CRICKET
Narrow margins
2 July:
Lost by three wickets
Hastings & St Leonards Priory 244 for 8 Roffey 247 for 7
9 July:
Lost by two wickets
Priory 260 Horsham 261 for 8
Two more Saturdays on the road and two more defeats for the cricketers of Hastings & St Leonards Priory. They remain anchored at the bottom of the Sussex Premier League table with ten games played out of 18. But these were both matches in which they gave spirited performances, both individual and collective, before losing by narrow margins to opponents who are respectively the top two sides in the league.
It’s certainly not too late in the season for fortunes to change, as they did last summer when Priory won their last four matches to stave off relegation from this league. Perhaps all that’s missing is sufficient self-belief.
Priory all-rounder Iden McCleave: fine performances against Horsham
CREDIT: Dave Young
Against Roffey, Priory won the toss and elected to bat. Young openers Dylan Woolley and Ethan Turner failed to stay for long, and despite a fine partnership of 80 between captain Tom Gillespie (62) and William Hutchings (41), the team score subsided to 169 for 7. Seaver Cowley, however, stepped up with a fine 51 not out off just 45 balls, to post a final total of 244 for 8.
For much of the home side’s innings it seemed that that might be enough. All four Priory bowlers – John Morgan, Cowley, Adam Page and Harvey Faulkner – took wickets and, at 172 for 7 after 43 overs, they looked in control. Roffey’s late order had other ideas and hit off the 73 runs still needed in less than eight overs.
Confident start
A week later, at Horsham, Priory again batted first. Cowley (24) and Iden McCleave (37) made a confident start, and although Jake Woolley (run out) and Gillespie went cheaply, Australian Mitch English made a scintillating 75 on his debut for the team, then Ryan Hoadley (52), aided by Faulkner and Adam Barton, steered the score to 260.
Horsham’s openers Tom Johnson and William Beer saw off Priory’s pace attack and reached 111 before being parted; at 216 for 3, they looked set to accelerate to a comfortable victory. But after McCleave dismissed Beer, wickets tumbled, time became a factor, and Faulkner (6 for 91) came close to spinning Priory to a famous victory before the home side scrambled home with one ball and two wickets to spare.
Priory are hoping that English will be available to play several more matches this summer. He does not count as an overseas player, having permanent residence in England. There is also the hope that Indian all-rounder Abhay Negi, currently still resting his broken forearm, will return soon.
But maybe not in time for the match at Claremont tomorrow (Saturday) when they will entertain Brighton & Hove, the team just above them in the league.
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