Brilliant Bexhill stun Horsham

Shawn Johnson scored a superb hundred, Josh Beeslee took five wickets and Sam Roberts produced another quality all-round display as Bexhill triumphed by 141 runs.

Bexhill drove to Horsham in pouring rain up the A23 and arrived at the ground in drizzle. The match started 15 minutes late, and the outfield was quite long and damp, but the wicket was very dry.

Bexhill chose to bat on winning the toss and proceeded to amass 255-4 from their 58 overs. After losing Malcolm Johnson early, the exquisite Shawn Johnson (120 in 148 balls with five sixes and six fours) and Roberts (91 from 151 balls with nine fours) compiled a magnificent 208-run second wicket partnership.

Horsham's scorer regarded Johnson's knock - which was the highest of his four Sussex League centuries - as the best hundred he'd seen for a few years. Roberts, in his own words, did not bat very well, but stuck at it during a match-winning partnership which was a joy to watch.

After Johnson finally departed, Callum Guest made 24 not out from 22 balls with one six as Bexhill posted a score which would probably have been in excess of 300 at The Polegrove.Horsham's ex-Somerset professional Michael Munday - the league's leading wicket-taker with 51 league victims at an average of 11.65 - claimed his only wicket in his 20th over.

Horsham got off to a flyer after tea and at 64-1 off 10 overs, it looked an interesting game. But Bexhill's spin twins Beeslee (5-32 in 10.3 overs) and Roberts (4-27 in 14 overs) changed the whole game, to the amazement of the Horsham supporters.

Starting with opener Joe Ludlow (38), the home side lost nine wickets for just 50 runs as they were all out for 114 in 31.3 overs and failed to pick up a single batting point.Roberts and Beeslee were supported by some good catches and a couple of fine stumpings by Malcolm Johnson. Bexhill took 30 points to Horsham's four.

Standings (played 14 matches unless stated): 1 Roffey (13) 291pts, 2 Cuckfield 280, 3 Horsham 264, 4 BEXHILL (13) 251, 5 East Grinstead 227, 6 Preston Nomads 225, 7 HASTINGS PRIORY 224, 8 Billingshurst 161, 9 Brighton & Hove 161, 10 Worthing 113.

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