Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Canterbury suffer shock last-ball indoor final loss
INDOOR CRICKET
BETTESHANGER are Kent indoor cricket champions – by virtue of a stunning last-ball victory over Canterbury, the clear favourites, in a dramatic KCB first at the Kent Academy, where both teams play their league games.
Jamie Towe was Betteshanger’s hero. With the scores level, 56 each, and only his wicket intact, he took 13 off the final over, bowled by Damien Minter.
Included were a six and, off the sixth ball, a four past mid-off that takes Betteshanger to the ECB regional play-off against the Sussex winners at Portslade on February 17.
The opportunity of such a triumph for the Dover League representatives had been set up by their Scrooge-like attack. Towe (2-12), named man-of-thematch, Arslan Sahi, Andy and Mike McNicholas had shot out Canterbury for an unbelievably meagre total.
Betteshanger’s feat was all the more impressive in that in their semi-final, Canterbury had produced spectacular cricket to knock-out Broadstairs, who had beat Plaxtol. Broadstairs were all out for 49 in reply to Canterbury’s 102.
Canterbury’s fielding display was highlighted by three run-outs by Paul Steer, at point, with his trademark backhand flick to hit the stumps.
Canterbury had reached that stage by thrashing Linton Park by 126 runs with the day’s highest total of 159-2.
But warning signs that their batting might be fallible had come when, against Broadstairs, their last five wickets crashed for 14.
In the final, bowlers Ryan Minter, Justin McVicar and Ben Cooper did their utmost to retrieve an almost impossible situation, so much so that halfway through their innings Betteshanger were 13-1.
Then wickets started to fall but, fittingly, at the death it was a member of the Towe family – backbone of the Betteshanger club for generations – who silenced the dismayed Canterbury followers, tasting defeat for the first time for more than a year.
Betteshanger had progressed by beating Stone-in-Oxney and Upchurch. Now they have one eye on the national final at Lord’s but they have to win another four games to follow in the footsteps of Whitstable and Canterbury.
On Sunday, the last Pharon League (Division 1) fixture was completed. Street End 1 lost to Gravesend 1 by 11 runs but their total of 109 was sufficient to escape relegation.
In the Under-13s’ League, Chestfield Red Caps broke Nonington’s 100% record and Broadstairs skittled Street End for just 23 in their win.
Results, tables, fixtures on page 72