'Three Bridges are usually a bit of bogey side for us so it was good to put that to bed' - Eastbourne skipper delighted with Bridges win

Bridges were without key players including overseas Will O’Donnell - but Eastbourne skipper Jacob Smith was quick to point out his side have been without four of their best players all season.

Before this season Eastbourne and Bridges were both tipped as title contenders, but a mixture of rain, Sussex call-ups for Ali Orr, Henry Crocombe, Oli Carter and Archie Lenham and Covid have ruined their chances.

Smith said: “Saturday was a great win. Three Bridges are usually a bit of bogey side for us so it was good to put that to bed.

“They might have been missing a few key players but the same argument could have been made for us, we’ve been without four of our best players for most of the season.

“It was a real team effort, with three half centuries and four people taking two wickets. We were brilliant in the field too.

“If I had to pick some individuals out, I was very pleased with how Ben Barter bowled on his comeback to the side and delighted for Scott Lenham [61 not out], who’s had a bit of a tricky run of form this season.”

Eastbourne travel to title contenders East Grinstead on Saturday. Smith said: “Games against East Grinstead are always very competitive affairs so I doubt Saturday will be any different.

“They’re going well with Lewis [Hatchett] and Leo [Cammish] performing better than anyone else in the league. They’ve got plenty of depth with bat and bowl too.”

Eastbourne look like they will be finishing mid-table with three games of the season left, but Smith is already planning for next season.

He said: “We’ll just be trying to win and finish as high up the league as possible for our own personal pride.

“It’s been nice to try a few things out that we can take forward for next season too.

“The planning for that has already started, so to have two or three games where we’re relatively safe is very helpful.

“We have one change from Saturday but we’re still pretty strong considering the injuries and unavailability we have.”

Preston Nomads look like they are on course to claim their first Premier Division title for a few years after they beat Roffey on Saturday.

They are currently 33 points ahead of East Grinstead with 90 still available.

The relegation battle looks close with 33 points separating the bottom four clubs.