Shepherd Neame Kent Cricket League 2017, week 17
Sunday 27th August 2017
Alex Blake hit a quickfire 50 as his club side Beckenham moved with four points of the Shepherd Neame Kent Premier League title, writes Errol Valentine.
After an emphatic win at second-placed Bexley on Saturday, Beckenham leapt fourteen points clear at the top of the table and need four points at Foxgrove Road next week at home against Holmesdale to be certain of lifting the trophy in 2017.
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Meanwhile Bexley will need a win at Hartley Country Club and hope Beckenham slip up. This match may also have major implications for Hartley.
If Hartley lose, irrespective of bonus points, if Sevenoaks Vine can beat Blackheath at the Rectory Field, 2016 champions Hartley will join Holmesdale in Division 1 next year.
Having elected to bat, Bexley soon found themselves in trouble against the pace of Will MacVicar and Tabish Khan. Both were economic but it was MacVicar who nipped two early wickets and the run out of Christopher Laas.
The introduction of Adam Senn’s off spin garnered three wickets in quick succession to leave Bexley at 50-6 and Beckenham in the ascendancy. Adam Riley and Jason Benn then settled in to try to repair the damage.
Jos Siddall broke this partnership at 117 when Benn edged to the keeper. Beckenham had to wait till the score reached 146-7 before the next and decisive break through when the returning MacVicar took the final three wickets, including finally that of Riley for 45 for Bexley to end on 155 all out.
MacVicar ended with impressive figures of 5-32 and Adam Senn 3-20 providing an excellent afternoon if the field for Beckenham. The visitors were determined for victory. They batted steadily to reach 87-2, Chris Isles making 43.
Will MacVicar dug in deep and was joined by Alex Blake in fluent form. The pair saw Beckenham safely home, with MacVicar left on 31 and Blake an impressive 56 off 32 balls.
Sevenoaks Vine gave themselves the chance of avoiding relegation by beating eighth place Hartley by 17 runs. John Bowden top scored for the home side with 63 with the next best scorer Adam Rouse making 29 and after a bright start the Vine final total of 233 was a little disappointing. Mark Maclean took 5-40 and James Cramp 3-46.
This offered Hartley a decent opportunity for the win to avoid relegation and send the home side down. The Vine bowlers chipped away at the top order and at 100-5 the home side looked on top.
Dan Stickels and Jake Hutson both scored 51 and James Cramp 30 but it was not enough and with Tm Parsons and Michael Thompson taking three apiece Harley fell 17 runs short. Both sides have much to play for next week, neither with easy fixtures.
Blackheath were in mighty trouble at 35-7 when Warren Lee saved the day and won the match for them with an excellent 60 as they travelled to Sandwich. Their final total of 139 looked well below par at the halfway stage.
The position looked even worse for them with Sandwich at 98-3 when disaster hit for the home side.
Kai Appleby departed for a useful 54. Warren Lee and Jahid Ahmed then took control as Sandwich collapsed in a heap, Lee ending with 4-24 and Ahmed also 4-24 as Sandwich tumbled to 117 all out. Seven wickets fell for just 19 runs.
Tunbridge Wells scored just too many runs at Montreal Park against Holmesdale. Led by 77 by Alexander Williams and 58 from Julian O’Riordan with most of the rest of the side chipping in, Tunbridge Wells scored 262 after being invited to bat.
David Roffey was the pick of the bowlers with 4-53 and will McDowell contributed with 3-55. Three wickets apiece for David Smith and Alexander Williams made life tough for the home side for whom Rupert Harbig top scored with 34 as they were bowled out for 184.
Three wicket each for Jack Laraman and Amjad Khan helped restrict Tenterden to the modest total of 191, Ben Price top scoring with 46 at Martin Grove. Laraman then scored a useful unbeaten 75 and aided by 58 by Chris Piesley, Lordswood crossed the line, five down with just over ten overs to spare.
In Division One, Bromley Common and Bickley Park sealed promotion to the Premier League in 2018 after victories against Bromley and Hayes respectively.
Elsewhere, Charlie Hartley took 4/27 as Dartford dismissed HSBC for 72 in a 145-run win to move up to third in the table.
In Division Two, two familiar faces were in action. James Tredwell took 2/25 and hit 34 for league leaders Folkestone as they beat Chestfield at home to earn a place back in Division One next season.
Darren Stevens hit 31 off 36 balls as second-placed St Lawrence & Highland Court defeated Upchurch before the familiar face of former Kent and Essex seamer David Masters dismissed him.