Schools match of the month: Eastbourne College v Bede's

Bede's miss out in thriller as county stars Tredwell, Wells and Ferley watch on

A star-studded cast of county cricketers combined to produce a last-over thriller in a match between Sussex schools that are just 10 miles apart.

First there were the two sets of coaching staff . Rob Ferley, a slow left-armer formerly with Kent and Nottinghamshire, is director of cricket at Eastbourne College. He has brought in his fellow spin bowler James Tredwell (Kent and England). In the Bede's corner there was Alan Wells, the former Sussex and England batsman, patrolling the boundary watching his charges.

Then there were the players – 20 of the 22 representing Sussex and Kent at various age groups.

And the cricket did not disappoint, Eastbourne winning this longer-format fixture for the fifth straight year thanks mainly to a superb all-round display by Tawanda Muyeye, who took five wickets and scored 31. The Zimbabwe Under-19 star has been a six-hitting sensation this summer, and has made two double centuries for the 1st XI. It was revenge as this year Bede's had beaten Eastbourne twice in the National T20 Cup and the Sussex Under-18 T20 Cup.

^{Rashawn Worrell drives for Bede's}

The match was played on Eastbourne's pitch with the main school providing a beautiful backdrop, while their Memorial Ground is also an excellent venue that has hosted county matches.

Eastbourne captain Harrison Tagg took a gamble by giving Bede's first use on a slow surface, and it paid off … although only just.

Openers Rashawn Worrell and Archie Lenham gave Bede's a good start, their styles complementing each other. The former is a Bajan who plays plenty of strokes (the left-hander hitting five fours and a six), while the latter is only 14 and showed admirable powers of concentration. Lenham's father, Neil, had a long career with Sussex of course, and is on the coaching staff at Bede's, along with his mother, Petch, who is head of girls' PE.

Alistair Orr maintained the momentum with a 44-ball 47, including three sixes (one huge one over the iconic red-brick tower of the Memorial building), and at lunch Bede's were handily placed at 148 for 2.

The break disrupted momentum however, and Eastbourne's spinners found themselves in the ascendancy.

Muyeye took 5 for 43, and he received good support from fellow off-spinner Will Lucas and slow left-armer Joe Pocklington.

"We were surprised to be put in on a low, slow pitch," said Wells.

"Our top three batted well, and it's a shame we had lunch as we were nicely set up. We lost momentum, played a few average shots and they bowled well. We only scored 76 in 17 overs after the interval despite having eight wickets in hand, and were 50 runs short."

Eastbourne lost a wicket to the seventh ball of the reply, Danial Ibrahim being stumped.

Oli Carter has been playing for Sussex 2nds this season and produced his best innings for the school of the summer so far however. He hit a six over deep-square but then perished in the same manner soon after for 63.

Muyeye has been in blistering form. Before this innings he had scored 1,070 runs off only 655 balls, with 54 sixes. He could not add to that tally of maximums against Bede's, but chipped in with 31.

Fiontan Logan and Tagg also made 30s, and it looked as if their side was going to win comfortably, although Archie Lenham bowled a tidy spell, with his leg-spin.

"Alan was saying Bede's had no chance to me as we walked around the boundary," said Ferley, "but I said, 'no, it is schoolboy cricket, it will go to the last over', and it did. Harrison and Brett Hounsell played sensibly, but then Ollie Streets came in with a runner as he had gone off while fielding with a groin injury, adding to the chaos. Eight was needed off the final over but Streets hit the winning boundary through the covers.

"It was a good advert for schools' cricket. With so many county players in action, we pushed each other all the way."

"It was a good run chase by Eastbourne on that pitch," said Wells, who won a Test cap against West Indies at The Oval in 1995.

"We did well to peg them back after they made a good start, but made a mistake defending the 40-yard offside boundary rather than the 65-yard one on the legside. We don't interfere though, we just discuss the match afterwards with the lads."

^{Alan Wells of Bede's chats to Eastbourne's Rob Ferley}

Ferley is delighted to have Tredwell on board at Eastbourne. He played two Tests, 45 ODIs and 17 T20Is – and led England against New Zealand in 2013 in that latter format, with Eoin Morgan injured, only for weather to deny him after two balls of the match.

He is combining his coaching at Eastbourne with training to be an umpire. Ferley and Tredwell were best men at each other's weddings.  Ex-Sussex and Yorkshire wicketkeeper Andrew Hodd also helps out.

"We need all that experience as it's a tough circuit, with the likes of Hurstpierpoint, Tonbridge and Cranleigh," said Ferley. "If you don't take it seriously you can get seriously smashed." Ferley is also hoping to have 130 pupils on the girls' cricket programme within three years.

Cricket is also prospering at Bede's. This summer they won the Sussex Under-18 County Cup for the ninth time in 12 years, and their girls won the National Under-15 Lady Taverners indoor final at Lord's.

When it comes to schools' cricket, it sounds as if it is a case of good old Sussex by the sea.

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