Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Defeat puts an end to promotion hopes
Kent League
Canterbury suffered a mortal blow in the Division 1 promotion race as they slumped to a heavy defeat at Linden Park.
The city club lost the toss and were asked to bowl. They did take charge early on, with Stuart Drakeley (3- 41) helping reduce the hosts to 24-3.
However, the game swung on a fourth-wicket stand of 215 between Driaan Bruwer (88) and Ben Leale-green who hit 121 at better than a run a ball.
The hosts posted 281- 6 from their 50 overs and though Max Campbell (45) got the reply up and running and then added 55 with Graeme Francis (30), no other batsmen reached 20 as the visitors were bowled out for 134 inside 35 overs.
The city club are now sixth and 29 points adrift of second-placed Bromley Common, whom they host in the season finale at Polo Farm on Saturday.
Already-relegated Whitstable were on the end of another heavy defeat as they were beaten by nine wickets by The Mote at the Belmont.
The rock-bottom hosts were skittled for just 90 inside 29 overs with Jake Guinan hitting the top score of 19 batting at No.9. It took the visitors just 19 overs to rattle off the runs, with Scott Dale making the only breakthrough just before the close. St Lawrence & Highland Court moved a step closer to Division 2 promotion after holding their nerve to beat Upchurch by 20 runs. Boosted by the availability of Kent all-rounder Darren Stevens, the hosts amassed 271-7 with Graeme Tryon leading the way with 59 and Stevens, Will Hilton and Lewis Jenkins all passing 30. Stevens did not bowl in the reply but Ben Trott (3-51) made early inroads and although Michael Hales hit 131 from just 122 balls, he fell to James Widerstrom and Tryon (2- 52) helped ensure the visitors could only reach 251- 8 at the close.
Saints host Chestfield in the season finale this weekend, 10 points behind leaders Folkestone but nine ahead of third-placed Old Wilsonians who sit outside the promotion places.
Chestfield were beaten by 126 runs at Folkestone.
The hosts made 220-8, with Kent’s James Tredwell making 34 with the bat and Dan Patching and Arron Bennett taking two wickets each.
The reply lasted just 34 overs as the visitors were dismissed for 94, having been 73-3 at one stage, with Tredwell taking 2-25, including the scalp of top scorer Dylan Hunter for 25.
Faversham staved off the threat of any last-day drama in Division 5 with a fine run-chase to win by a wicket at Chislehurst & West Kent. Faversham are now 35 points clear of their secondbottom hosts with just one game remaining thanks largely to a five-fer and a half-century from Andrew Machin.
Machin blitzed the middleorder to claim 5- 40 and dismiss the hosts for 218, with Christ Streatfield taking 3- 69 in addition. Opener Machin then hit 59 – 48 of them by way of boundaries – and shared 136 for the opening wicket with Lee Rigden, who smashed 75 from 65 balls.
Andrew Parker’s 41 helped the visitors into position to reach their target with 10 balls to spare.
John Butterworth hit 43 and Julian Thompson took 3-32 but Whitstable 2nds were edged out by four wickets at Tenterden in 2nd XI Premier Division.
Ben Rutherford’s unbeaten 101 was in vain for Canterbury 2nds as they went down by 43 runs against Linden Park in Division 2.
Park piled on the runs to post 315- 4 and despite Rutherford’s knock and 58 from Bradley Goldsack, the city club fell short.
Division 3 champions St Lawrence & Highland Court beat Downham & Bellingham by eight wickets thanks to Luke Rumbelow taking 7-26 to bowl the hosts out for 153.
Unbeaten half-centuries from Toby Vaughan and Richard Heywood then saw the visitors over the line inside 27 overs.
Chestfield missed out on the chance to all but seal promotion from Division 4 as they lost by 103 runs at home to rivals Frindsbury. Patrick Collins took 4- 62 but the hosts posted 231- 6 and although Zac Benfield hit 43, his side were bowled out for 128 inside 40 overs to fall to third, five points behind Frindsbury with one game to play.