Eastbourne's Twine confident his side can reach August Cup final

Eastbourne face Roffey in the August Cup semi-final on Saturday - and stand-in captain Ben Twine believes they have a very good chance of reaching the final.
Eastbourne celebrate a wicket against Hastings Priory on Saturday. Picture by Andy HodderEastbourne celebrate a wicket against Hastings Priory on Saturday. Picture by Andy Hodder
Eastbourne celebrate a wicket against Hastings Priory on Saturday. Picture by Andy Hodder

Eastbourne have been the form side in the August Cup, winning all their Group A1 games.

But now they face the reigning Sussex Cricket League champions Roffey - who reached the semi-final of the August Cup thanks to Brighton and Hove losing to Preston Nomads after their home game with Three Bridges was abandoned due to an unplayable pitch.

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Saturday’s game is a repeat of last year’s T20 Cup final - which saw Eastbourne triumph in a thrilling game.

But Twine is pleased with his side’s form and thinks they can carry that on.

He said: “I am incredibly pleased with how we have gone in the August Cup so far. It’s nice to see that success has been spread across the team and everyone has taken responsibility.

“Roffey have obviously been a very consistent team across the years and know how to win, but I feel very confident that if we continue to play how we have over the last month, we will be in with a very good chance to get into the final.”

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Roffey’s form going into the play-off has been patchy - they had a tie with Brighton and were beaten by Preston Nomads. But Twine knows what to expect.

He said: “I still wouldn’t want us to underestimate them, as we know they have a few key players that have been integral in previous Premier League titles.

“They will be out for revenge after the T20 final last summer, but we have a young and hungry team that will be keen to get another one up on them.”

Eastbourne finished the group stage with a resounding 135 run win over Hastings. Eastbourne reached 254-6 from their 40 overs with Scott Lenham (55) and Joe Pocklington (42 not out from 19 balls) top scoring.

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In reply, Chris Jones (4-20) and Archie Lenham (4-26) helped bowl Hastings out for 119.

Twine added: “We are incredibly lucky to have such a young and talented team with a few senior players, with great experience, to guide us through certain situations.

“The Lenham brothers have stood out with the bat and ball, with the likes of Joe Pocklington has been integral in late innings batting, scoring with a mixture of devastating power and finesse.”