Bexhill crowned county champs

The Polegrove-based team defeated Worthing by seven wickets in the final of a competition which brought together the winners of four area leagues to discover who is the best under-16 Twenty20 side in Sussex.

Worthing went into the match - played under floodlights at the PROBIZ County Ground in Hove - as favourites having won the Sussex Junior Cricket Festival title only two weeks earlier.

They elected to bat on winning the toss and despite only scoring seven off the first three overs, the opening partnership soon flourished, taking the score to 115-0 after just 15 overs.

However, led by captain Byron Smith, who conceded a miserly 15 runs from his four overs, and Will Harvey (2-24), aided by two stumpings from Cameron Burgon and a Will Edwards run out, Bexhill restricted Worthing to 140-5 off their allotted 20 overs. Ant Surrage and Nathan Lopez claimed a wicket apiece in a solid bowling display.

Bexhill attacked from ball one in reply with Ben Phillimore (20) and Liam Bryant (59 off just 40 balls) putting on 79 in just seven overs.

First team player Cameron Burgon (24 not out) and Ed Lemmon (12 not out), who rattled the score along at a run-a-ball, to take Bexhill home with 13 balls to spare.

Bryant was rightly named player of the match for a superb knock containing three sixes and seven fours. The players would like to thank the many supporters who made the trip to Hove to cheer them on.

See Friday’s Bexhill Observer for the full article.