Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Title wrapped up in style
INDOOR CRICKET: UNIVERSITY ROUT OPPONENTS FOR JUST 19 ON WAY TO COMFORTABLE WIN
Canterbury Christ Church University 2 clinched the students’ second Pharon Cricket League title of the indoor season on Sunday. And, as usual, they did so in style.
Undefeated in their previous 10 Division 2 games, CCCU took just 4.5 overs to rout Gravesend 2 for 19 and win by 84 runs.
The bowlers responsible were Ben Mcgrath (3-7) and Stuart Dockerill (2-12). Earlier, opener Jack Wheeler had carried his bat for 59 of a total of 103-five.
In the autumn, CCCU 2 will join their first team, champions of Division 1, and could well boast a 100% record if they win their three remaining fixtures.
Who goes up with them? One of Sturry 1, Littlebourne 2 and Whitstable 2.
The batsmen of Harbledown and Sturry were involved in a battle royal. Only three wickets fell and 266 runs were scored.
Sturry successfully chased a target of 132-1 with two balls and four wickets to spare. Five Harbledown batsmen had reached 25 or more but the Jessups – Tom and Kieran – saw Sturry home.
Littlebourne boosted their hopes with a 25-run victory over Whitstable 2.
Steve Martin (50), Robbie Lawson senr (29) and Andrew Coleman (26), all not out, were the main contributors to a score of 135 for three.
Twenty-four of those runs came from Julian Thompson’s final over, Martin driving him for two successive sixes.
Thompson’s son, Barty, took all three of the Littlebourne wickets that fell. Whitstable replied with 110-5.
In the Third Division, it now looks as if newcomers Gravesend 6ers 2 will deny CCCU 3 the opportunity to give the university a clean sweep of all three divisions.
Beaten only once, Gravesend continue to make huge totals, the latest being 152-3 against Sturry 2.
Two international umpires, Martin Saggers and Nigel Llong, were in ‘opposition’ on Saturday, supporting their sons in the under-13s’ league.
Saggers was on the winning side ( Chestfield) against Street End.
Whitstable and Canterbury, both yet to lose, will have all to play for on Saturday, when they meet at 12.30pm in the penultimate match of the under-13s’ league season.
The winners will be champions, breaking the hold Broadstairs have held for some time.