Topp looks on bright side after defeat

CHRIS Topp refused to be too downcast after seeing his Bexhill team knocked off the summit in Division Two of the Sussex Cricket League by new leaders Lewes Priory.

Bexhill went into the match on Saturday as joint leaders alongside Stirlands, but an agonising one-wicket defeat at the Polegrove on Saturday meant they tumbled down to fifth three weeks into the campaign.

"It was a close game. We played very well but unfortunately we just couldn't quite pull it off," said Topp. "I'm not disappointed with the team's effort. Sometimes you lose games when you try to win them."

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Bexhill were asked to take first knock and got off to a decent start with openers Hamish Russell and Josh McLean sharing in a stand of 47. Richard May (48 off 45 balls) went on to top score, but a mid-innings stutter which saw three wickets fall for 10 runs meant they finished on 201, just shy of what Topp considered to be a required total. "We could have done with a few more," he admitted.

Steve Phillimore, Ian Ellis, Simon Bulteel and Ian May all contributed to the final tally, while Amit Jaggernauth followed up his bowling figures of 6-66 in the previous week's defeat of Sidley by claiming 4-37 off 15 overs.

The home side went on the attack in the field and swiftly made inroads into the Lewes batting. At 71-4 they looked in more than a little bit of trouble, but James Chetwood (67) and Jaggernauth (44 off 37 balls) put them in pole position until four wickets tumbled for 18 runs to leave them precariously placed on 187-9.

Bexhill's hopes of victory suffered a blow, however, when man of the match Ellis, sponsored by Dale Saunders Plumbing & Heating Services, pulled up injured one ball into his 15th over after returning impressive figures of 4-47.

Last pair Nick Laycock (14 not out) and Matthew Rhoades went on to piece together an unbeaten match-winning partnership of 15 to steer the visitors to 202-9 and the top of the table.