Kent League Round-Up: The Run In
Tuesday 22nd August 2023
With just two match weeks remaining, the top of the table is unchanged from last week.
The LV= Insurance County Championship comes to a head next month
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It’s no change at the top of the Kent Cricket League Premier Division, with the three teams chasing the title all winning at the weekend. With just two weeks of the season remaining, Chatham based, Lordswood, have a slender two point lead over Bexley, with third placed Tunbridge Wells, eight points adrift of the top position, so it promises to be an exciting and tense finish to the campaign.
At the wrong end of the table, Blackheath have slipped to the bottom, with Holmesdale in the other relegation position, six points below the safety line.
Canterbury Cricket Club are on course for promotion, with a healthy 22 point lead, at the top of the Championship Division, with Bickley Park, relegated last season, looking for a quick return, second, with a 13 point advantage, over third placed Bromley. OD CUACO and Folkestone are in the relegation places.
Lordswood were 45 run winners, at home to Sevenoaks Vine, who made 238 for 9, Jack Laraman 44, Ed Taylor 43, Andrew Reid Dick 3 for 43, Sam Jones 3 for 34. In reply The Vine could only reach 193 for 9, Chris Vernon 50, Luke Schlemmer 44, Calum MacLeod 3 for 37.
Bexley were comfortable 55 run winners, at home to Blackheath, scoring 250 for 7 and then bowling the visitors out for 195. George Haley scored 73, Calum Basey 49 and Harry Turner 42 for Bexley, Tanweer Sikanda 4 for 48. The visitors innings was undone by a 5 for 37 spell from Ahmed Jamal, Matt Golding 55.
Kent Second Eleven wicket-keeper Sam Smith, was 66 not out, for Tunbridge Wells, as they chased down a winning 234 for 6, away ay Minster (Sheppey) to win by four wickets, after the home side had posted 231 for 8. Alex Williams hit 55, and Chris Williams 42 in the Wells innings, Ed Moore 3 for 35. Moore had scored 64 in the Minster innings, Kai Appleby 96, Chris Williams 4 for 33.
Holmesdale gained a much needed victory, beating Hayes, at home by six wickets. The visitors were all out for 169, Liam Buttery 37, Kent Academy student, Will Harby 3 for 57. Harby then scored 79, with nine boundaries, and five sixes, Carlos Maynard 60, as they knocked the winning runs off in 26 overs, 174 for 4.
Sandwich, won away at St Lawrence and Highland Court, by 27 runs, their skipper, and former Kent Second Eleven player, Jan Gray scoring 57, and Sharmeer Malik 40, in their 195 for 9, Jamie Hemphrey 3 for 32, The home side were bowled out for 168, Harry Bee 5 for 25, Matt Hammond 60.
Although they only scored 200 runs, it was enough for Canterbury, to win away at Bromley by 24 runs, the home side were dismissed for 176. For the Championship Division leaders, Jack Wheeler scored 44, Marcus Willey 4 for 28. Fred Wilson made 44 for Bromley, Syan Bulathsinhali 3 for 36.
All rounder Elliott Hooper was in fine form for Bickley Park, in their six wickets win over Beckenham, who was bowled out for 148, Hooper taking 4 for 19. Then he scored 43 in Park’s winning 149 for 4,
The Denly family have been in the news recently, with Kent Academy youngster Jaydn, making his first team county debut. He got a duck in Whitstable’s 223 for 7, but his father Sam, hit a century, 109, with 12 fours and a six, in their 47 run home win over Dartford, despite another Kent Academy student, Barney Ford taking 5 for 43 for the visitors, who were all out for 176, John Smyth 50, Scott Dale 3 for 29, Harry Fulton 4 for 44.
Bottom club OD CUACO, lost at home by 66 runs, to Linden Park, all out 156, in reply to the visitors 222. For Park, Atif Khan made 92, with 10 boundaries, and three sixes, Justin MacVicar 51, Jamie Batten 3 for 39, Andrew Ainger 3 for 26. CUACO faced some excellent bowling from Sadiq Hassan 4 for 6, and Max Campbell 4 for 40, despite 49 from Jacob Piennar.
In a low scoring match, The Mote visited Folkestone, and won by five wickets, bowling the home side out for just 115, Matt Luksich 4 for 17. They then knocked the winning runs 118 for 5, in 33.3 overs, Michael Ruffell 46, Eknoor Singh 3 for 32.
By Peter Burrowes