Heavy overnight and morning rain meant a delayed start to the 2021 Kent Cricket League Premier Division season for Bexley and Bromley but superb work by groundsman Dave Sealey and his staff meant that a 30 over local derby was played.
Dave Crawley took centre stage for hosts Bexley with five wickets as his club took maximum points.
Sam Smith won the toss for Bromley and unsurprisingly inserted the hosts. They had almost immediate success when Martel Evans had George Haley caught behind by Smith for a duck. Callum Basey was then run out by Finn McQueen and after ten overs Bromley were on top with Bexley on 34 for 2.
However, Shaun Evans led the recovery with a well paced 56 allowing Ben Aldred (40 not out) and Matthew Stiddard (38) to play their shots to enable Bexley to end their 30 overs on 176 for four.
The pick of the bowlers was George Jackson with one for twenty off his six overs and that would have looked even better had Ryan Cartwright not pulled him away for a big six in the final over.
After the interval it was Bromley’s turn to bat and they started with controlled aggression feasting on anything loose.
They rattled up 66 in the first eight overs before Freddie Foster made the important breakthrough, aided by an excellent catch by captain Adam Riley, removing Smith for 37.
In his next over, Foster had Richard Selvey-Clinton caught by wicketkeeper Aldred and with both openers gone, Bromley had to re-start.
McQueen pulled two consecutive sixes and at the halfway stage Bromley were still slightly ahead of the rate on 83 for 2. It was then that Crawley took centre stage with two wickets in a double wicket maiden.
First, Lewis Hockford holed out to Foster in the deep, then next ball McQueen perished caught behind.
Scoreboard pressure and accurate bowling put paid to the Bromley middle and lower order with none of the last six batsmen recording double figures as they were bowled out for 130 with two overs remaining.
Crawley ended with five for seventeen of his six overs, Riley one for fifteen off five and Foster two for nineteen off six.
Beckenham, Sandwich Town, Sevenoaks Vine and Tunbridge Wells also recorded week one victories.