Hayes and Minster continue to fight it out at the top of the Kent League Premier Division, both winning in week ten, with Hayes holding a one point lead.
They saw off reigning champions Bexley comfortably winning by six wickets with over eleven overs to spare. They elected to field first and once they had dismissed Kent’s Ollie Robinson for a bright and breezy 19, they didn’t allow their visitors to get away. George Haley scored 59 and Aiden Griggs 54 and their innings concluded on 219 for 8.
Gareth Severin scored 95, Tomas Gallagher 53 not out, and Alex Blake, Kent’s one day specialist, hit a quick-fire 42 as Hayes cruised home.
Second placed Minster had the day’s only centurion in Joseph Parry as they beat Lordswood by five runs in a thriller. He top scored with 102, and he received support from Kai Appleby (66) and Chris Piesley (40) as they finished on 258 for 7. Touseeq Shah was the only bowler to go at under four an over with 2 for 28 from his ten overs.
Joe Gordon scored 45 at just over a run a ball and they went into the final two overs needing 21 to win. Veteran David Masters went for just four from the penultimate over and when Parry ran out Jack Laraman for 82 in the final over, it proved to be just too much for the hosts.
Blackheath maintained third place courtesy of a one wicket win at bottom club Beckenham who chose to bat first. James Fear (55) continued his good form but Rob Clements with 32 was the only other batsman to exceed 30. Arafat Bhuiyan was the most successful bowler with 3 for 44.
Ross Richardson scored 61 for the visitors, George Wells 51 and Tanweer Sikander 34, but having been expensive earlier on, David Moody returned to chip away at the lower order. He finished with 4 for 66 and it was an unbeaten last wicket stand of 13 between Jahid Ahmed and Bhuiyan that saw Blackheath over the line with five overs to spare.
It was plain sailing for Tunbridge Wells when they visited Bickley Park who elected to bat first.
Safwaan Imitiaz scored 64 and Michael Ridley 30 not out. However, everyone else struggled, especially against Ryan O’Beirne (4 for 36) and David Smith (3 for 30) as they were bowled out for 179.
Christian Davis led the response with 56, and despite Krishna Padmanabhan taking 3 for 27, the visitors eased home by six wickets with over ten overs to spare.
In the final game Sevenoaks Vine’s victory at Sandwich Town means that just six points separate the four clubs from sixth to ninth. The visitors were asked to bat first and although Kent’s James Logan scored 55, they were bowled out for just 148 with Jan Gray returning figures of 5 for 22.
That proved to be enough as Sandwich stuttered to 131 all out. Tom Chapman scored 42, but nobody else reached 15. Luke Schlemmer was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4 for 25 from his ten overs.
Eight games remain for each team and with it tight at both ends of the table, it can be expected that every game will be contested keenly.
Picture supplied by Keith Gillard.