02/10/2026
We closed the season on Sunday with yet another win! Here is how it happened.
The 2026 season drew to a close with our annual Sunday match with Angmering. A 35 over win/lose match.
Skipper Jamie Funnell lost the toss and saw Manor inserted (he would have fielded) under skies that swayed between sunny, drizzly and even the occasional downpour.
Juggling the batting order to give chances to many, opener’s Dipen Patel and Harry Moreland were soon into their stride with the 100 up in the 15th over. 24-year-old Harry reached his 3rd club 50 with a couple of chances given and was then out soon after for 52 (1x6 6x4 off 39 balls) – his 6 was the 100th Six hit of the summer – the first time 100 sixes had been reached. Dipen moved elegantly onwards, no chances given until a couple of balls before he was out for 71 (2x6 8x4, 60 balls) at 177-1. He passed 500 career Manor runs in the process. Tinu Sameja (who earlier in season went 8 matches without batting) playing his 73rd match for Manor moved quickly to his maiden Manor 50 and then retired out (51, 43 balls 1x6 7x4). This left a couple more 24-year-olds, Charlie Dartnell (30) and Jamie Burns (15no) to see us through to a commanding 239 off 35 overs.
With skipper Funnell not reaching the wicket, he duly won the Batting Averages with an astonishing 674 runs at 96.29. Never has a qualifying batter had such an average. Well done Jamie.
After another sumptuous tea, a determined Rick Kelly opened the bowling down the slope and had both openers out caught (slip Moreland, mid-off Sameja) in his first 5 over spell. Angmering countered, hitting a Steve Pengelly over for 29 (44646+40) and 165-2 off 26 had them needing 75 off 9. Tinu came back for a second spell with a double salvo to finished with 7-0-26-2. Bowlers were juggled as the rate increase with Steve Luckhurst 7-1-24-0 and Amar Reddy 7-0-36-0 keeping things tight. Jamie Burns was introduced late (3-0-27-1) and took out the dangerous Raj (85 2x6 11x4) and the game petered out with Angering on 226-6 and a Manor victory by 13 runs. Kelly’s final figures were 7-1-45-2. Tinu finished with 33 wickets for the season, including 2 hauls of 5 wickets.
Player of the Match – Tinu Sameja, maiden 50, 2 wickets and a catch!
Non-playing Tareq Ahmed claimed the Bowling Averages with 18 wickets at 17 runs each in his debut season. Congratulations Tareq!
The final record was Played 22, Won 15, Drawn 3, Lost 3, Abandoned 1, Cancelled 1. The 15 wins is the best since 2000. The 68%-win rate was 2nd best, only bettered by 1983 season.
We hit 2 totals over 300 and a 299, had a 10-wicket win, a 10-wicket loss and all sorts of records broken, mainly by Dan Blackman’s standout debut season, but the season should be remembered for the winning of the Sussex League Division Southwest 11, skippered by Darren Radford!
