Bexhill skipper pleased with first half of season

Bexhill lie fifth in the Sussex Premier League having won four, drawn two and lost two matches so far (the other was abandoned).

Haffenden said: “We’ve done well. We need to improve on a couple of areas, but that’s just a progression thing.

“We want to beat everyone around us and below us, and it would be nice to start beating the big sides and do it more frequently than having a one-off good result.

“Fourth was great last year and you want to prove it’s not a one-off. I can’t see we’re going to go down the league; we’re only going to move up.”

Haffenden expects to pick from a squad of 14 or 15 for the visit of bottom side Billingshurst today (Saturday, 12.30pm start). Callum Guest is available again after missing last weekend’s seven-wicket derby victory at home to Hastings Priory.

Haffenden said: “It was an outstanding result and for a local derby you won’t find a better beating than that. They won the toss as well and the way we dominated was phenomenal.”

Hastings were all out for 108 after winning the toss and electing to bat on a breezy afternoon at The Polegrove. Bexhill coach Sam Roberts was the chief destroyer, taking 6-32 with his left-arm spin.

“He’s not doing badly for an OAP is he,” joked Haffenden. “He’s still a decent player. He can put it on a spot and work batsmen out. He offers control, experience, the whole lot, and he’s a very, very clever bowler. And he’s getting quality support from whoever’s come on with him - Josh Beeslee (who took the other four wickets) bowled fantastic.

“If you’re patient, people will get bored and they’ll throw wickets away. They gave up a lot of wickets very cheaply I must admit. We took every chance they gave us. We fielded well and bowled well, and I think they just crumbled a little bit.”

Bexhill slid to 33-3 in reply, but an unbroken 76-run partnership between Shawn Johnson (45 not out) and 16-year-old Ethan Guest (28 not out) saw them home with plenty to spare.

“We did it with ease,” added Haffenden. “Shawn and Ethan didn’t look like they were ever going to get out. There was no real panic and we cruised it.”

Bexhill are now three-fifths of the way through a five-match stretch which they identifield as a key period in their season.

“We’re halfway through that run of games and apart from a washout (away to Cuckfield a fortnight ago), we’ve done what we wanted to do,” added Haffenden, whose side has beaten Brighton & Hove as well as Hastings.

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