Vant’s innings completes job

Youth cricket

Whitstable under-15s played one short but still had enough to beat Nelson by seven wickets in the first round of the cup. Despite missing players through injuries and holidays, Whitstable soon had Nelson on the back foot. Eleanor Todd (1-7), Joseph Vandepeer (1-4) and Jonty Barmes (1-10) all enjoyed success before Joe Clements, making his debut at this level, took 3-19. Further breakthroughs by Jacque Barnes (1-11) and Harrison Legg (1-10) saw Nelson all out for 73. Although Whitstable slipped to 37-3, Charlie Vant’s unbeaten 41 saw them home. Whitstable’s under-13s are out of the cup after losing their second round tie to Sandwich by 10 runs. With only six players at the start Sandwich batted first and started well before Josh Sharp made the breakthrough. A double strike from James Miles, aided by Jaydn Denly and Bartholomew Johnson catches, brought Whitstable back into it and run outs by Johnson and Harrison Legg helped restrict Sandwich to 1326. After losing an early wicket, Joe Clements (30 retired) and Legg (19) added 54, and Paddy Underhill and Johnson also shared a half-century stand before sacrificing their wickets in the chase for runs. Archie Tennant hit a couple of lusty blows, but the home team came up short by 10 runs.

Street End/st Lawrence and Highland Court Under-13s proved too strong for the Canterbury District girls team when they met in the first round of the Ken Denly Cup. Batting first Eleanor Todd (19) and Ailsa Naylor (6) added 36 for the girls before the first wicket fell in eighth over and later Aimee Plumb (11) and Jemimah Greenwood (3) shared a stand of 24 before Chloe Plumb joined her sister to push the score along to 97-7 (Josh Baker 2-6). Street END/SLHC lost just one wicket chasing down their target when Alexa Stonehouse struck with the total on 82 in the 10th over. Ed Glover made 33 retired and Tom Gardner 27 not out.

St Lawrence and Highland Court’s ladies 2nds returned to winning ways with a 24-run victory over Reigate Priory 1sts at Highland Court on Sunday. Home opener Sophie Bambridge top scored with 43 and valuable runs from Emma Marsh (22) and Jemimah Greenwood (17) helped push the total up to 154. Reigate, playing one short, lost a wicket in the first over bowled by Annabelle Richards (6-1-19-3) who struck twice more, leaving the visitors 33-3. A couple of dropped catches helped Reigate mount a minor recovery before a 25-run partnership was broken by Chloe Morphy (6-1-36-5) as she picked up the first of her fivewicket haul – four of her victims were clean bowled. The tail wagged with a 29-run partnership before Sophie Bambridge (5.5-1-28-1) picked up the last wicket to leave Reigate 130 all out in 24th over. Saints are away to Dulwich on Sunday.