In-form Priory target fourth straight victory

George Campbell could make his first Hastings Priory appearance of the season against Ansty today.

Priory will take on Ansty buoyed by back-to-back Sussex Premier League wins against Brighton & Hove and Bexhill, plus a Gray-Nicolls Sussex T20 Cup quarter-final success over Worthing.

“We seem to be hitting our straps a bit and certainly confidence has improved,” said Priory coach Ian Gillespie. “The team we had out on Saturday (in the 48-run win away to Bexhill) looked a good side.”

Priory remain in the final safe spot of eighth, but are only three points behind sixth-placed Brighton & Hove and 59 ahead of the two relegation places at the midway point of the season.

Ansty are 27 points adrift at the foot of the table having lost all of their nine league matches so far, including a 130-run defeat in May’s reverse fixture when Jason Finch scored Priory’s only century of the summer to date.

“Ansty is one we would like to think at home we can force a victory,” continued Gillespie. “And if we can beat Ansty, and be in sixth place and a cup semi-final, you would say that’s not too far off where we would like to be at this stage.

“We look at every game as a game we can win, particularly now we can put out a balanced bowling attack. We’re doing well because we’re doing the right things and we’ve got to make sure we stay very focused on that.”

George Campbell is available for the first time this season and could come into the side tomorrow. Jack Coleman is in contention after impressing last weekend, while Jed O’Brien is struggling with the broken finger which he is valiantly playing through.

Play will get underway from 12noon at Horntye Park.