Catch up with all the latest from the Shepherd Neame Kent Cricket League from the weekend.
SHEPHERD NEAME KENT CRICKET LEAGUE PREMIER LEAGUE
WEEK 11 – 15 July 2017
Beckenham 204-8 beat Blackheath 179-10 by 23 runs (Duckworth Lewis)
Bexley 103-3 beat Tenterden 102-10 by 7 wickets
Hartley 305-6 lost to Holmesdale 321-6 by 4 wickets (Duckworth Lewis)
Sandwich Town 215-9 beat Lordswood 201-4 by 1 wicket
Sevenoaks Vine 257-6 lost to Tunbridge Wells 258-7 by 3 wickets
Once again the top three all win and are just beginning to pull away from the rest with 32 points now separating third placed Sandwich and Blackheath below; 21 points separate Beckenham at the top and Sandwich with Bexley tucked in between. It is the closest battle in the Premier for a good number of years.
I was privileged to have watched one of the most absorbing games of cricket I have seen from start to finish. Beckenham entertained Blackheath at Foxgrove Road. The home side chose to bat and were soon in trouble against Warren Lee, Jahid Ahmed and Tanweer Sikander who all used the surface and conditions well and before long had reduced Beckenham to 46-5 when Jos Siddall joined young England U19 keeper Ollie Robinson in the middle. The pair both batted with great skill and maturity and were rewarded with a superb partnership of 145 to perhaps bring Beckenham back into the game. Siddall made a fine 52 and Ollie Robinson a quite superb 81. Jahid Ahmed ended with the best figures for Blackheath of 4-35 as Beckenham closed on 204-8 off 46 overs, reduced by some light rain early on. After the Duckworth Lewis Stern calculation, Blackheath required 202 to win from their 46. They too set off to a shaky start, the new ball doing plenty in the air and off the surface as in the first innings, Tabish Khan takin all four and the score 37-4. Now Dipyan Paul joined Daniel Bell -Drummond, held back to number 5.
These two changed to flow of the match both showing excellent technique, and expertise as they steadily began to rebuild and suddenly Blackheath looked in control. They took the score along to 168 when Paul edged to Robinson off Siddall for a very good 59. This opened one end but the dangerous Bell-Drummond was still there on 67 and around 4.5 an over was required. Beckenham set to work hard and the return of Will MacVicar proved the undoing of their lower middle order as he tore through taking four quick wickets leaving Bell-Drummond stranded at the other end. Suddenly Blackheath were 179-9 with three overs to go. Bell-Drummond lofted Siddall to the longest boundary on the ground at deep mid-wicket. It did not quite have the legs and Johan Malcolm took a fine catch on the edge in the gloom. The end to a glorious afternoons cricket. Beckenham won by 23 under DLS but it was closer than the margin suggests.
Bexley’s path to victory was somewhat less arduous for them after their visitors Tenterden chose to bat. An indifferent day with the bat and some steady bowling contributed to Tenterden’s down fall. Only Linden Lockhart top scoring with 30 made much of a contribution as Tenterden collapsed to 102 all out with the wickets shared about. A breezy 46 by Callum Basey and a patient unbeaten 42 by fellow opener Christopher Laas steered Bexley to victory by seven wickets in the 22nd over.
Sandwich had to work hard to stay in touch with the top two as they entertained Lordswood at the Butts in another match where D/L/s was needed. Lordswood chose to bat but found runs hard to come by. Zahmeer Khan was first to go run out by Rory Smith for 44 and then Jack Laraman was likewise run out by the same fielder for 49. The score was now 113-2 but just over 30 overs had already been bowled. Michael French was also run out for 33 and finally Chris Piesley injected some momentum with 50 from 34 balls with Lordswood closing on a slightly puzzling 201 with only 4 wickets down after their 45 overs. D/L/S produced a target of 212 for Sandwich. They too found batting tough and when Kai Appleby fell for a patient 48 the score stood on 98-5 with Grant Stewart the not out batsman on 7. Ben Chapman supported the talented Stewart well making just 17 runs but an important partnership of 59, now 157-6 with Stewart on 39. Stewart now took control but the other end was struggling. Suddenly Sandwich were 194-9 and 21 still to get. Stewart managed to retain much of the strike and stayed to the end for an excellent unbeaten 85 and saw Sandwich home by just one wicket. Skipper Matthew Van Poppel had only to keep out four deliveries.
No less exciting were the remining two matches. The shock of the season perhaps was Holmesdale’s first win of the season away at the home of Premier title holders Hartley. Holmesdale boldly invite their hosts to bat and were soon chasing leather as James Hockey and Richard Selvey-Clinton added 150 for the first wicket. Hockley then departed for a rapid 88 when Dominic Hendricks added a further quick 55 to take the score on to 267-2. Five runs later Selvey-Clinton departed for a well-made 102. Hartley ended on 305-6 from 47 overs. As if Holmesdale’s task was not great enough, DLS dictated they would actually require 318 from their 47 for victory. The chase was made no easier with the loss of 3 wickets and the score only on 60 when Luke Blackaby joined Michael Davidson in the middle. Both batted with considerable fluency and they added an excellent partnership of 179 in good time when Davidson departed for a useful 77. Luke Blackaby was now on 88 and took full control ending on a wonderful 139 not out leading Holmesdale to a quite exceptional four wicket victory with three balls to spare. Holmesdale remain bottom but a few more results like this after this confidence booster may yet stave off relegation but they have a lot to do.
On what might be seen to be one of the finest afternoons cricket in the Premier Division, the final match was also of high calibre with Tunbridge Wells pulling of a great run chase at Sevenoaks Vine off the penultimate ball of the match. The Vine elected to bat and it was the experienced Karl Pearson who formed the back bone of their innings. He made a fine 216 and with 31 by Zak Crawley and 50 from Max Aitken, the Vine managed a respectable 257-6 from their allotment. Chris Williams chipped in with 4-54 for the visitors. Opener Michael Waller played anchor-man in the reply. Wickets fell steadily at the other end. Chris Williams scored 32, Alexander Williams 32 and Christian Davies 35 and the require rate climbed. A quick fire 20 off 15 balls by Charlie Russell-Vick and 18 off 11 by Marcus O’Riordan were needed to get TW across the line of the penultimate ball of the game Waller ending on a very good unbeaten 106. The Vine are now in 9th place and need a few wins soon to keep in touch with those above them.
An afternoon of top quality cricket and one which all Premier Clubs should be proud. A very fine advert for the Shepherd Neame Kent Cricket League.