Johnson shines as Bexhill record back-to-back wins

Shawn Johnson took three wickets with the ball and hit an unbeaten 82 with the bat as Bexhill triumphed by eight wickets away to Brighton & Hove seconds.

Bexhill remain third in 1st Central Sussex Cricket League Division Three East - 11 points behind leaders Seaford and 10 adrift of second-placed Preston Nomads seconds.

See also: * Bexhill captain: Match-winning duo played ‘unbelievably well’* Huge partnership gives Bexhill victory against Rye* Hastings beaten despite Hooper hundredAfter winning the toss and choosing to field, Bexhill restricted Brighton to 157-9 from their 45 overs. It could well have been less than that, in fact, because the hosts were 21-4 early on and later 106-8.

Johnson, who recorded superb figures of 3-11 from nine overs, removed all of the top three with only 18 on the board. Stuart Collier, who again bowled extremely well to claim 1-15 from nine, then bowled Brighton captain Matthew Smith for one off 23 balls just six runs later.

Curtis Ford (14) and Dominic Hemblade (31) steadied the Brighton ship with a fifth wicket partnership of 53 only to fall within three runs of each other, firstly Hemblade to Chris Deeprose (9-0-35-2) and then Ford to Eddie Lemmon (9-0-42-1).

Deeprose had Felix Sheppard caught behind by Andrew Hodd for one to leave Brighton 90-7 and Liam Bryant (5-0-24-1) pinned Christopher Atherton leg before for 18 with the score 106.

Brighton’s hopes were raised by a ninth wicket stand of 39 between Stan Harrison (23) and Alfie Harrison (23 not out) which ended when Ethan Guest (4-0-27-1) had the former caught by Johnathan Haffenden.

Dave Mates (7 not out) helped Alfie Harrison take Brighton past the 150 mark - and bat out their overs - but it wasn’t enough.

Bexhill reached a similar target without losing a wicket against Rye the previous weekend, but their opening stand ended at 26 this time as Bryant was bowled by Atherton for eight.

Johnson came in at three and forged a second wicket stand of 50 with Cameron Burgon until Burgon - the previous weekend’s century hero - was leg before to Stan Harrison for 30.

Bexhill were almost halfway to their target at that stage and they reached it without further loss, in 41.1 overs, thanks to an unbroken third wicket partnership of 84 between Johnson and Hodd.

Johnson ended on 82 not out from 104 balls with 11 fours - his highest league score since a brilliant 120 against Horsham in the Premier Division in July 2016 - and Hodd was unbeaten on 27 from 60 deliveries.

1st Central Sussex Cricket League Division Three East standings (all played 5 matches): 1 Seaford 123pts, 2 Preston Nomads II 122, 3 BEXHILL 112, 4 Portslade 95, 5 Brighton & Hove II 84, 6 Crawley Eagles 83, 7 RYE 82, 8 Eastbourne II 77, 9 Rottingdean 77, 10 HASTINGS PRIORY II 46.