ARUNDEL Cricket Club had a staggering 25 players unavailable on Saturday (August 2) which resulted in them having to scratch from their 2nd XI game at home to Bognor.
Their 1st XI fulfilled their fixture at Bognor, although they had only four first-team players and seven from the 2nd XI.
Captain Will Clark said: "On Thursday, we had only four players in the first team, so we had to scratch the second team's game, so we could field a side at Bognor. It was a struggle, but everyone did their best.
"I challenge any club in the county to be able to field two sides with 25 people unavailable. It's impossible.
"We have a base of 45 players for our three teams, but you can't expect 12-year-olds to play Sussex League 2nd XI cricket.
"Hopefully we'll have more players available this week, but we'll probably struggle through until the end of the season."
Bognor, after Clark put them into bat, scored 212-5 from their 50 overs. Rohan Ardley had taken two early wickets to leave Bognor 14-2 but Elliott Clarke then scored 50 from 136-balls and Phil Ball fired an 82-ball 92, with 14 fours and three sixes. They shared a 122-run stand for the third wicket.
Left-arm spinner Neil Chitty grabbed three wickets from his 18 overs before Arundel crashed to 97 all out.
Ardley, with 58 from 73 balls, with 10 fours, top-scored and Sean Twine, with 12, was their only other player to reach double figures.
Bognor's Sri Lankan overseas player, paceman Damika Perera, who is the league's leading wicket taker, took six more to move on to 56 for the season.
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