Hastings face further injury concern ahead of weekend double

Priory are sweating on the fitness of opening bowler John Morgan as they prepare to host Bognor Regis in 1st Central Sussex Cricket League Division Two today (Saturday).

They will then play Little Common Ramblers in round one of the T20 Sunday Cup at Eastbourne tomorrow, with Eastbourne awaiting the winners later the same afternoon.

See also: * Hastings make instant return to winning ways* Hastings’ injury concerns over pace pair* Hastings suffer first defeat of seasonMorgan broke down after delivering just nine balls during last weekend’s league victory away to Chichester Priory Park.

Adam Pye is still out with the rotator cuff problem he sustained against Billingshurst a fortnight ago. The tall paceman is responding to treatment and may be fit by next weekend.

Priory coach Ian Gillespie said: “It’s a huge frustration. You really want everyone fit and firing on all cylinders. I honestly think if Adam Pye hadn’t been injured we would’ve beaten Billingshurst.”

Spin bowler Jed O’Brien will come back in, while Bradley Smith will come into the equation after starring for the second team last weekend.

Priory are third in the early league table - 18 points behind pacesetters St James’s Montefiore and Billingshurst. Bognor are fourth.

Gillespie praised a ‘very good result’ in last weekend’s win against Chichester.

He said: “It was a very good result. We suffered another injury blow in that John Morgan broke down after 1.3 overs, but we showed the resilience to not let that affect us too much. We stuck at the task really well.

“I think our spinners all deserve credit. They bowled very well, and we backed them up pretty well in the field. We were very pleased to keep them to what we did.

“We got stuck in with our batting and never really let them have a sniff. There were good efforts from Tom (Gillespie), Ryan (Hoadley) did particularly well after going in on (the back of) two ducks and Elliot (Hooper) also played very nicely.”