Hastings complete dominant double over Worthing

Elliot Hooper scored a half-century with the bat and took three wickets with the ball as Hastings Priory thrashed Worthing. Picture courtesy Derek Martin

Having won the home fixture on the opening day of the season by nine wickets, Priory triumphed by 178 runs in the away match yesterday (Saturday).

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Priory amassed 274-5 declared in 54.3 overs, firmly putting behind them the disappointment of being all out for just 108 against Bexhill a week previously.

Priory lost an early wicket when George Campbell (4) was bowled by Martyn Swift with the score 10. Fellow opener Tom Gillespie was going well until falling in identical fashion for 28 off 35 balls to make it 37-2.

It was all-Priory thereafter, starting with a third wicket partnership of 95 between Josh Hahnel (50) and Elliot Hooper, which ended when the former was bowled by Nick Oxley having hit seven fours.

Hooper added a further 46 for the fourth wicket with Harry Scowen until being pinned lbw for 70 with 12 fours - his highest league score of the season.

Scowen, who has only recently finished his GCSE exams at school, again impressed with 40 and Priory had already achieved maximum batting points when he became Swift’s third victim with the score 234.

Finn Hulbert was the third Priory player to pass fifty, providing some late innings impetus with 65 not out off only 53 balls with eight fours and a six - his best score of the campaign.

Priory then got off to a flying start in the field, dismissing both of Worthing’s opening batsmen with the score four. Hahnel ran out Matthew Green and Bradley Payne (9-3-12-2) had Josh Wood caught by Gillespie. Payne struck again 21 runs later, bowling Oxley for 12.

The remaining seven wickets all fell to spin, Hooper completing a splendid all-round performance by taking 3-21 off six overs and Jed O’Brien continuing his excellent season with 4-16 off 5.4.

Three wickets fell for six runs to leave Worthing 64-6, Hooper having Tom Lund (9) stumped by Jake Woolley and then trapping Daniel Young lbw for 29, and O’Brien dismissing Swift lbw for a seventh ball duck.

The seventh and eighth wickets went down with the score 71, Hooper having Nick Gunning caught behind for a duck and O’Brien picking up another lbw to dismiss Nick Ballamy for 13.

John Glover became the fourth Worthing batsman to depart without scoring when he was caught by Hooper off O’Brien to make it 75-9 and O’Brien applied the coup de grace in the 31st over by bowling Shane Felton for 14 as Worthing were all out for 96.

Standings (played-points): 1 Horsham 11-221, 2 Roffey 10-211, 3 Cuckfield 11-206, 4 BEXHILL 10-187, 5 East Grinstead 11-184, 6 Preston Nomads 11-165, 7 HASTINGS PRIORY 10-154, 8 Brighton & Hove 10-128, 9 Billingshurst 11-93, 10 Worthing 11-90.

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