Priory, Bexhill & Sidley all beaten

In the Premier Division, already relegated Bexhill went down by 53 runs at home to a Preston Nomads side which was crowned champions for the third successive year.

Chris Topp took 4-85 as Nomads scored 225-6 declared batting first before Bexhill were bowled out for 172 with Hugh Finzel (34) and David Lowery (30) top-scoring.

Elsewhere in the top flight, Hastings Priory lost by three wickets away to a Three Bridges outfit which needed a win to be sure of staying up.

John Morgan hit 85 not out in a Priory total of 281-8 declared batting first, while Josh Poysden bagged 3-82 as Bridges knocked the runs off.

Sidley finished sixth in Division Three (East), meanwhile, after a heavy defeat away to bottom-of-the-table Chiddingly.

Kevin Ramsay smashed 141 not out as Chiddingly raced to 267-3 declared in just 39 overs and went on to bowl Sidley out for 128.

A word also for Bexhill's second team which beat Preston Nomads to secure an excellent runners-up finish in 2nd XI Division One '“ their best placing since 1997.

Full reports on each of these games will appear in Friday's Observers.

Final standings '“ Premier Division (all played 19 matches): 1 Preston Nomads 441pts, 2 Horsham 412, 3 Brighton & Hove 357, 4 Chichester Priory Park 313, 5 East Grinstead 299, 6 HASTINGS PRIORY 291, 7 Three Bridges 284, 8 Eastbourne 265, 9 Cuckfield 261, 10 BEXHILL 219.

Division Three (East) (all played 18 matches): 1 Ifield 418pts, 2 Burgess Hill 348, 3 Hellingly 323, 4 Seaford 307, 5 Ansty 299, 6 SIDLEY 283, 7 Lindfield 268, 8 Crawley 244, 9 Uckfield Anderida 234, 10 Chiddingly 227.