Sussex Cricket League round-up: Title race hotting up as top three win again

Nomads were 28-run victors away to Brighton & Hove, while second-placed East Grinstead won by six wickets at Horsham. Third-placed Roffey, who are 11 points behind Nomads, recorded a five-wicket victory away to Middleton.

Daniel Phillips led the way for Preston Nomads with 92 as his side were all out for 195.

Jack Chopping hit 48 and Philip Salt scored 46 in Brighton’s reply but they were bowled out for 167. Stephen Rigg took 4-43 and Carl Simon claimed 4-49.

Carl Cachopa picked up 4-47 for East Grinstead as they dismissed Horsham for 188. Grinstead reached their target in 49 overs as Ollie Graham hit 55 not out and Sussex’s Lewis Hatchett finished unbeaten on 52.

Beck Hemingway top-scored with 50 for Middleton as they made 174 at home to Roffey. Daniel Smith claimed 4-14 and Ben Manenti took 4-69 for the visitors.

Roffey then got home in 36 overs as Mike Norris struck 76 not out, with nine fours and two sixes off 83 balls, and Theodore Rivers hit 56.

At the bottom, Billingshurst moved up two places with a 85-run victory at home to Cuckfield.

Dhanushka Mitipolaarachchi smashed 154 not out from 140 balls, with 14 fours and seven sixes, as Billingshurst declared on 299-4 from 54 overs. Stuart Barber also hit 68 and Tom Nightingale scored 53.

Richard Stafford struck 69 but Cuckfield were all out for 214 in 51.2 overs. Ben Williams led the way with 4-74 from 16 overs for Billingshurst.

There was a nail-biting finish in the other Premier League fixture as Bexhill won by just two runs against Eastbourne.

Bexhill scored 207 as Malcolm Johnson hit 52, while Jacob Smith claimed 6-78 for Eastbourne.

Dominic Shepheard struck 70 for Eastbourne, who were reduced to 174-9. A 31-run last-wicket stand between Mark Trubshaw and James Allen took them to the brink of victory but Trubshaw was out lbw for 24 to Shawn Johnson with just three runs needed to win.

Hastings still lead the way in Division 2 after cruising to a eight-wicket victory away to bottom-of-the-table Crowhurst Park.

Jed O’Brien took 4-15 as Crowhurst Park were all out for 131.

Hastings raced to victory in just 17.3 overs as Elliot Hooper blasted 75.

Lindfield are still second, 17 points behind Hastings, after winning by 74 runs at home to Ansty.

Hayden James fired 69 and Geoffrey Lawrence hit 37 in Lindfield’s 216-9. Jethro Menzies took 5-46 for Ansty, who were all out for 142.

Findon drew at home to Pagham as two of the top five met at Long Furlong.

Curtis Howell smashed 88, with 13 fours and three sixes, as Findon posted 244-4.

Pagham finished their reply on 237-6 as Eranga Dissangge struck 74, Joe Turner hit 61 and Nabib Rahman scored 57. James Iago claimed 4-78 from 18 overs for Findon.

Fourth-placed Worthing won by two wickets at home to St James’s Montefiore.

Adam Davies top-scored with 72 as Ansty declared on 221-7 from 52.5 overs.

Sam Jones struck 44 in Worthing’s reply, before Luke Vinter crashed 30 from only 14 balls to take his side to victory with four balls to spare.

Three Bridges cruised to a 177-run victory at home to Ifield.

Bridges declared on 272-9 after Joseph Ludlow struck 82, Bradley Gayler scored 62 and Danny Alderman crashed five sixes in his 57. Jigar Parekh picked up 4-31 for Ifield.

Ifield were all out for just 95 in 25 overs as Oliver Blandford took 4-20 and Michael Rose picked up 4-32.

Leaders Bognor Regis won for the eighth time in nine games in Division 3.

They recorded a 61-run success at home to Crawley Eagles, who started the day second, after Mikey Harris hit 98 in their total of 250-5.

Eagles were dismissed for 189 in their reply as Joe Ashmore, Charlie Laforet and Graham Bush all took three wickets.

Burgess Hill climbed to second with a seven-wicket victory at home to Glynde & Beddingham.

The visitors were bowled out for just 112 as Dan Strange took 5-23.

Burgess Hill got home in 27.2 overs thanks to 45 not out from Nathan Cooper and 39 from skipper Tom Trowbridge.

Fourth-placed Portslade eased to a 111-run victory at home to Haywards Heath.

Tom Mooney struck 101 not out and captain Paul Glover hit 95 as Portslade declared on 267-4.

Haywards Heath were all out for 156 in their reply as Tom Stewart-Green took 5-30.

Steyning won a tight game by two wickets at home to Rottingdean.

Owain Jones returned superb figures of 7-25 as Rottingdean made 165.

Gary Hunt hit 41 and David Kennett scored 39 as Steyning reached their target in 42.2 overs.

There was another tight finish in the game at Chichester, where the hosts beat Goring by ten runs.

Chichester scored 180 as John Edwards top-scored with 53, before Goring were all out for 170. Chris Bird hit 47 as Matthew Geffen claimed 4-37.

Mayfield recorded their eighth win from nine games to open up a 47-point lead at the top of Division 4 after a 63-run victory at home to second-placed Slinfold.

Mayfield were all out for 202, before Slinfold were dismissed for 139.

Crawley recorded a 121-run triumph at home to Southwater.

Kunal Kapoor crashed 139, with 16 fours and two sixes, as Crawley were all out for 269.

Southwater were bowled out for 148 despite 68 from Johann Brouwer.

Rye won by 104 runs at bottom-of-the-table Hellingly.

James Hamilton hit 56 as Rye recovered from 152-9 to post 207 thanks to 42 from Gary Willis and 29 not out from number 11 Craig Pierce.

Kshermal Waingankar claimed 6-43 as Hellingly were all out for 103.

Henfield won by just four runs at home to Wisborough Green.

Harry Stewart scored 55 and Adam Scott struck 41 as Henfield fell from 92-0 to 146 all out. Rajesh Maru took 7-33 from 20 overs for Wisborough Green, who were all out for 142 as Scott took 4-11.

Stirlands recorded a eight-wicket success at Keymer & Hassocks.

Keymer declared on 236-9, before Stirlands reached their target in 44.1 overs as Will Gubbins hit 113 not out.

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