Kent Cricket League Premier Division leaders, Minster, took a huge step towards winning the championship when defeating second placed Hayes.
They took full advantage of being asked to bat first when racking up 304. Dan Stickels scored a quick 30, before Aron Nijjar (65) and Quinn Sunde (41) kept the scoreboard ticking over.
Kai Appleby scored his second consecutive league century, eventually falling for 101 from just 50 balls. Will MacVicar took 3 for 46 and Alfie Peck 3 for 79.
Wickets fell quickly when Hayes batted, and when Alex Blake was out for 30 from 15 balls, they were in trouble on 70 for 6. Rory Low, 68, and Scott Gallagher, 53, ensured some respectability as they batted for bonus points before they were bowled out for 203 with seventeen overs unused. Max Luckett claimed 3 for 25 and Daniel Masters 3 for 39.
Third placed St Lawrence & Highland Court hosted Sandwich Town and claimed the eighteen points on offer with a comfortable win. The visitors opted to bat first but needed 51 not out from Alex Smith to help them to 222 all out. Earlier, Jake Smith scored 33 and Zac Fagg added 31. Bowling honours went to Joe Payne, with 4 for 53, and John Grewar 3 for 46.
Josh Julian scored 97 and Matt Hammond 72 in a first wicket partnership of 152 before Jason Sangha’s 49 not out guided the home team home by eight wickets with just under twenty overs remaining.
There was a tense finish in Blackheath when they entertained Canterbury. Having won the toss, the hosts batted first and contributions by George Wells (62), Matt Golding (36), Charlie-Sid Speller (35) and Riley Ayre (35) helped them to 251 all out. Jarryd Taig was the most successful bowler with 3 for 41.
Taig then opened the batting and scored an excellent 84. Anthony Mosca added 46 and Duncan Moore 34 but both were dismissed at important times. They went into the final over needing ten off the final over but a run-out going for a second, and a golden duck for the last man, meant that the Heath won by eight runs.
On the back of two successive wins Bexley were at home to bottom of the table Bickley Park who elected to bat first. They found themselves in all sorts of trouble after Cam Dawkins departed for 34 and were eventually bowled out for 135 with Anish Patel returning the best figures of 3 for 15, from one ball shy of his ten overs.
That was never going to be enough when an opening stand of 73 was only broken by Aiden Griggs being dismissed for 31. Opening partner Varun Anand went on to score 62 not out as the hosts cruised home by eight wickets with ten overs to spare.
Finally, two inconsistent teams met when Tunbridge Wells took on Lordswood. After being inserted, Chris Williams got the hosts off to a flyer with a quick fire 37 but after that, only Will Stickler, with 33, was able to put up meaningful resistance. Abdullah Nazir returned 4 for 8 from six overs as the innings closed on 151 all out.
An opening partnership of 90 between Linden Lockhart, 45, and Max Wood, 39, put the result almost beyond doubt and Callum MacLeod scored 38 not out to guide his team to a seven wicket victory.
Pictures supplied by Keith Gillard.