Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Sturry stun the students
VILLAGERS HAND CHRIST CHURCH THEIR FIRST DEFEAT
Seldom a club hitting indoor cricket headlines, Sturry 1 showed on Sunday that their bid for promotion to the First Division of the Pharon League is to be taken seriously.
With a superb all- round performance, they smashed the 100% record of a side rarely out of the headlines – none other than Christ Church University 2, already Division 2 champions.
For CCCU, 12 points ahead of Sturry, their 13th match was to prove unlucky.
After losing a wicket in the second over, Tom Evans (31) and Michael Griffin (28) built a CCCU total of 94-5.
Sturry also made a hesitant start but recovered well, thanks to Dave Gentry (39) and Kieron Jessup (20), both not out at the death.
With two wickets in hand, Gentry struck the penultimate ball for three to complete a memorable victory.
Also in the running to go up are Littlebourne 2.
In a game in which all 12 players knew a lot about each other’s ability, they beat Street End 2 with three balls remaining.
Steve Martin (35 not) settled it in company with his opening partner, Robbie Lawson jnr (31 not).
Street End’s 108-5 had been put together by Joe Goldbacher ( 31), Matthew Hopper ( 26) and Kevin Hopper (29), who retired hurt after pulling a hamstring.
When Street End fielded, Matthew – who had not touched a cricket ball for months – he was ordered out of the attack by the umpire after bowling three beamers in four balls, the other being a wide. Gravesend 2 are also within two points of Sturry after beating Whitstable 2 by 47 runs.
Last man Barty Thompson made 42 of Whitstable’s score of 70.
Just to highlight that it was, for once, not CCCU’S day, their thirds lost by 53 runs to Grasmere Park in Division 3.
As a result, CCCU will not be celebrating winning all three division. Gravesend 6ers2 are hot favourites to stay top. Two youngsters from Whitstable School of Boxing impressed on their latest outings at Tenterden on Saturday. Sonny Nash took on St Mary’s ABC figher George Evans in a skills bout where the 11-year-old lined-up for three one-minute rounds against his 34kg opponent and head coach Kevin Place said: “He really stepped-up and is ready for his first bout now. “He boxed well, showed some nice long shots and used his height and reach advantage well. “He used some straight shots to keep his opponent at bay.” Louie Ebbs, 10, faced Teddy Fellows of Swale Gloves in a 28kg skills bout. Place said: “He boxed well, stuck to his gameplan and put some good combinations together. He is coming along nicely.” Whitstable fighters will head to Camberley on Saturday where Isaac Divine will take part in his first bout when he takes on an opponent from host club Sporting Ring. Ronnie Murray is set to fight for the Southern Counties title when he faces Guildford fighter Sid Harrison, also at Camberley. The 15-year-old Murray has won nine of his 10 fights and Place said “we are going in with confidence” ahead of the bout for the 42-44kg crown.