Kent League Round-Up: Lordswood are champions
Tuesday 5th September 2023
Chatham based Lordswood Cricket Club, are the Kent Cricket League Premier Division champions, winning the title for the first time, after an away victory, against already relegated Holmesdale, in a very low scoring match.
They finished on top of the table, 15 points clear of their nearest rivals and runners-up, Bexley, with Tunbridge Wells in third place.
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Lordswood’s captain, Scottish international & Kent McSpitfire Calum MacLeod, led them to success, and their team also included former Kent Second Eleven player, Joe Gordon. Holmesdale were bundled out for just 78 runs, with MacLeod taking 3 for 14, and Jack Laraman 5 for 17. The new champions lost five wickets, reaching their winning 82 runs, MacLeod 32 not out, Callum Gallagher
5 for 21, but were able to celebrate their success, knowing that the win would bring them the title.
At the other end of the Premier Division there was heartache for Sevenoaks Vine, who were relegated, after losing their away match against Blackheath, at the Rectory Field. They finished on the same points 174, as Sandwich, but dropped out of the top division, on roll back, having won only five matches, compared to the Kent Coast sides seven victories.
Blackheath secured their place in the top division with a 55 run victory, Kent batter, Daniel Bell-Drummond, helping his local club to safety, with an innings of 40 in their 252 for 9, Jas Bassan 63, George Wells 54, Sam Jones 3 for 54. The Vine could only reach 197 for 9 in reply, Ben Price 58, Tanweer Sikanda 5 for 36.
Sandwich, escaped the drop by the narrowest of margins, despite losing by just one run, away to Bexley. The home side made 168, Calum Basey 65, Cody Nieuwouldt 3 for 27. Sandwich had one delivery of their innings remaining when they were all out for 167, Rory Smith 81, Freddie Foster 3 for 29, Ellis Daly 3 for 31.
Hayes, won away at Minster (Sheppey), by four wickets, 124 for 6, Bill Prideaux 3 for 31, after the home side were all out for 123, Will MacVIcar 3 for 16.
St Lawrence and Highland Court were 23 run winners, at home to Tunbridge Wells, Matt Hammond 70, in their 200 all out, Govind Nair 3 for 36. Wells were dismissed for 177, Matt Barker 40, James Hemphrey 5 for 45.
Canterbury, and Bickley Park, had already been promoted out of the Championship Division, before the last round of matches, and finished on 246 and 224 points respectively. In a close encounter away to Whitstable, Canterbury scraped to victory by one wicket, the home side all out 196, Stuart Drakeley 94, with nine boundaries and six sixes, Tom Davis 3 for 49. Jarred Lysaught then scored 74 not out, as the visitors reached a winning 199 for 9, Kent Academy scholar, Jadyn Denly, who recently made his first team debut for Kent, 3 for 22, Drakeley 3 for 52.
Bickley Park thrashed Folkestone by 107 runs, the Kent coast side being relegated, along with OD CUACO. Park scored 223 in this home fixture, George Styles 53, Sam Ireland 4 for 31. The visitors were then shot out for 116, Michael Ridley 4 for 42.
CUACO lost by two wickets, at home to Beckenham, after scoring 260 for 7 from their 50 overs, the visitors winning with two overs to spare 261 for 8. Ollie Jasper 66, Jacob Pienaar 43, for the home side, Junaid Nadir 3 for 47, Johan Malcolm 3 for 49. Malcolm then went on to score an excellent century, 106, with 13 fours and three sixes, James Fear 72, in the visitors win, Nick Worsley 4 for 23.
Bromley, beat Linden Park, by 86 runs, in their home match, scoring 176 and then dismissing their visitors for 90. In the home sides innings Nick Bluett made 47 and James Butterfill was 43 not out, James Spear 4 for 31. Ollie Butterfill took 3 for 25, as the visitors innings collapsed.
Gurveer Singh Saini scored 89 for Dartford, and Suraj Johal 79, in their sides 37 run victory over The Mote after reaching 250 for 7, the visitors only making 213 for 9, in reply, Mike Ruffell 60.
By Peter Burrowes