Lordswood served notice to the rest of the Kent League on Saturday with a crushing five wicket win over previously unbeaten Bexley as the home side reached their 180-run target with sixty-seven balls to spare!
After electing to bat first, the visitors stumbled to 64-6 at the half way stage before a late rally led by George Haley with 38 and then Ahmed Jamal (who top scored with 42) saw Bexley post what appeared to be a decent total of 179-9 at the end of their fifty overs.
And when Jamal bowled Lindon Lockhart for 11, Lordswood found themselves 28-2 in the eleventth over. Lockhart’s dismissal brought Joe Gordon to partner Edward Taylor, and the pair went on to add 101 in the next seventeen overs.
By the time Taylor was pinned in front of the wicket by Shaun Evans for a brilliant 60, the home side could afford a slight wobble which saw Evans claim two wickets in three balls before Jack Laraman and Gordon all but saw the home side home to a really comprehensive triumph.
Under baking Medway sunshine, the visitors won the toss and elected first use of what looked a good track, but early on their batsmen were struggling to score against some accurate bowling from birthday boy Laraman and Abdullah Nazir to such an extent that between overs 16 and 25, Bexley limped from 48-4 to 64-6.
A patient 72 run partnership between Haley and Jamal saw Bexley into three figures, before Haley edged behind with ten overs left, leaving Jamal to keep the scoreboard ticking over and indeed, Jamal also kept the guests in at a wedding in the Lordswood Leisure centre with two massive sixes into the festivities before being caught low down by Gordon on the boundary in the same over.
Lordswood began the run chase cautiously with Jas Singh producing an explosive opening spell from the Football Ground end and after ten overs the home side had reached 29-1 as opposed to 28-2 from Bexley.
Gradually Taylor and Gordon began to establish themselves at a steady rate with the fifty being passed in the 16th over and the 100 in the 24th.
Fourteen were taken off Evans in over 26 – including a huge six from Taylor onto the roof of the practice nets! Evans then got his revenge by trapping Taylor leg before for a terrific 60 (from 72 balls) which had taken Lordswood to the verge of a crushing win.
Callum MacLeod came and went and before Laraman joined Gordon to take the home side to the verge of victory – a win that was sealed by Gordon’s patience after he spent what seemed to be an age on 49.
Once he reached his half century the win was sealed shortly afterwards with Gordon ending unbeaten on a brilliant 62 (from 72 balls) as the home side moved up to second place in the table with more than ten overs to spare.