Three Bridges relegated from Premier Division

Three Bridges 1st XI have been relegated from the Sussex Premier League following a massive 103 run defeat to Horsham on Saturday.
JPCT 310514 S14230240x Cricket -  Roffey v Three Bridges.  Bowler, Tim Moses -photo by Steve Cobb SUS-140406-145409001JPCT 310514 S14230240x Cricket -  Roffey v Three Bridges.  Bowler, Tim Moses -photo by Steve Cobb SUS-140406-145409001
JPCT 310514 S14230240x Cricket - Roffey v Three Bridges. Bowler, Tim Moses -photo by Steve Cobb SUS-140406-145409001

Horsham won the toss and elected to bat first on what looked like a belter of a pitch, but Bridges had the early breakthrough when Matt Blandford bowled Ben Shoare for 0.

Fellow opener John Burroughs and Sussex pro’ Will Beer took the score to 35 when Borroughs (15) was hurried up by a skiddy bouncer from Blandford, with Abi Sakande taking the catch at square leg.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Bridges bowlers kept things tight and didnt allow Horsham to get away, but Beer and James Johnson shared a stand of 93 before Mike Rose ran through Horsham’s middle order.

First, he held a good caught and bowled chance to remove Beer for a well made 86, then Johnson (24) was well held at mid on by Joe Ludlow.

Horsham managed to keep the scoreboard ticking over without running away with it, Rose also accounting for Haines (15) and Gallagher (45), both well caught by Sakande, and Attfield (3) excellently caught by Ludlow, to finish with figures of 5-68 off 23 overs.

Sakande returned at the end to remove Leverock (22) and Horsham ended the innings on 220-8, Matt Blandford (2-52) and Sakande (1-28) the other wickettakers.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Bridge’s reply got off to the worst start possible. Following 3 beautiful drives by Ben Speake off the first 3 balls which yielded 7 runs, Brad Gayler was bowled first ball by overseas paceman Travis Muller, then Joe Ludlow left his first ball only to see it smash into his off-stump!

Tim Moses saw off the hat-trick ball for 2, but then Speake was bowled off the second ball of the second over to leave Bridges reeling at 9-3. Moses and Conor Golding started to rebuild the innings, and took the score to 36 before Golding (11) edged Muller to slip. Danny Alderman (0) departed first ball following a good yorker from Muller, and Rob Stacey (1) edged Muller to slip also to leave Bridges on 44-6.

Moses found an able partner in Ollie Blandford and the pair put on 42 before Moses (40) was caught and bowled by Michael Munday. Blandford (21) followed soon after and the writing was on the wall for Bridges, but a few lusty blows from Matt Blandford (17), including 4’s off 4 successive balls off Munday, gave Bridges score an air of respectability before he was the last man out. Bridges were all out for 117, Muller (5-37) and Munday (4-29) the pick of Horsham’s bowlers.

This defeat, coupled with Bexhill’s draw with East Grinstead, means that Bridges cannot escape the relegation zone in their final game against Preston Nomads, and will be playing Division 2 cricket next season.