Park and Hastings win; Bexhill narrowly beaten

Hastings Priory won by nine wickets away to Seaford and Crowhurst Park triumphed by 30 runs at home to Hellingly, but Bexhill lost by eight runs away to Eastbourne.

Seaford, who will be playing in Sussex Cricket League Division Four this summer having won the East Sussex Cricket League title in 2015, totalled 130-6 after choosing to bat.

Chris Stanyard (38) and Adam Kneller (35) put on 64 for the first wicket before Priory, who are back in the Premier League for 2016 after being promoted from Division Two last term, started to make inroads.

Young seamer Sam Hobbs and overseas player Josh Hahnel, who was making his Priory debut, took two wickets each, and there was one apiece for spinners Jed O’Brien and Jack Coleman.

Priory raced to their target in just 14.4 overs for the loss of only James Pooley, who was run out for 48 off just 28 balls. Joe Billings remained unbeaten on 47 and Hahnel was 13 not out off nine balls at the end.

Park, who will be playing in Division Three this summer having been relegated last year, totalled 131-8 batting first. Ed Smissen top-scored with 35 after openers Dale Payne and Joel Brunn hit 23 and 20 respectively, the latter off just eight balls.

Division Four team Hellingly ended its reply on 101-8. The visitors put on 43 for the first wicket, but only their openers made double figures as Clive Tong and Matt Peters took three wickets each, and Brunn and Joe Lovell chipped in with one apiece.

Premier Division club Bexhill was narrowly beaten away to an Eastbourne side relegated from the top flight on the final day of last season.

Eastbourne posted 162-6 after choosing to bat. Jacob Smith led the way with 41 off 31 balls, while Delray Rawlins smashed 30 off just 14 deliveries. Ethan Guest and Joe Cox took two wickets each for Bexhill, and Byron Smith and Sam Roberts claimed one apiece.

Bexhill came up just short in reply, finishing on 154-6. Tom Powell top-scored with an excellent 53 off just 36 balls, while captain Johnathan Haffenden made 25 off 20. Rawlins was the pick of the Eastbourne bowlers with 3-16.

Bexhill are also in action this afternoon, at home to Bromley Common in round one of the ECB National Club Championship. Shawn Johnson and Cam Burgon are expected to be added to the side for a match which will start at 1pm.

In the Gray-Nicolls Sussex 2nd XI T20 Cup, Priory celebrated a victory double, beating Crowhurst Park by nine wickets in the first round and then seeing off Seaford by the same margin in round two.

In the same competition, Bexhill won a thriller away to Eastbourne by one wicket with a ball to spare. Kieran Malone (12 not out) and James Bywater (10 not out) put on 22 for the last wicket as Bexhill scraped over the line.

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