Ruthless Roffey win on bogey ground to go top of the table

Out of five league games Roffey have won four (including a rain-affected T20 win which counts as an abandonment) and drawn one

Another commanding win over strong opposition - this by six wickets - means Josh Fleming’s side are now unbeaten in their first five games.

George Fleming was the pick of the visitors bowlers with four wickets, and though a number of catches were put down, East Grinstead were held to 177-9.

In reply Roffey’s openers Josh Fleming and Daniel Smith made light work of a tricky batting track to put on a century stand before Rohit Jagota smashed an unbeaten 48 to ease Roffey to another impressive away victory and put them nine points clear.

Skipper Josh Fleming, who top scored with 55, said: “We knew we could win there because we’re a stronger side then we’ve been but we’d never managed to win there in this division. We’ve had some close games with them but before Saturday the only time we’d beaten them was in our first ever game in the Premier League.”

Facing a strong EG side missing only Sussex player Lewis Hatchett, Roffey lost the toss and having been asked to bowl, made early headway. Leigh Harrison claimed the wickets of Alex Edwards and Alex Carey and Kuldeep Rawat accounted for Darryl Rebbetts.

Young Sussex pair Ollie Graham (45) and Will Adkin (42) though quickly rebuilt and were threatening to score big before George Fleming dismissed Adkin and Sachin Naik took care of Graham.

Fleming’s slow but deadly accurate seam bowling kept the pressure on and he was rewarded with figures of 4-30. Rawat deserved more then his one wicket from his 18 overs, according to his skipper, and with nine down EG declared in the final over to deny Roffey all ten bowling points.

Needing to bat through at 3.5 runs an over, Josh Fleming with 55 and Smith with 43 built another rock solid foundation. When both fell in quick succession along with Chris Webb a few nerves could have jangled. Jagota though smashed his first ball over the sight screen and he continued to cart the home bowlers around the ground to take the game away from EG.

Fleming said: “We bowled well as a team again but dropped five or six catches which is unusual for us and something we need to work on, we could have been punished. George bowled accurately and kept us in control and Kuldeep was unlucky only not to take more than one wicket. “Then needing just 3.5 runs an over, the 110 first-wicket stand killed the game really. It set the platform for Rohit to come and take the game away from them.”

Jagota has scored more than 250 runs already and Fleming added: “He’s fearless and so aggressive, it puts so much pressure on the opposition. When he’s playing well he’s impossible to contain.”