the great spirit in which the game was played. He also paid tribute to the many who helped make the day a great village event, hopefully to be repeated next year.

The newly christened ‘Chid-Brook' trophy was donated and presented to the winning captain by John Hewetson, landlord of The Old House at Home, Cot Lane , Chidham - where it will be on display, for one year at least after suitable modifications have been carried out by local craftsmen!