Blackheath to play Royal London Knockout Cup final at Beckenham

Blackheath Cricket Club will contest the Royal London National Knockout Cup Final at The County Ground, Beckenham on Sunday (20 September).

The Shepherd Neame Kent Cricket League Premier Division side will take on Northern CC of the North East Premier League at 12noon. Free entry.

Blackheath have won the title before but that was all the way back in 1971 while it will be Northern’s first ever appearance at the final.

In the semi-final, Blackheath beat West of England Premier League side Bath after choosing to bat first under cloudy skies but quickly found themselves 11-2 before Tanweer Sikandar and Michael Thornley put on 95 for the third wicket.

Sikandar fell for 51 but Thornley held together the Kent Premier League side’s innings with 75 from 108 balls. Some late hitting by Duncan Willetts (33 from 27 balls) helped Blackheath to 217-7, with six Bath bowlers taking a wicket each plus one run out.

In reply, Bath slid to 40-5 as Ahmed (2-18) and Sikandar (3-33) ripped apart the visitors top order.

Will Jenkins and Luke Paggett put on a partnership of 43 before Sikandar was involved in the game again, catching Paggett off the bowling of Thomas Mees for 21.

James Hands, who has taken 20 wickets in the competition this season, took two wickets in an over to put Kent Premier League side on the brink of victory.

Warren Lee bowled Jenkins for 43 to finish the job, dismissing Bath for 122 to secure a 95-run victory.