Kentish Express Ashford & District
Top order collapse to blame for defeat
Tenterden
Tenterden’s batting woes returned on Saturday in their eight-wicket Shepherd Neame Kent League, Division 1 defeat at Sandwich.
Three of their top-five failed to score and they were dismissed for 159 – a total the home side passed one ball into the 27th over with only two wickets down.
Tenterden lost skipper Andrew Crawford early on, before Ben Price cracked successive sixes.
He then survived a big shout for leg before but cracked the next ball to the boundary, before Tentreden slipped from 36-1 to 37-5.
Daniel McDonald was caught behind for 13, Chris Vernon went first ball and Tyler Griffin followed two deliveries later before Price was bowled for 20, all scored in boundaries.
Timir Chanda (20) and Ali Neale (20) stopped the rot by adding 46 for the sixth wicket, before falling to successive deliveries and leave Tenterden struggling at 83-7.
However, the tail, led by Theodore Allport’s unbeaten 25, wagged defiantly, as the last three wickets produced 76 crucial runs.
Last man Scott Freeman got in the act as well, with 19 off 39 balls, including four fours, as the last wicket brought 35 runs. Craig Snell smashed 42 off as many balls, with two sixes and seven fours, to underpin Sandwich’s victory charge, with Zack Fagg’s adding an unbeaten 52.
Tenterden 2nds went down by 25 runs in the Premier Division clash between the sides. Ben Daking (57), Edmund Collins (44) and Tevis Knight (jnr) with 40 top scored in Tenterden 2nds 169 all out, as they lost by 25 runs.
Tenterden’s annual cricket week starts on Sunday with a game against Rory Sloan’s XI.
The other matches are against Noddymen – visitors to Morghew Park for 30 years – on Monday. Longfellows, a team assembled by Guy Hindley from Rolvenden, visit on Tuesday, while Jack Massey’s Xl provide the opposition on Wednesday.
Tenterden Exiles, made up of former players, visit on Thursday, with The Pioneers, put together by vice-president Keith Macey, featuring on Friday. All matches start at 11.30am.
The 2nds host Sevenoaks Vine in the Shepherd Neame Kent League on Saturday (1.15pm) with the festival finishing on Sunday with a game against Cobham (2pm).