Priory edged out by reigning champions

Jed O'Brien took five wickets for Hastings Priory in their narrow defeat at Roffey

Priory were edged out by one wicket away to Roffey on Saturday as they narrowly failed to make it two league wins out of two despite five wickets from Jed O’Brien.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Priory were all out for 203 in 56.5 overs. The visitors lost James Pooley for 10 with the score 11, but made their way to 50 before fellow opener Joe Lamb fell for 22.

Although Josh Hahnel and Tom Gillespie departed for 33 and 10 respectively with the score 75, Jake Woolley and Elliot Hooper compiled a terrific fifth wicket partnership of 91 before Woolley was caught and bowled when one short of his fifty having hit six fours and a six.

Young talent Harry Scowen chipped in with 10 on his league debut for the first team. Hooper was seventh man out for a game-high 52 with the score 195 and the remaining three wickets yielded just eight runs as Luke Barnard finished with 7-78.

Priory got off to a great start in the field, reducing Roffey to 20-3. John Morgan (2-13 off four overs) dismissed both openers before Hahnel (2-25 off eight) trapped number four Daniel Smith lbw.

Liam Gibson (45) and Rohit Jagota (49) steadied the Roffey ship with a fourth wicket partnership of 88, which ended when O’Brien bowled the latter. O’Brien also snapped up Gibson to make it 129-5.

The left-arm spinner claimed two more victims, Chris Webb (18) and Matt Davies (19), before Hahnel pinned Alex Collins leg before for a duck to leave Roffey in trouble at 168-8.

O’Brien (5-56 off 18) completed his five-for by bowling Leigh Harrison (12) with the score 190, but the last pair of George Fleming (23 not out) and Barnard (6 not out) scrambled Roffey to victory with an over to spare. Incidentally, the 22 extras Priory conceded was 20 more than Roffey.

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