Dream day for cricket clubs

Saturday was surely one of the finest days in the history of local cricket.

Hastings Priory won the Sussex Cricket League Premier Division title, Bexhill gained promotion from Division Two and Sidley topped Division Three (East).

Priory clinched their seventh league triumph and first since 2003 by two points despite going into the final day 18 behind opponents Horsham.

Jason Finch took 6-31 as Horsham were all out for 177 batting first and Priory got home at 178-4 with Kirk Wernars hitting 72, Matt Machan 39 and Finch 35.

Bexhill finished runners-up in a dramatic finale to the Division Two season with the top three teams separated by just four points.

Third at the start of play, Bexhill reduced Worthing to 65-9, at which point the leaders declared knowing that Bexhill could only pick up 28 points and therefore wouldn’t be able to catch them.