Bexhill put positive spin on Ifield trip

Slow bowling is expected to feature prominently as Bexhill make their first ever trip to Ifield in game six of the Division Two season.

First team manager Hamish Russell said: “We’ve tried to do a bit of homework. We understand the pitch can break up and they stack their team with spinners. That’s something we will be addressing this week.”

Ifield captain Russell Jacob, who bowls slow left arm, was the leading wicket-taker in the entire Sussex League last season with 67 victims at 10.1. This season he is third in Division Two with 17 scalps at 11.35.

But Bexhill won’t mind if the wicket turns because they possess a strong spin triumvirate of captain Chris Topp, Jamie Wicks and Jamie Bristow-Diamond, who have taken 20 league wickets between them so far.

“I know Russell Jacob takes a lot of wickets up there,” continued Wassell, “but we’re going up there expecting to come back with 30 points. I think the toss could be important and we’ll look to bat first.”

Bexhill and Ifield, who only joined the league when Division Three was created in 2009, were two divisions apart last season with Ifield winning Division Three (East) and Bexhill being relegated from the Premier Division.

But they are now level on 69 points after five matches in Division Two. Ifield have beaten the Worthing team which Bexhill lost to last weekend, but went down against a Stirlands side which Bexhill thrashed on the opening day.

Callum Guest is available again this weekend, Steve Phillimore comes back into the mix and Hugh Finzel is expected to make his first Bexhill appearance of the campaign.