Celebrations follow final-day washout

Kent Regional League

Mersham were crowned Championship East champions on Saturday even though their final fixture, at home to St Margaret’s, was abandoned.

The visitors were 17-2 from seven overs when the rain came but the 10 points gained by Mersham proved enough to give them the title, two clear of Kings Hill.

Mersham finished with 14 wins from their 18 matches – losing just three times – and will play in the Premier Division next season.

Boughton and Eastwell rounded off their Central Division 1A programme with a 79-run victory over Headcorn.

Ed Miller (52), Dave Gray (49) and Isaac Carney (37) top scored in Boughton’s 181-4 and in reply, Headcorn were dismissed for 102.

Dave Gray took 5-39 and Simon Aylott 2-9 as Boughton finished the season second, 27 points behind champions Borstal.

Opener Stuart Wise hit 187 as Wye scored a match-winning total of 320-6 in 43.5 overs against Fridsbury.

Matt Barnes (35) and Matt Leclere (34) were the other main contributors and despite 97 from opener Jordan White, Frindsbury closed on 229-7, giving Wye – who used eight bowlers – victory by 91 runs.

They finished fifth in the table. Kennington’s final match in 1A East against Margate was abandoned without a ball being bowled. Both sides took 10 points leaving Kennington seventh.

Kennington 2nds finished as champions of 1C East after beating 10-man Folkestone 4ths by six wickets.

With five bowlers sharing the wickets, Folkestone were reduced to 48 all out in 20 overs with a key moment being the run-out of Folkestone captain John Niewoudt by Kennington’s Peter Moss.

Some good bowling and fielding by Folkestone saw Kennington reduced to 25-4 but with rain threatening, a partnership of 26 by Rob Beale (17 not out) and Kieran Nash (6 not out) saw them home – to pip Whitstable 3rds to the title by one point.

Tony Adams took 3-15 and John Harman 3-29 as Mersham 2nds bowled out Holborough 2nds for 99 in 2A East.

Mersham lost seven wickets in pursuit of their target with opener Abhi Panda (37) the lynchpin. They finished the season fifth.

Willesborough finished fourth in 2B East after their final game, against champions Sturry, was abandoned.

Kennington 2nds, who beat Folkestone 4ths to clinch promotion