Bexhill beat Goring to go second

Josh Beeslee took two wickets in Bexhill's victory over Goring-by-Sea on Saturday. Picture by Simon Newstead

Malcolm Johnson’s side made it four league wins out of four on home soil this season and in doing so moved one point above their victims at the midway point in the campaign.

Goring chose to bat on winning the toss, but must have been rueing the decision as they slumped to 14-3. The visitors recovered to 99-5 before being bowled out for 128 in 47 overs.

Callum Guest was the most successful Bexhill bowler with 4-33 from 16 overs, while Joe Cox and Josh Beeslee took two wickets each, and there was one apiece for Andrew Williams and Shawn Johnson. Alex Maynard top-scored for Goring with 30.

Although only chasing a modest target, Bexhill were in trouble at 51-5 with all of the top four and five of the top six batsmen failing to reach double figures as Matt Keen - Goring’s hat-trick hero of the previous weekend - took 4-32.

But Tom Powell, restored to the front side, made a valuable 27 before an unbroken seventh wicket stand of 56 between Tim Hambridge (44 not out) and Guest (15 not out) secured 30 important points.

See Friday’s Bexhill Observer for a full report.

Standings (all played nine matches): 1 Eastbourne 230pts, 2 BEXHILL 199, 3 Goring-by-Sea 198, 4 Findon 196, 5 CROWHURST PARK 174, 6 St James’s Montefiore 157, 7 Ifield 138, 8 Middleton 126, 9 Pulborough 98, 10 Glynde & Beddingham 83.