Priory ease through to semi-finals

Elliot Hooper took two wickets with the ball and hit an unbeaten 45 with the bat for Hastings Priory against Worthing.

Sussex Premier League club Priory won by seven wickets with almost seven overs to spare in yesterday’s (Sunday’s) quarter-final away to Division Two side Worthing.

Worthing won the toss and chose to bat, but Priory restricted them to just 96-9 from their 20 overs. Only three home batsmen made double figures and extras top-scored with 21, including 18 wides.

The hosts slumped from 15-0 to 23-4 and then 39-6 as Priory quickly took command, aided by the run outs of both Worthing opening batsmen.

Worthing staged a partial recovery with a seventh wicket stand of 33 between Giorgio Rigali (16) and Martyn Swift (13), but both departed within five runs of each other and the team fell short of three figures.

Priory’s bowling figures were very good. Finn Hulbert (4-0-15-2), Elliot Hooper (4-0-22-2) and Matt Cammish (3-0-21-2) took two wickets each, and James Pooley (3-0-11-1) picked up one.

Leo Cammish and Hulbert effected the run outs, while wicketkeeper Harry Scowen had two catches and two stumpings.

Priory comfortably knocked off the runs in reply, although they were 27-2 at one stage after losing openers Leo Cammish for 12 off six balls and Pooley for five.

Tom Gillespie and Elliot Hooper put the outcome beyond all doubt with a third wicket stand of 62. Although Gillespie departed for 26 off 31 balls with just eight needed, Hooper finished things off with an unbeaten 45 from only 31 deliveries.

Priory will now await the semi-final draw. The other teams left in are all Premier League heavyweights - Roffey, Horsham and Preston Nomads.