Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Drakeley delivers crucial win
KENT LEAGUE: captain HOLDS NERVE With Final BALL OF THE GAME as CANTERBURY EDGE title RIVALS THE MOTE BY JUST FIVE RUNS
Canterbury reclaimed pole position in Shepherd Neame Kent League Division 1 after a thrilling win over The Mote on Saturday.
The Maidstone side needed six to win off the last ball but skipper Stuart Drakeley bowled a ‘dot’ ball to Laurence Waters to ensure Canterbury swapped places with The Mote at the top of the table.
It was tough on the batsman at the other end, James Hodgson, who finished unbeaten on 105 after The Mote had been set a target of 219-8.
Canterbury batsman Paul Steer, who scored 58, said after the five-run win: “It was just about as exciting as it gets in limited overs cricket. We knew it would be a tough game and both sides showed why they are challenging for promotion.
“Our total was probably a bit below par but we bowled and fielded well. It was a good team performance and if you had offered us top spot with four games to go at the start of the season, we would have taken it.
“If we win two or three of our remaining games then that should be good enough to ensure promotion but it’s tight at the top and I don’t think the places will be decided until the final round of matches.”
This Saturday Canterbury take on local rivals St Lawrence & Highland Court, who moved off the bottom with a 29-run victory at fellow strugglers Orpington.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, skipper Lewis Jenkins (45) helped his side set a target of 220-6, William Hilton top scoring with 50.
And that proved beyond the reach of the Orpington who were bowled out for 191 with Kit Sims, Nathan Walsh and Jenkins picking up two wickets each.
Whitstable gained their first win of the season in the Premier Division with a 65-run home success over Bexley.
Whitstable could only make 188 all out, with Jake Guinan and Ben Purcell joint top scoring with 38 but the Bexley batsmen found run scoring even more difficult and were dismissed for 123, with Nic Bills taking 4-40.
With Division 3 leaders Nonington losing, third-placed Chestfield capitalised with a 66-run home victory over Ashford Town.
Their chances had looked slim when they were bowled out for 162, Peter Shields doing most of the damage with 7-41 after openers Neil Gowers (40) and Tim Collins (37) had given Chestfield a solid start.
But Ashford were soon up against it when they replied in the face of impressive seven-over spells from Swapneel Hazare (4-18) and Duncan Brown (4-16), and they were bowled out for 96.
Macknade also found runs hard to come by at home to Sidcup in Division 4.
The Faversham side were bowled out for 120 and Sidcup skipper Mat Kilbey then led his side to a four-wicket success with an unbeaten half century,
In 2nd XI Premier Division, Whitstable were unable to follow the winning example of their first team as they slid to another defeat, this time at Bexley.
Darren Bovis top scored for Whitstable with 45 in their 141-9, a target which the home side passed in 33.3 overs.
St Lawrence & Highland Count slipped into the bottom two in Division 2 after a 29-run defeat at home to Catford and Cyphers 2nds. They bowled well enough with Subhradeep De Sarkar and Matt Feeney both claiming four wickets but when St Lawrence batted, they were removed for 151, Tyron Beech top scoring with 37.
Macknade edged to a six-run success over Bexley 4ths in Division 4. They made 142 batting first and then dismissed Bexley for 136 (Gary Freed 6-29).