Shepherd Neame Kent League 2018, week 9
Sunday 1st July 2018
Leaders Blackheath increased their advantage at the top with a comprehensive seven-wicket win at The Rectory Field against 2017 champions Beckenham.
Asad Ali’s 62 helped the visitors reach 136 with Mehdi Abbas (4/44) and Jahid Ahmed (3/19) the stars with the ball for Blackheath.
Find your nearest Shepherd Neame pub >
Opener George Wells (55) helped the leaders chase the target off just 20.3 overs and condemn the holders to a fourth loss of the season
Second-placed Sandwich Town suffered a setback at home as Sevenoaks Vine won by eight wickets at The Butts.
Zack Fagg (54) and Ben Smith (58) played well with Karl Pearson (3/41) the pick of the Vine bowlers.
In reply, John Bowden scored a superb century and Michael Barber (71) helped them chase the target with 11 balls to spare.
Matt Hunn took 1/38 in eight overs as he stepped up his comeback in competitive cricket.
Newly-promoted Bickley Park closed the gap on the early pacesetters with a win at third-placed Tunbridge Wells at The Nevill Ground.
Graeme Francis top-scored with 60 for the hosts as they posted 198-7 after winning the toss.
Adeel Malik took 4/24 and Daniel Magin claimed 2/38 in fine ten-over spells for Bickley Park.
In reply, Sussex all-rounder Ollie Robinson struck 13 fours in a well-paced 101 to guide the visitors home with more than 10 overs to spare.
Tenterden boosted their survival hopes with a hard-fought six-run win at home to Lordswood.
Ben Price (91), Ranjit Singh (50) and Luke Mangold (43) rebuilt the innings, recovering from 11-3 to post 256.
Adeel Hussain (4/34) was the pick of the Lordswood attack.
In reply, several batsmen got start with 52 for opener Linden Lockhart and contributions for Palash Joshi (40) and skipper Chris Piesley (47).
James Rand (5/49) and Tom Richards (3/38) fought back superbly as the visitors lost five wickets for 24 runs to fall seven runs short of victory.
2017 runners-up Bexley suffered a fifth defeat of the season and failed to pull away from the relegation dogfight as Bromley Common achieved their first Premier League win.
The hosts won with an over and four wickets to spare, chasing 280 to win.
Calum Basey (88) and Matt Stiddard (85) were the mainstays of the Bexley innings with 42 from skipper Calum MacLeod.
William Chapples was unfortunate to fall two short of a hundred with contributions from captain Leigh Walker (36) and Oliver Hickford (33) as they sealed the points.