Cricket: Priory Fightback Falls Short
13 June: Hastings and St Leonards Priory: 204 for 8; Bognor Regis: 285 for 9
After last week’s fixture was washed out by dreadful weather, Hastings and St Leonards Priory travelled to The Regis Oval in search of their first away win of the season against Bognor Regis. Under far brighter skies, Priory won the toss and chose to field, but that decision quickly looked a difficult one as Ryan Maskell and Theo Beynon-Ayers took full advantage of the batting-friendly conditions. The opening pair put on 125 for the first wicket in just 21.4 overs, giving Bognor Regis the ideal platform.
New Priory recruit Troy Henry
A total well beyond 300 looked firmly on the cards at that stage, but Priory responded with determination to pull Bognor Regis back to 285 for 9 from 57.4 overs. Taylor Jaycocks played an important hand with 59 from 77 balls, while Charlie Maginnis added a brisk 41 from 43 deliveries to maintain the hosts’ momentum.
The fightback was driven by a superb spell from Alfie Hunter, who claimed 8 for 88 from 20.4 overs in a remarkable individual performance. The only other wicket fell to Freddie Hulbert, who finished with 1 for 44 from his 8 overs.
Priory would have hoped for a similarly solid start with the bat, but their reply unravelled almost immediately. The first wicket fell with only seven runs on the board, and with three wickets then lost for the addition of just a single run, they slumped to 42 for 5 inside the opening exchanges.
From that precarious position, Harry Scowen and Troy Henry produced a magnificent recovery, adding 125 for the sixth wicket to revive the innings. Scowen made a composed 65 from 100 balls before departing, while Henry carried the resistance with an excellent 92 from 126 deliveries before he was bowled by Maginnis. That wicket effectively ended Priory’s hopes of chasing down the target, and they closed on 204 for 8 from their 52 overs. For Bognor Regis, Michael Reynolds returned 2 for 48 from 12 overs.
Though the game ended in a draw, Priory could still take encouragement from the way they battled back after being in deep trouble at 42 for 5. Hunter’s outstanding spell with the ball and the defiant batting of Scowen and Henry were the major positives, while Maginnis’ all-round contribution also proved crucial for Bognor Regis. There was enough quality on show from Priory to suggest they have the ability to compete strongly in this division.
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