There is a new team leading the Kent League Premier Division after Minster won a high scoring match at previous league leaders Hayes.
Edward Moore gave Minster a solid start scoring 83 and they capitalised on it when Aron Nijjar scored 77 off 62 balls, and Greg Lamb 51 not out from 37 deliveries. They finished on an imposing 285 for 6.
Will MacVicar led the response, but wickets fell regularly at the other end, and at 174 for 9, the game looked over. However, Stuart Eddicott joined MacVicar and took it all the way before falling to Moore for 42 off the final ball of the innings. MacVicar finished on 115 not out as minster won by 18 runs.
To make matters even better for Minster, the teams in third and fourth place were also defeated. Blackheath hosted Sevenoaks Vine who batted first. Luke Schlemmer scored his second century in two weeks, being dismissed for 101. He was backed up by Harry Houillon who scored 68.
Wickets tumbled steadily in the response and Blackheath were dismissed for 186. Ross Richardson top scored with 34 while Matthew Dalton claimed 3 for 31 and Sam Jones 3 for 35.
Relegation worries for Lordswood were eased when they defeated fourth placed Tunbridge Wells at home. The visitors elected to bat first and put on 97 for the first wicket in good time. However, when Chris Williams was dismissed for 60, and Christian Davis for 47, they would have probably hoped for more than the 231 for 9 on which they finished. Michael Waller scored 35 while bowling honours went to Jack Laraman with 3 for 27, and Moeez Raza with 3 for 54.
Joe Gordon scored 112, and captain Calum MacLeod 62 as the hosts paced themselves to a four wicket victory with 11 balls to spare.
Freddie Foster kept a cool head as Bexley claimed a two run win at Sandwich Town. The visitors chose to bat first, and Kent second eleven wicketkeeper Ben Aldred gave them a good base with 34 before Matthew Stiddard weighed in with 43. However, it was Adam Ball’s 72 not out from 58 deliveries that gave them a competitive 215 for 9. Jan Gray took 3 for 39 for the hosts.
Zack Fagg came out all guns blazing, crashing 44 off 31 balls, before falling to Ball. Although Tom Burnap scored 67, nobody else exceeded 25 as Shaun Evans claimed 3 for 47, and when Burnup was dismissed, they needed four to win off eight deliveries with their last pair in. Four were still required off Foster’s final over and he bowled five ‘dot’ balls before conceding just a single from his final delivery.
In the other game, Bickley Park ended their three game losing streak with a victory at bottom club Beckenham. Having been invited to field first, they made short work of bowling out the hosts for 107. Captain Daniel Magin claimed 4 for 19 after Jason Benn removed both openers on his way to 3 for 13.
While Bickley stuttered from 37 for 2 to 61 for 5, opener Charlie Smith, 30 not out, dropped anchor and saw off David Moody (3 for 31). Magin joined him in an unbroken stand of 48 as they eased home with over seventeen overs to spare.
Images courtesy of Keith Gillard