CRICKET: Scowen Ton Nullified by Rain
15 July:
Haywards Heath 196 for 9; Hastings Priory 128
22 July:
Hastings Priory 205 for 7 v Burgess Hill
(match abandoned)
Hastings may boast the most sunshine hours of any town in England and Manchester the least (see HIP 227), but for cricket purposes there was little difference last Saturday. While England’s Ashes hopes were being rained off up north, the cricketers of Hastings & St Leonards Priory also enjoyed less than three hours play, hosting visitors Burgess Hill before their Claremont School pitch became too drenched to continue.
That time was enough for opener Harry Scowen to score a belligerent century – 100 off 113 balls – and Priory’s overall score of 205 for seven off 41 overs was a welcome return to form after a series of low totals. But they will have rued the missed chance to bowl at one of the weaker sides in the league from a position of strength.
The previous Saturday, also at Claremont, Priory restricted Haywards Heath to a score of 196 for nine off the maximum 53 overs, with Alex Osborne taking four wickets and others shared between John Morgan, Adam Barton and Adam Page. But as in other recent matches the top order made a poor start, losing four wickets for 38. Osborne (a scratchy 14 off 47 balls) and Harvey Faulkner (a gritty 42) fought hard in a fifth wicket partnership of 58, but when Osborne was run out – for the second time in three innings – and Morgan followed without scoring, it was clear that the visitors’ total was beyond them.
A draw was still on the cards as Henry Smith (19) and Barton put up some defensive resistance, but Smith, Dan Pascall and Page were all bowled out by returning seamer Rory Livingstone to leave Priory 68 runs short in the penultimate over.
Next opponents are Crowhurst Park, who also suffered home defeat by St James’s Montefiore on 15 July followed by abandonment of their game against Haywards Heath last Saturday.
We hope you have enjoyed reading this article. The future of our volunteer led, non-profit publication would be far more secure with the aid of a small donation. You can also support local journalism by becoming a friend of HIP. It only takes a minute and we would be very grateful.
Leave a Reply