Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
League warning over unplayed games
Indoor cricket
Four clubs in the Pharon Indoor Cricket League have been warned they face suspension if they do not fulfil their remaining fixtures.
Littlebourne 1, Street End 1 and Whitstable 1 (all Division 1) and Grasmere Park (Division 3) have already been fined and deducted points for conceding matches to opponents through lack of players.
Now the league organiser has told them, “If a team fails to raise a side of minimum four players in the future it will receive another fine and be suspended from the league for the rest of the season.”
The three Division 1 culprits occupy the last three places but on Sunday at the Kent Cricket Academy, Littlebourne gained their first official victory over Canterbury 2.
Bradley Goldsack (39) and Paul Steer (30 not) took Canterbury to 101-3 but, apart from Andrew Coleman (25 retired), it became a Gould family affair when Littlebourne replied.
Father Graham was 17 not out and sons Buzz and Sully each made 18 before two wides in the last over (bowled by William Oates) gave Littlebourne the points to go level with Whitstable 1 and Street End 1.
A straight six from last man Max Campbell off the first ball of Street End’s final over put Canterbury 1 (having played a game more) two points behind champions and leaders Christ Church University 1 – who had the day off – and level with Gravesend 1.
For Street End, Paul Betts carried his bat for 30 but otherwise they found it difficult to take runs off short-pitched pace bowling.
Canterbury did concede 13 wides and no balls in a total of 92-3 and lost two early wickets for nine runs. But Justin Macvicar, who retired, and Ben Cooper both reached the 20s before Campbell made sure.
In their customary dashing style, Gravesend 1 plundered 139-4 against Whitstable 1, who were well placed all the time Lawrence Hills (38) and James Loader (37) were together but once they went, Whitstable’s innings folded, all out for 105.
Having stretched the champions to the limit five days earlier, UKC 1 were in more relaxed mode on Saturday. Just for once, they were up against a team that with one exception, was younger than themselves.
Openers Jack Bradley and Nick Vanhootteghem both retired against Street End 1 before David Crowshaw (20) and Aaron Rose (16) took UKC to 121-2.
Bob Spence, the sole Street End “veteran”, was unbeaten for 20 but, with five wickets down, they fell 40 runs short.
In the only Second Division fixture, played on Saturday, undefeated CCCU2 – with the best run rate in the league – became firm favourites for the title with a four-wicket win over Whitstable 2.
What a super Sunday evening it was for Margate in Division 3. They played three, won three and, in the process, seemed to have mastered the arts of indoor batting. They lost only one wicket in beating CCCU3 – who are top – Sturry 2 and Sheldwich.
Anwar (28), Malik (27), Stuart Faulkner (26) and Ian Robinson (12) were the run scorers when Margate 2 successfully chased Sturry’s 98-2. Jack Fagg (44) and Mark Reynolds (28) did best for Sturry.
Next, Margate 2 restricted CCCU3, the league’s fastest-scoring side, to 85, then knocked off the runs with 11 balls left thanks to Faulkner (28 retired), Malik (26 retired) and Anwar (25 not).
Margate 1 completed the treble by keeping Sheldwich to 60-5. Then Josh Williamson (22 not) and Craig Alder (19 not) did all that was required.