Bexhill revival dented by defeat

Just as they appeared to be heading in the right direction by going three games unbeaten, they were knocked back off course on Saturday.

Bexhill were sent packing by six wickets at the hands of Steyning after being dismissed for a modest 160.

Bexhill were top after the opening two fixtures, but they've fallen into the bottom three at the start of Sussex Division Two's second half.

Captain Chris Topp said: "I'm not overly upset about that (their position) because the league's still quite tight and it only takes a win and you're back in the middle of the table.

"But obviously I feel we could do better and it's important that we pick up points in the next few weeks leading up to our free week (at the end of the month)."

A sub-standard total with the bat was Bexhill's undoing as only four players got into double figures and just two reached 20.

They never really recovered from losing Topp, Josh McLean and Jeremy Wassell early on, although middle order men Ian Ellis (31) and Steve Phillimore (51) at least ensured respectability.

Topp (2-34) and Ellis (1-20) struck with the ball, but Steyning cruised home through Tom Trowbridge (51), Nick Colley (40) and Gary Hunt (35 not out).

Topp added: "We've started not relying on the same people, but we just need one or two people to go on and make those big scores each week. We keep going through patches where we bat really, really well, but I just think sometimes we lack a little bit of patience.

"If we had got probably another 50 or 60 runs it would have been a very interesting game because our bowling's been pretty good this year and the wicket was actually turning square."