Crawley Athlete Selected for Team GB

Team GB has confirmed the 10 men who will make up two bobsleigh crews for the Winter Games.

Former Olympic sprinter and local lad Craig Pickering, who is from Crawley, is included as Great Britain seek their first Bobsleigh medal since 1998.

Sussex have signed Pakistan all-rounder Yasir Arafat as an overseas player for the NatWest T20 Blast tournament.

The 31-year-old has previously had three spells at Hove and is fifth on the all-time Twenty20 wicket-takers list with 219 scalps.

Arafat played for Sussex in 2006, 2009 and 2010 and was part of the Sharks side that won the Twenty20 Cup in 2009.

He has turned out for five different English counties – Sussex, Kent, Surrey, Lancashire and Somerset – and is the leading wicket-taker in the history of domestic Twenty20 in England.

Arafat, who has played three Tests, 11 one-day internationals and 13 T20 internationals, has appeared in the short format for club sides in Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa and Bangladesh.

Sussex cricket manager Mark Robinson said the deal had been in negotiation since October and went on to say that Arafat was a very experienced bowler who takes pressure well.

Many Local Matches Postponed Due to Weather

Crystal Palace enjoyed a crucial victory beating Stoke City by one goal to nil at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon. Jason Puncheon – who last week missed a penalty against Tottenham – was the scorer just after half time. The result takes the Eagles out of the relegation zone and lifts them to 16th place, but there’s still much to do to ensure survival in the top flight.

Many local fixtures were affected by the weather and will be re-scheduled at a future date. Crawley Town’s encounter with Wolves was postponed after a pitch inspection on Friday and the matches between Horsham and Merstham, Redhill and Corinthian Casuals, Crawley Down Gatwick and Hastings Utd, Three Bridges and Herne Bay and South Park versus Colliers Wood also fell victim to the weather.

Local Sports Review

Crystal Palace missed a penalty and paid the price by losing 2-0 at Spurs on Saturday to go bottom of the premier league on goal difference.

In league one, despite being 2 nil down after 83 minutes, Crawley Town recovered to draw 2 all at Coventry Yesterday afternoon. An own goal from Sadler late in the first half started the rot but goals late on from Proctor and Drury allowed the reds to claim a much needed away point.

In other local matches, Merstham lost 2 nil at home to Folkstone Invicta, Crawley Down Gatwick shared the points with Hythe Town, Three Bridges beat Whitstable Town by one goal to Nil, and Horley Town managed a one all draw at home to Hartley Whitney.

Crawley Town face Coventry City away in Saturday’s League One match

Reds forward Billy Clarke serves the final game of his three-match ban while midfielder Dannie Bulman is out for a month with a fractured cheekbone.

Crawley hope to bounce back from Tuesday’s 2-1 third round replay home defeat by Bristol Rovers.