Shepherd Neame Kent Cricket League 2018, week 8

League leaders Blackheath secured a see-saw last-over win away at a resilient Bexley side.

The hosts elected to bat first and were reduced to 39-6 with Tanweer Sikandar blowing away the Bexley batting order with all six dismissals.

Fortunately. the Bexley tail wagged with stubborn resistance from Matt Stiddard (39) and lower-order hitting from Jason Benn (37), Jasdev Bassan (45) and Harry Furze (57*) helped the hosts post 218-9.

Blackheath’s batting was a mirror image after solid top-order partnerships with George Wells (52) helping the visitors to 106-1 before a burst of quick wickets put the game back in the balance at 152-6.

Richard Fleming (41) and a fluent 38 not out from Jahid Ahmed paced the chase to perfection, sealing the win with four balls left.

Sandwich Town stayed second in the table with a superb win at 2017 champions Beckenham.

Kent seamers Matt Hunn and Grant Stewart stepped up their bid for a return to first-team action with three wickets each before former Academy scholar Jan Gray polished off the tail with 3/11 in 28 balls.

Ollie Robinson was absent on first-team duties with Kent but Alex Blake was trapped LBW by Stewart before the visitors chased the target of 86 in 10 overs to secure a nine-wicket win.

As Kent plundered runs at their home ground, Tunbridge Wells travelled to Sevenoaks Vine and did likewise.

Former Sussex batsman Christian Davis top-scored with 115 and opener Chris Williams made 46 as Wells posted 303-5.

Michael Thompson (3/51) was the pick of the Vine attack before Ari Karvelas followed up his Kent second XI debut with 3/21 and Alex Williams (3/50) as Wells dismissed the hosts for 229.

Fourth-placed Lordswood won by seven wickets at relegation-threatened Bromley Common.

William Chapples (47) and Max Finzel (55*) top-scored after they opted to bat first under blue skies.

Kent associate scholar Taylor Chandler took two wickets as did Chaitanya Bishnoi, Dan Masters and Jack Laraman as the hosts were dismissed for 179.

In reply, Indian overseas star Bishnoi followed his century last week with a commanding 87 to help guide Lordswood home by 7 wickets with more than 25 overs to spare.

After two wins on the trot, relegation battlers Tenterden lost narrowly at Bickley Park, who eased their own worries in a tightly bunched table.

Overseas opener Justin Mosca top-scored with 51 and Tom Richards blasted 41 off 32 balls to help the visitors to 210-7.

In reply, Richards struck early before Bickley Park opener Alex Fullarton played the anchor role with 51 and several contributions helping the hosts home in the final over.

In Division One, James Tredwell made his comeback from a shoulder injury with a half-century and a trademark tidy spell for early  pacesetters Folkestone.

He removed South Africa pro Karabo Mogotsi to claim 1/24 in 10 overs before a nuggety 54 in a century stand with Dan Stickels (67) before the Ferrets collapsed to lose nine wickets for 67,