Priory's victory quest thwarted by weather

Hastings Priory's cricketers were frustrated by the weather in their quest for a second successive home victory.
Tom Gillespie top-scored for Hastings Priory against Brighton & Hove on SaturdayTom Gillespie top-scored for Hastings Priory against Brighton & Hove on Saturday
Tom Gillespie top-scored for Hastings Priory against Brighton & Hove on Saturday

Priory looked pretty well placed when their Sussex Premier League match against Brighton & Hove was abandoned on Saturday.

Brighton were 85-5 after 26.4 overs in reply to Priory’s 189-9 from 49 overs when rain brought the game to a premature conclusion. Both teams picked up 10 points for the abandonment.

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Having lost the toss and been asked to bat, Priory’s score was based around a series of solid contributions. Eight players reached double figures and Tom Gillespie top-scored with 37.

After the early loss of James Pooley, Joe Lamb (26) shared in partnerships of 37 with Josh Hahnel (28) and 38 with Gillespie until Priory lost their third and fourth wickets with the score 77.

Gillespie and Elliot Hooper (17) took the total into three figures before both departed at 112, but numbers seven, eight, nine and 10 all chipped in with valuable runs to swell the total.

Harry Scowen made a very good 27, Bradley Payne 14, John Morgan 24 off 28 balls and Jed O’Brien 10 not out off eight deliveries. Alex Marsh was the most successful Brighton bowler with 4-47.

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Brighton’s reply began reasonably enough until O’Brien (8.4-2-22-3) dismissed both openers within a run of each other to leave them 29-2. The left-arm spinner bagged his third victim 18 runs later.

A run out left Brighton 52-4 and that became 79-5 when Payne (4-0-18-1) claimed his first league wicket since returning to Priory over the winter. The weather intervened shortly afterwards, though, with Chris Grammer finishing 34 not out.

Standings (played 3 matches unless stated): Horsham (4) 77pts, Roffey 70, BEXHILL 62, Preston Nomads 52, Cuckfield (4) 50, HASTINGS PRIORY 50, Worthing (4) 45, Brighton & Hove 43, East Grinstead 41, Billingshurst 18.

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