Cricket: Win, lose, win again
1 July:
Brighton & Hove 132;
Hastings Priory 134 for 2
2 July:
Haywards Heath 260 for 7; Hastings Priory 142
8 July:
St James’s Montefiore 111; Hastings Priory 113 for 7
Alex Osborne – dropped anchor in crucial partnership
The cricketers of Hastings & St Leonards Priory have been on their travels this month, playing three away matches over eight days. Each started in the same way – captain Tom Gillespie winning the toss and opting, like the bazballers of England, to field first. From there on, there were contrasting patterns of play and outcomes: one easy win, one high-margin defeat and, last Saturday, another edgy victory.
On 1 July their hosts were bottom-of-the-league Brighton & Hove, who have had only one league win all summer. Priory’s bowling attack was strengthened by the return of Satchi Mahendran after injury, but it was fellow-seamer John Morgan who made regular inroads, bowling 18 overs unchanged and finishing with six wickets for 59, as the home side subsided to 132 all out. In reply, Hastings openers Dylan Woolley (35) and Harry Scowen (78 not out) shared a first wicket stand of 84. After Woolley was caught and bowled, Scowen hit a series of flamboyant boundaries, and the target was reached in less than 27 overs.
The next day, without Mahendran, Priory found Haywards Heath much tougher opposition in a match rescheduled from early May when the hosts’ pitch was unplayable. The match was contested on a limited-over format, and the home batsmen got off to a flying start. Although Morgan, Seaver Cowley and Alex Osborne took two wickets apiece, none could stem the flow of runs. Osborne proved particularly expensive, conceding 75 runs off his nine overs as Haywards Heath reached 260 off 45.
Priory started their response well enough, despite the early dismissal of Scowen, and reached 67 for 1 with Woolley and Cowley seemingly set. But Cowley’s dismissal for 19 sparked a wholesale collapse. Gillespie was lbw for nought, Osborne run out without scoring and Greg Devlin caught likewise – three ducks in a row. Woolley carried his bat through the remainder of the innings to finish with 67 not out, but the rest of the batting order offered little resistance. The final deficit was 118 runs.
Last Saturday, at St James’s ground at Ditchling, Priory’s bowlers enjoyed early successes. Mahendran took three wickets in his opening spell, then Morgan and Cowley also cashed in on a pitch that helped the seamers as the home side were bowled out for 111 runs.
If that seemed an easy target at the start, Priory’s top order received a rude shock. Woolley, Caleb Laloo, Scowen and Cowley were all back in the pavilion with just 23 runs on the board. Osborne (21 off 70 balls) and Gillespie dropped anchor to steady the ship with a crucial partnership of 41; but when the former’s dismissal was followed almost immediately by that of Iden McCleave, a morale-sapping defeat looked on the cards. Gillespie maintained his captain’s innings, however, to finish with 37 not out. Morgan hit some trademark blows (13 off 13 balls), then Mahendra (15 not out) stayed to the finish – a three wicket win for the Hastings side.
They are now back in third place in the Division 2 league championship behind Worthing, who have won six games and lost none so far, and surprise package West Chiltington & Thakeham. Next up are back-to-back home fixtures against Haywards Heath (tomorrow, Saturday) and Burgess Hill (the following Saturday).
Sussex Cricket League standings – top five
| Team | P | W | D | L | T | C | B | PTS | BL |
| Worthing | 10 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 12 | 226 |
| W.Chiltington | 10 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 6 | 216 |
| Hastings Priory | 10 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 25 | 204 |
| Haywards Heath | 10 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 31 | 30 | 191 |
| Buxted Park | 10 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 44 | 190 |
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