Bexhill beaten by title hopefuls

Dean Crawford bowling for Bexhill against East Grinstead on Saturday. Picture by Stephen Curtis (SUS-150830-172245002)

Johnathan Haffenden’s side lost by 65 runs at home to East Grinstead in the Sussex Premier League despite four wickets for Callum Guest and an Ashar Zaidi half-century.

After a week of rain, Mick Waghorn performed wonders to get a wicket ready for Saturday’s game. Wet though it was, the pitch played well without much pace.

After Bexhill won the toss and insert their opponents, Shawn Johnson struck early by bowling ex-professional Will Adkin.

But a 94-run second wicket partnership between young Sussex professionals Fynn Hudson-Prentice (64 with 10 fours) and Leo Cammish (37), followed by a 52-run third wicket stand between Cammish and Sussex 2nd XI player Carl Cachopa (37 in 48 balls with two sixes and two fours), took the innings away from Bexhill.

Guest took 4-38 in 13 overs and fellow spinner Zaidi 2-68 in 19 overs as Grinstead went from 156-2 to 193-7, but the visitors declared on 202-7 after 56 overs, helped by 24 extras, including 16 byes - a good score given the wicket and slow outfield.

With 54 overs to bat and an on paper strong batting line-up, Bexhill’s hopes were still high, but they again lost early wickets, which put them on the back foot.

Zaidi (55 in 101 balls with a six and seven fours) valiantly tried to keep Bexhill in the game, but nobody could stay with him long enough.

And when Zaidi perished, caught on the boundary at long-on, some naive batting soon brought the match to an end as Bexhill were all out for 137 with 12 overs still remaining. Grinstead’s bowlers all produced decent figures to earn a well-deserved win.

Standings (all played 18 matches): 1 Roffey 441pts, 2 East Grinstead 437, 3 Preston Nomads 393, 4 BEXHILL 340, 5 Horsham 324, 6 Billingshurst 267, 7 Brighton & Hove 262, 8 Cuckfield 258, 9 Eastbourne 258, 10 Middleton 256.

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