Promotion battle comes down to final game

GORING and Findon cricket clubs go into the final match of the season on Saturday both with hopes of reaching the Sussex League Premier Division.
Findon CC V Eastbourne CC. Long Furlong. Action from the match.Findon CC V Eastbourne CC. Long Furlong. Action from the match.
Findon CC V Eastbourne CC. Long Furlong. Action from the match.

All of the matches in Division 2 were abandoned on Saturday – resulting in ten points each, which saw Eastbourne crowned champions – and also kept Goring in pole position for promotion.

Goring are one point ahead of third-placed Bexhill, who they host this weekend, while fourth-placed Findon are just 11 points behind Goring.

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The equation is simple. If there is a winner in the Goring versus Bexhill match, they will be promoted. But, if that match is a draw, and Findon win at home to Ifield with 30 points, they will leapfrog the other two and be promoted themselves.

Goring captain Ben Cartwright said: “It’s going to be an exciting end to the season. The weather at the weekend has taken it to the last game of the season and we’re one point ahead of Bexhill and 11 in front of Findon.

“We’ve just got to get the win to make sure no one can sneak above us – we don’t want things to go into someone else’s hands.

“It will be an exciting game on Saturday and I’m sure there will be a lot of people there watching.

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“If we can get the win, it will be a fantastic feeling and a good way to end a good season. At the start of the season, we just wanted to stay in the league after last season, so we’ve done fantastically well to be in this position.

“We don’t really want rain this weekend as we want to get promoted ourselves and don’t want to be known as the side who went up only because the last two games of the season were abandoned. However, if it happens, we’ll obviously take it.”

Findon skipper James Iago said: “We’ve got to go out and make sure we get 30 points and then, fingers crossed, things will go our way.

“I don’t think that Goring and Bexhill will want to lose to each other, which goes in our favour, as it could end in a draw.

“As long as we win, we’d have done everything that we can and it’s been a good season for us whatever happens.”

Both matches start at midday on Saturday.