Nomads in sight of 2010 title

Preston Nomads still top the Sussex Premier League table after their home clash with Horsham ended in deadlock.

Nomads lead Horsham by 43 points with two games at Chichester and Bexhill remaining while Horsham have to play at home to the bottom club Bexhill and visit second bottom Cuckfield.

The relegation battle is still a tight one as a win by Three Bridges at home to Bexhill looks to have sealed the fate of Bexhill but Bridges and Cuckfield face a battle to avoid one of them also going down.

At Preston Nomads the weather intervened to reduce the overs available to the home side after they had put in Horsham and restricted them to 193 for nine declared.

In that score Owain Jones made 85 and Devon Endersby 36 as Stephen Rigg took 5-63 and Khashif Ibrahim 3-50.

After a tea interval during which the rain came down, Nomads were left just 38 overs to chase their target.

Bad light hardly helped their chase as Horsham stuck to their task and, at stumps, Nomads had made 178 for seven, still 14 runs short of victory.

Stuart Faith made 39 and Rob Wakeford 38 while, for Horsham, Richard Sherlock took 3-46 and Luke Marshall 3-62.

Three Bridges earned an important four wicket win at home to Bexhill.

The visitors posted 283 for six declared as Toby Finzel made 151 not out while Danny Alderman took 5-85.

But Bridges set about their target in determined fashion and reached 284 for six with 86 from Danny Anderman, 62 not out from Josh Price and 43 from Mark Newell.

For the visitors there were two wickets each for Callum Guest and David Lowery.

Another game that could still affect the relegation issue saw Eastbourne hang on for a draw at home to Hastings.

The visitors made 266 for eight with Tim van Noort making 99 and James Pooley hit 46, Ollie Rayner grabbed 4-74 and Mark Tomsett proved a little expensive with 3-116.

Eastbourne then held on at 180 for nine with Michael Pannett top scoring with 43 and Josh Poysden grabbing three wickets.

The games between Cuckfield and Chichester and East Grinstead and Brighton and Hove were both called off due to waterlogged pitches