Bexhill net tremendous win over high-flyers

Bexhill’s cricketers pulled off a tremendous win away to second-placed opposition on Saturday.
Shawn Johnson scored 70 with the bat and took two wickets with the ball as Bexhill won away to East GrinsteadShawn Johnson scored 70 with the bat and took two wickets with the ball as Bexhill won away to East Grinstead
Shawn Johnson scored 70 with the bat and took two wickets with the ball as Bexhill won away to East Grinstead

Shawn Johnson scored 70 with the bat and Callum Guest took six wickets with the ball as Bexhill triumphed by 37 runs against East Grinstead in the Sussex Premier League.

Bexhill won the toss and batted on a good wicket. They recovered from 39-4 to post 218-9 from their 58 overs thanks largely to a 90-run partnership between captain Johnathan Haffenden (48 in 63 balls with a six and eight fours) and Johnson.

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Johnson looked set for a big hundred until being contentiously given out caught behind for 70 off 109 balls with two sixes and eight fours.

Under-15 starlet Ethan Guest, another product of Bexhill’s youth policy, made 24 from 39 balls with five fours and added 40 with Johnson. The lower order kept adding runs as Bexhill came up just short of maximum bonus points.

East Grinstead’s top six batsmen had all played at least county second XI cricket and four of them had first class experience, but Johnson (2-46) roared in and removed two of Sussex’s young stars to leave the hosts 34-2.

Callum Guest then stepped up to the plate by bowling unchanged to take 6-60 in 15.4 overs, in the process becoming only the ninth bowler to take 100 Sussex League wickets for Bexhill.

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Jamie Wicks (1-11) and Dean Crawford (1-44) joined the 50-wicket club for Bexhill in Sussex League cricket - just 21 bowlers have taken 50 or more since Bexhill joined the league in 1978.

Only ex-professional Will Adkin (49) and Carl Cachopa (42) caused Bexhill many problems as Grinstead were bowled out for 181 with eight overs to spare. It was a result which should give Bexhill belief that they can now match the best teams in the league.

Standings (played-points): 1 Preston Nomads 8-202, 2 East Grinstead 9-192, 3 Roffey 8-191, 4 Horsham 9-159, 5 BEXHILL 8-155, 6 Brighton & Hove 9-149, 7 Cuckfield 9-142, 8 Middleton 8-120, 9 Eastbourne 9-114, 10 Billingshurst 8-111.

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