After week six, Tunbridge Wells top the Kent Cricket League Premier Division, the only team remaining to taste defeat this season.
All five of the games were won by the team chasing on the hottest day of the year so far. Tunbridge Wells hosted Sandwich Town and it was the visitors who chose to bat first. James Bazley put up some resistance, scoring 36, but the home team’s bowling unit was superb, bowling out their opposition for 147.
All six bowlers got amongst the wickets with Matthew Barker recording the best figures, 3 for 15 from his ten overs.
That was never going to be enough when Chris Williams got going and his 61 from 50 deliveries ensured that his team cruised through by seven wickets having used just half of their allotted overs.
Coming into the weekend, Bexley were the other unbeaten side but they came unstuck after they had elected to bat at Lordswood. At 55 for 6, they looked like they might struggle to reach a hundred, but Ahmed Jamal (42) and George Haley (38) helped them to 178 for 9. Abdullah Nazir claimed 3 for 25.
Although Holmesdale found themselves on 28 for 2, with both openers out, Joe Gordon’s 62 not out, and Edward Taylor’s 60 ensured a five wicket win with just over eleven overs in hand to ease them into second place, three points ahead of their visitors.
St Lawrence & Highland Court travelled to Holmesdale and were invited to field first. Sixteen year old Oliver Curtiss led the way for the visitors claiming 3 for 20 from his ten overs. Although Leo Carter battled to 57, and Parth Mannikar scored 34, they were bowled out for 193.
Harry Wren came out all guns blazing in the response, and hurried to 87 from 45 balls before he was first out with 134 on the board. Fellow opener Charley Nash scored 57 and Matt Hammond 33 not out as the visitors raced home in under twenty overs by seven wickets.
Surprisingly, reigning champions Hayes were still seeking their first win of the season when they entertained Blackheath but they put that right in the closest finish of the day. They asked their visitors to bat and had them in immediate trouble when both openers fell for ducks. However, Ross Richardson (46) and Tanweer Sikandar (40) put on 79 for the third wicket before an unbeaten 80 by Matt Golding, and a quick-fire 31 from Jahid Ahmed took them to 239 for 7.
Sikandar (4 for 38) and Golding (4 for 43) did as much as they could to win the game for Blackheath after Miguel Barbosa (43) and Gareth Severin (37) put Hayes on their way. When Alex Blake went for 47, inside the last ten overs, it could have gone either way but with their last two men in, and needing two from two balls to win, a leg side delivery clipped the pads and raced away for four leg byes.
In the other game, Minster ventured to Sevenoaks Vine with both teams coming into the game with just one victory under their belts. The hosts won the toss and batted, but other than Sahil Shah’s 50 not out, nobody could repel the visitors’ attack and they were bowled out for 143. Chris Piesley claimed 4 for 17 as he cleaned up the lower order.
It took Minster just fifteen overs and two balls to gallop to victory by eight wickets. Ed Moore stormed to 88 from 49 balls and James Thompson scored 31 not out in a straight-forward run chase.
Picture supplied by Keith Gillard.