Bexhill win low-scoring derby

The key to their victory came in the first few overs after tea because an embattled Sidley batting line-up was reduced to 7-4 after two overs and 11-5 after four overs.

"I don't think I've ever been involved in a start like that," said Bexhill captain Steve Phillimore. "Things went our way. The ball found the edge instead of missing the edge and all of a sudden the game was there to be won."

Sidley were skittled out for 91 in pursuit of their neighbour's modest total of 139.

Such was the rate of wickets falling after Ian Ellis had bowled five wides to get Sidley off the mark that Chris Hunnisett, who was supposed to be batting at six, had to go out at four because no-one else was ready!

And he went out with no gloves and a box half way round his thigh to avoid being timed-out! It wasn't long before, even with gloves on, he was bowled out, however, as Phillimore took a ripper in the slips off Bexhill's six-wicket hero Simon Bulteel without the previously in-form Hunnisett having troubled the scorers.

"We would have been confident (of victory)," said Sidley skipper Eddie Daniels, "until the first two overs. They bowled okay in the conditions (the bowlers enjoyed plenty of movement) and they hit the edge with a bit more regularity than we did. It was unfortunate in some respects because Steve Reeves (the first man to go) got hit on the shoulder and got given out caught."

From 11-5, though, there was only ever going to be one winner, despite a defiant third half-century of the season from Rizwan Ahmed. The Pakistani - Sidley's Matthews & Sons man of the match - was the only member of their top six to so much as get off the mark and was ninth man out with the score on 73.

Ian Rise (15 not out), making his seasonal debut for Sidley, struck some weighty blows, including a big six off Chris Topp, to delay the inevitable, but Sidley were all out in just 19.3 overs as Bulteel claimed 6-32 and Ellis took 4-37. Bulteel has now taken 11 wickets in his last two bowls and Ellis has hoisted his tally to 17 in five bowls at an impressive average of 11.88.

Another in-form bowler is Peter King and Sidley's top seamer made it 23 for the campaign at 20.78 with his second five wicket haul in 2005.

Bexhill's top-order fared rather better, though, with Hamish Russell (23), Jesse Lewis (11) and a crucial knock from John Holland (44) helping them to 56-1 at one stage. The lower-order contributions of Phillimore (22 not out), Bulteel (15) and Jack Munro (9) were also important in the context of the match as Rizwan (4-31) took by far his best figures of the season.