OBSERVER SERIES Friday, April 24, 2015 www.hastingsobserver.co.uk 93 SPORT Cricket & rugby Badminton Cricket’s back as Priory get out in middle for first time this year SUS-150418-202627002 HASTINGS Priory Cricket Club got out in the middle for the first time this year on Saturday afternoon. Priory began their preparations for the 2015 Sussex Cricket League Division Two campaign with a friendly at home to Division Four neighbours Rye. A Priory XI containing a mixture of first and second team players won the game by 32 runs, but the main object of the exercise was to give batsmen some time in the middle and bowlers some overs under their belts. On a sunny yet breezy afternoon at Horntye Park, Priory totalled 216-7 from their 40 overs batting first. Jed O’Brien top-scored with a nice 60 not out, Australian overseas player Jack Colley made 41 and Ryan Hoadley hit 30. Rye were all out for 184 in reply off the first ball of the final over. Sam Jones, Cameron Smith and O’Brien picked up two wickets each, while Henry Smith looked good in taking 1-12 off seven overs. Priory are due to travel to Division Four newcomers Mayfield in another friendly tomorrow (Saturday), with the seconds at home to the same opposition. With several players away at university etc at present, the side will again have a mixed look about it, although captain John Morgan is set to play. Priory will host East- Cricket returned to Horntye Park last weekend as Hastings Priory contested their opening pre-season friendly against Rye. Picture by Simon Newstead bourne in round one of the Gray-Nicolls Sussex T20 Cup on Saturday May 2 before beginning their league programme with a visit from Lindfield on May 9. Wicketkeeper/batsman Leo Cammish has reluctantly left the club over the winter, but Priory have otherwise kept last season’s squad intact and Harry Finch could feature when Sussex commitments permit. Magic Johnson plunders hat-trick in entertaining win HASTINGS & Bexhill Rugby Club’s under-15 team pulled off a high scoring 46-32 win away to Seaford. With only 10 players to call on, H&B relied on the goodwill of the opposition to lend four players in order to make up a 14-a-side match. H&B started brightly and Declan Johnson raced off with the ball following a scrum to score under the posts. Tries from Ben Green, Tom Hirst and Tony Leer added to a further score from Johnson. Seaford claimed a try back before half time, but the visitors were cruising. In the second half, with injuries taking their toll on H&B, Seaford started to rack up scores through good ball handling and running lines. However, a scorching try down the wing from player of the match Hirst and a further try from Johnson to give him his hat-trick put H&B out of sight. Seaford ended strongly, with only good defence from one of H&B’s stalwarts Lee Hopkins keeping the score down. Hopkins converted the final try. THE Hastings YMCA Badminton Club achieved very good results in the Eastbourne Badminton Tournament. Tim Leakey and Wai Lau (both YMCA) - pictured top - won their box in the men’s division, while Will Savage (YMCA) and Gary Pearson came runners-up in theirs. Jayne Gray (YMCA) and Pearson - pictured above won their box in the mixed division, and Poppy and Milton Beach (YMCA) came runners-up in their box. The event is the longest running badminton tournament in the country having been going for 84 years. It was a great tournament again this year and attracted a good turnout from across the county. The Hastings YMCA Badminton Club can be contacted at http://www. hastingsymcabadmintonclub.co.uk/ Rugby Motorsport Race ace produces solid showing at Donington RISING motor racing star Jack Barlow emerged from a challenging weekend at Donington Park with a trio of top eight finishes in the MSA Formula. The 19-year-old from Pett had been one of the frontrunners in pre-race testing at the iconic East Midlands circuit, but an attempt to find vital extra speed from his MBM-run car hampered his chances during timed qualifying. Having managed to hustle himself into 10th place, all was not lost ahead of the event’s three races, which were played out in front of sell-out crowds. YMCA talents make a mark at long-running tournament Barlow delivered a solid drive to eighth place in the opening race despite still struggling with a car that wanted to push on in a straight line through the corners. The reverse grid format left Barlow on pole position for race two, but he lost two places on the opening lap. Barlow really struggled for grip during the first half of the race and dropped another position. The car came alive during the second half of the race, though, and he set the fastest lap en route to finishing fourth. After starting the third race from ninth place, Barlow made a strong getaway and capitalised when some of the other competitors tangled in the early exchanges. Once the safety car had been withdrawn, Barlow made the most of his car’s renewed speed to challenge the frontrunners. He finished fifth, another solid performance that signalled more is to come. Barlow has maintained sixth place in the championship with points from a further 24 races still up for grabs. The next round is at Thruxton on May 9 and 10. Jack Barlow at the front of a trio of cars. Picture courtesy Jakob Ebrey H&B to face Pulborough in the final of Sussex Vase HASTINGS & Bexhill Rugby Club’s second team is bidding to win a county knockout competition. H&B will take on their Pulborough counterparts in the Sussex Vase final at Seaford RFC tomorrow (Saturday). Kick-off is 12noon. The ARK William Parker Academy-based club has seen off Worthing Senior II 32-10 and Crowborough III 31-0 to make it through to the final.
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