Sussex Premier League: Horsham up to third but Roffey are beaten at Bognor

Nomads remain top, 18 points clear of Three Bridges, who were beaten by East Grinstead. Horsham move up to third, Roffey slipping a place to seventh, with Hastings above doomed Worthing in the relegation zone.

Preston Nomads 214 all out (50 overs) Horsham 217-6 (43.5 overs)

Horsham won by 4 wickets

Nomads elected to bat, reaching 83-1, but in a good team bowling display, Horsham kept whittling away while containing the hosts, and although seven batsmen reached double figures, only opener Nathan Poole bettered 30, with skipper Will Beer, Oliver Avinou, Bertie Foreman, and Sam Martin-Jenkins each taking two wickets with economical figures.

Replying, needing 215 to win, Horsham lost an early wicket, but recovered thanks to a 102 run partnership between in form Beer (67) and former captain Nick Oxley (42). Archie Lenham and Baalaaj Khan both took two wickets, but, with Foreman making an unbeaten 53 at better than a run a ball, Horsham cruised home with more than six overs unused.

Now 36 points behind leaders Nomads, but with 90 points still available from their last three games, Horsham host Bognor on Saturday – followed by Roffey on August 31, before travelling to Hastings on September 7 for the final game

Bognor 201-9 (50 overs) Roffey 167 all out (47.1 overs)

Bognor won by 34 runs

Coming into this match sixth, with Bognor eighth, Roffey will be very disappointed that, having had the hosts 157-9 after choosing to bat, they had to chase 202. Even then, at 120-2, Roffey appeared to have the game well in hand, before collapsing to defeat.

Lewis Shivnarain and Toby Munt – each finishing with two scalps apiece – took the first three wickets between them to have Bognor rocking on 30-3. Oliver Dabinett-Jays and Taylor Jaycocks, with 37 and 40 respectively staged a recovery.

But, three wickets from Will Fenwick, including seeing off two batsmen in five balls between them, had Bognor on the ropes, with skipper Matt Davies and Theo Rivers each grabbing a wicket. But, 53 from Theo Benyon-Ayres and 17 from number 11 Josh Sargeant, saw the pair put on a crucial unbeaten 44 for the last wicket.

Another century opening stand between Rivers and Davies put Roffey on the path to victory, but Rivers departed for 31, and when Davies was run out for 68 (the first of four such dismissals), alarm bells rang.

Wicketkeeper Saj Nizam made 13, but the eight other batsmen could only muster 29 between them. Earlier, Jamie Woolnough had taken three quick wickets, Mike Harris snatching another three, Roffey crashing to a 34 run defeat at the start of the 48th over.

In a tough run in, Roffey return home to play Middleton (4th) on Saturday, then visit Horsham on the 31st, ahead of welcoming current runners up Three Bridges for the finale.