Bexhill close in on Premier return

Chris Topp’s side occupies the second of the two promotion places from Division Two having won its last six completed matches.

First team manager Hamish Russell said: “It’s in our hands. We can’t control all the other results, all we can do is try to keep winning our games. Everybody’s contributing, we’re not relying on any one person.”

Last weekend’s eight-wicket victory at home to St James’s Montefiore has left Bexhill nine points clear of third-placed Glynde & Beddingham, who beat Haywards Heath to effectively knock them out of the running.

It looks to be a two-horse race between Bexhill and Glynde, but fourth-placed Goring By Sea, who are 28 points adrift of Bexhill, will come back into the picture if they win at home to Bexhill tomorrow (Saturday).

“We’ve got some work to do,” continued Russell. “We can’t afford to be bullish about the whole thing, but I don’t think anything will get the confidence out of those boys at the moment.”

Bexhill are sure to be positive because they will want to end the day in the top two in case of rain next weekend. They could even clinch promotion tomorrow if they pick up 30 points and Glynde accrue eight or fewer at Ifield.

Jack Richardson will return from holiday, but Jamie Bristow-Diamond, Ian Ellis, Tom Powell and James Vaughan are away. Second team captain Jeremy Wassell may come back into the front side.

Promotion run-in - tomorrow (Saturday): Goring By Sea v Bexhill; Ifield v Glynde & Beddingham. September 3: Bexhill v Worthing; Glynde & Beddingham v Haywards Heath; Ifield v Goring By Sea.

See today’s Bexhill Observer for the full article.