Beer leads Horsham to win, Roffey are joint top
Horsham notched up their first Sussex Premier League win of the season in style – with the highest score of the day and the earliest finish.
Electing to bat Horsham set Middleton a demanding 300 run target, then romped home with a good bowling performance.
Horsham suffered an early setback, but Tom Johnson got into his stride with 80, batting with Sussex’s Will Beer, the pair putting on 166 for the second wicket, Beer going on to make 139 at quicker than a run a ball, and Johnson an almost as rapid 80.
Skipper Nick Oxley followed with 43, Horsham ending on 299-6 despite Russell Talman’s 3-64.
Middleton have previously chased down big totals at Cricketfield Road, with captain Sean Heather and Mahesh Rawat being dangerous.
But here Ben Williams dismissed Heather, caught and bowled third ball.
And, with Horsham bowling economically, none of the first five batsmen reached double figures, Williams (224) and Beer (3-21), supported by Jonny Whiting, reducing Middleton to 36-5.
Josh Wood’s 45 staged a partial recovery, but with two wickets apiece for Nick Cooper and Oxley, Middleton slumped from 82-6 to 117 all out, Horsham winning by 182 runs.
Skipper Oxley said: “I’m really proud of how the boys bounced back from last
week’s disappointing result. Beero and TJ (Johnson) were exceptional at the start then we bowled and fielded very well.
"We’re aiming to carry on in the same vein on Saturday, when we visit reigning champions Preston Nomads - and I hope we’ll soon be in a position to announce a major overseas signing.”
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Bognor v Roffey
Still smarting from a Sussex Cup defeat at the Regis Oval, Roffey secured prompt revenge on their return in the Premier League.
Roffey came away with 28 points, and at this early stage, are joint leaders with East Grinstead.
Bognor won the toss and elected to bat, but were soon in trouble at 13-2 after Rohit
Jagota dismissed both openers.
Taylor Jaycocks (30) and Joe Ashmore (57) staged a recovery, but George Fleming dismissed Jaycocks, Ashmore and skipper Ryan Maskell in quick succession, leaving Bognor 120-6.
Josh Seward chipped in with an unbeaten 33, but Roffey claimed two more wickets, Bognor finishingon 175-8, thanks to Jagota’s frugal 3-19 and Fleming’s 3-46.
Roffey also found things difficult, and, from 6-2, restoration was required, and opener Theo Rivers and captain Matt Davies found it.
They put on a priceless 142 for the third wicket, and, despite Davies’ departure for 81, and two further wickets, Rivers kept the innings together with 70 not out for Roffey to win by five wickets.
Skipper Davies said: “It was good to get over the line – it could have gone either way, really. And, as ever, I enjoyed batting with Theo
"We’ve got another big weekend coming up – on Saturday Eastbourne visit in the league; Sunday we entertain Kent Premiership’s Bickley Park in the ECB National Club Championship.”