Latest News

Rydon College are Year 8 West Sussex Champions! (July 02, 2009)

Rydon (predominantly Year 8) beat Sion in the Year 8 School's cricket challenge at Lancing College this afternoon. Sion who all have expert cricket coaching during the term against Rydon who are a state school and have no real room for the wonderful game in the curriculum. As such, Neil Irwin the sport's teacher at Rydon was understandably delighted with his boys' efforts.

Here's a match report from our hack of the day - Sherpa. (He clearly gets paid a pound for every word...)

"Rydon take Honours in Final

Lancing College lower cricket field was a great place to while away the
late afternoon in the sun, particularly watching Rydon overcome Sion.
Your correspondent was delayed by, of all things, work commitments
followed by cement mixers blocking the Coombes and arrived to find he
had missed the early action. What must have been a great opening spell
by captain Hasler had reduced Sion to 4 for 4, a position from which
they spent several more overs recovering from to the point where they
reached around 35 off 10 overs.

Rydon, featuring all the familiar Chilt faces plus (that strange chap), McKilligin minor, bowled and fielded well as a unit. Runs never came easily and when Toby Glover found a length, the screw was tightened with two wickets in two balls including the son of Sussex director of cricket Mark Robinson. Robinson himself was to be seen conducting throw downs and pacing the boundary as the Sion innings stuttered along. Only one bat reached retirement and with the return of captain Hasler and Jamie Curtis at the death, Sion were constrained to 74 for 8 off their 18 overs.

Rydon began their chase with Jamie and Gabriel Peck facing what looked like a useful opening attack. Runs were tight to begin with and
frustration probably lead to Jamie being bowled. This brought Ben Hasler to the crease who immediately looked at ease clipping the ball off his legs and driving in the 'v'. Runs began to come and Gabriel also joined in until answering his captain's call for a third run saw him run out by half the pitch. Ben continued to score freely including one blow inched short of six to the mid-wicket boundary. However survival at the other end proved more problematic with a couple of bats coming and going quickly. Guy (McKilligin) settled however and began to push the ball around well including smacking a four to the long leg boundary. The running between Ben and Guy proved some cause for concern however with both bats at the same end on more than one occasion. So it was inevitable that Guy eventually fell by a run out. By the time Ben retired, Rydon were well on the way and it was left to Toby to steer the tail end of the innings sealing victory with several overs and wickets to spare.

So a great result in a fantastic setting for Mr Irwin's boys who celebrated
with 'victory rolls' down grassy banks of the College playing fields. Brilliant support from parents, sisters, brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles and Aussies!

Here they are celebrating on the hill!

Steyning Year 10 including several familiar faces play Durrington in their final next Tuesday afternoon. Venue has been agreed but I can't remember where...

Click here to return to the Latest News page