Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Glass provides cutting edge
AUSTRALIAN EXCELS WITH BAT AND BALL TO HELP SET UP A SECOND WIN FOR CANTERBURY
Kris Glass sparkled as he helped Canterbury to a three-wicket win at home to The Mote in Division 1 on Saturday.
The Australian struck early and late to finish with 4-34 from his 10 overs as the visitors were restricted to 187-9 from their 50 overs at Polo Farm.
In reply, the hosts made a solid start with opener Elliot Lewis cracking 12 boundaries in his 64 and sharing 76 for the second wicket with Glass who hit six sixes in a blistering 47.
Despite a flurry of wickets, there was no real drama for the city club who reached their target with seven overs to spare to make it two wins from three to sit third.
Club captain Paul Steer said: “It’s an incredibly tight division. Seven teams have won two of their three games. I’m sure it will go right to the wire. The standard of Division 1 and 2 is so high this year.
“(Captain) Stuart Drakeley said the positive is that we are probably playing at 60% of our capability but we’ve still won two of three.
“We have bowled teams out in all three games but in all three we have also lost wickets in clusters. Sometimes you need to knuckle down to get you over the line.
“It’s a decent start, though and hopefully we can keep it going.”
Whitstable suffered another heavy defeat in the same division as they slipped to a 158-run reverse at Bromley Common.
Scott Dale claimed 3-45 but the hosts piled on the runs with opener Leigh Walker hitting 116 and helping his side to 236-2 before departing.
The hosts posted 295-7 from their 50 overs and Whitstable’s reply never got going as they slumped to 25-3 and then 40-5.
Stuart Sinclair hit four fours and six in his 32 and overseas Tanzeela Rahmen added an unbeaten 37 from 40 balls batting at No.9 but the reply lasted just 40 overs and saw the visitors dismissed for 137.
St Lawrence & Highland Court eased to a five-wicket win on the road against Gore Court to go top of Division 2.
The hosts were dismissed for just 150 in 39 overs at The Grove – falling from 28-0 to 87-6 – with James Widerstrom collecting a superb 3-16 and overseas Graeme Tryon 3-27 from seven tight overs each.
Tryon (0) was one of two early wickets to fall in the reply but Matthew Hammond survived being dropped twice to make a fine 60.
He steered the visitors towards their target, which they achieved with nearly 18 overs to spare to make it three straight wins.
Skipper Will Hilton got his side over the line and admitted: “It was nice to be out there at the end again. James started it off, Graeme finished it and then Matthew Hammond batted well.”
“It’s been a good start but we’re not getting too carried away. We’ll take it a game at a time. It’s nice to be top but the only thing that matters is being in the top-two at the end of the season.
“We’ve been top a few times in the past few years but not carried it on but there is a different vibe this year. Hopefully, we are more experienced this time.”
Chestfield’s winning start to the season in the same division came to an abrupt end with a three-wicket defeat at Broadstairs.
After being put in, the visitors made a nightmare start and lost both openers for nought and although Dylan Hunter cracked five fours and cleared the ropes four times to make 51, his side were soon reeling on 120-8.
Duncan Brown and Taylor Chandler were the only other players past 20 to drag Chestfield to 167 all out and although they took two early wickets in the reply and had their hosts 75-5 at one stage, they were unable to turn the screw.
The hosts got home with 16 balls and three wickets to spare, although Hunter claimed 4-36 from his 10 overs.
Chris Streatfield continued his superb form with 7-45 but it could not help Faversham avoid a 20-run defeat at home to Frindsbury in Division 5.
Streatfield accounted for four of the top five for single figures and returned to polish off the tail, although a late flurry took the visitors to 142 all out.
In reply, opener Andrew Machin made 49 but nobody could stick with him for any length of time and the only other contribution above 10 came from No.8 Lewis Gore as the hosts managed to take the game to the final over before being dismissed for 122 off the final ball.
Whitstable 2nds fell short in a run-fest at home to Bexley 2nds in the 2nd XI Premier Division.
The visitors smashed 29 fours and seven sixes in their total of 310-5 from 50 overs and although Richard Legge and Fraser Coupe posted half centuries and Luke Blake 48 in reply, the hosts were restricted to 225-9.
Sam Hadlow took 4-39 but Canterbury 2nds lost by 82 runs at The Mote in Division 1 after being bowled out for 102.
Alex Day claimed 3-6 from seven overs as St Lawrence & Highland Court 2nds dismissed Hythe for just 76 in Division 3, while James Medhurst hit an unbeaten 51 to see the hosts home by seven wickets in just 17 overs.
Richard Tolson claimed a superb 7-22 as Chestfield 2nds bowled out visiting Addington Village for just 149 on their way to a six-wicket win in Division 4.
Ben Carpeneter-friend (64) and Tom Barton (54) steered their side to victory.