Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Champions close in on unbeaten record
Indoor cricket
Canterbury are champions of the Pharon Indoor Cricket League for the 12th time this century and if they win their final fixture, they will have enjoyed an unbeaten season.
In their penultimate First Division match, Canterbury 1 shrugged aside the whirlwind style that is Gravesend.
They subdued them so much that a 13th successive victory was gained by the huge margin of 94 runs at the Kent Academy.
Since their national final at Lord’s seven years ago, Canterbury’s squad has changed a little. But the latest mix has worked wonders and Gravesend were to discover how well the new and old had gelled.
A mature Justin Macvicar has led Canterbury by example with bat and ball and in the field.
When Canterbury batted first on Sunday, they lost openers Stuart Drakeley (15) and Sam Burt (18) after five overs and it was the skipper and Ben Cooper ( 25) who shared profitable partnerships with Tom Davis, 32 not out.
Macvicar (24) was also not out when Canterbury closed on 130-4.
Gravesend batsmen were promptly strangled by the opening attack of Max Campbell and Davis and were skittled for 36 in 7.3 overs.
Canterbury now play the county finals at home on February 4.
After being denied a hat-trick of titles, runners-up CCCU 1’ s last game is against Canterbury, who are four points clear. As the First Division season ends, Canterbury 2 and Sturry 1 are relegated.
Sandwiched between the top two sides and the bottom two are University of Kent 1 – who had the day off – CCCU 2, Gravesend and Street End 1.
CCCU opener Alastair Barker carried his bat for a hard-hitting 73 out of a score of 110-5 against Street End, who had made 133-5 thanks mainly to Joe Goldbacher (48 not out) and Kevin Hopper (35).
The league’s other two divisions continue until March 25 and at the halfway stage in Division 3, 100% leaders Chestfield have opened up a four-point gap.
Faversham broke their duck with an 18-run win over Street End 2, their first four batsmen all contributing to 129-4.
Sacha Azizi’s 60 for Street End was in vain.
Sheldwich moved up to second by defeating Sturry 2 by three wickets.
Who is promoted from Division 2 is anybody’s guess as just four points separate eight teams.
There were wins for Gravesend 6ers 1, Margate 1 and Harbledown.
In a last- over thriller, Margate 1 hung on to pip Littlebourne by two runs and, after being set a target of 116-5 by Margate 2, Harbledown won by four wickets with only three balls remaining.
The under-13s, who play eight-a-side, began their season with Canterbury, Broadstairs, Chestfield Red Caps and St Lawrence & Highland Court Eagles victorious over Street End, Faversham, Chestfield Blue Caps and St Lawrence Buzzards respectively.
Top scorer was Street End’s Harry Marsh with a 30-run birthday gift for his father. Results, Under-13s’ League Canterbury 122-1 (E. Haratbar 25ret, C. Conlon 20not); Street End 104 (H. Marsh 30). Canterbury won by 18 runs. Faversham 69 (H. Goss 18, F. Fulton 17; T. Izzard 2-15, H. Srikemar 2-16); Broadstairs 70-5 (D. Moore 28not). Broadstairs won by three wickets. Chestfield Red Caps 128-4; Chestfield Blue Caps 65-5. Chestfield Red Caps won by 63 runs. St Lawrence Buzzards 56-7; St Lawrence Eagles 59-7. Eagles won by one wicket. Seniors, Division 1 Canterbury 1 130-4 (T. Davis 32not, B. Cooper 25, J. Macvicar 24not, S. Burt 18); Gravesend 36 (T. Davis 2-16). Canterbury won by 94 runs. Street End 1 133-5 (J. Goldbacher 48not, K. Hopper 35; D. Loader 3-18); CCCU 2 110-5 (A. Barker 73not; J. Goldbacher 2-14). Street End won by 23 runs. Sturry 1 111 (J. Fagg 28, K. Jessup 19; B. Rutherford 2-14); Canterbury 2 112-3 (B. Rutherford 35not, P. Walker 26ret). Canterbury won by three wickets. Division 2 Gravesend 6ers 1 115 (Fiaz 39not, Asif 24, Adnan 22; D. Loader 2-42); CCCU 3 101 (D. Loader 26not, M. Griffin 17). Gravesend won by 14 runs. Margate 1 117-4 (H. Carter 31not, C. Alder 26not, J. Williamson 25); Littlebourne 115-4 (I. Attenborough 28, A. Coleman 27not, R. Lawson jun 20not; T. Paris 2-24). Margate won by two runs. Margate 2 116-5 (Kanwer 34not, M. Richardson 23, A. Ijaz 18); Harbledown 117-2 (H. Roberts 27ret, N. Turner 25ret, Isaka 21). Harbledown won by four wickets. Division 3 Sturry 2 104-5 (K. Marshall 24not; B. Holiday 23; J. Harris 2-38); Sheldwich 106-3 (K. Sims 37not, J. Harris 27not). Sheldwich won by three wickets. Faversham 129-4 (B. Smith 41not, T. Bird 27, B. Croft 26ret, E. Hogg 24); Street End 2 111 (S. Azizi 60, W. Dibiase 26; E. Hogg 3-33). Faversham won by 18 runs Division 1
PW L Ps R/R Canterbury 1 .. 13 13 0 26 10.70 CCCU 1 .......... 13 11 2 22 10.10 UKC 1 ............ 13 7 6 14 8.23 Street End 1... 13 6 7 12 9.04 CCCU 2 ......... 14 6 8 12 8.45 Gravesend .... 13 6 7 12 8.15 Canterbury 2 .. 13 2 11 4 8.05 Sturry 1 ......... 12 1 11 2 7.57
Division 2 Whitstable 1* ... 6 5 1 Harbledown ..... 6 4 2 Margate 2 ........ 7 3 4 CCCU 3 ............ 6 3 3 Margate 1 ........ 8 3 5 Littlebourne ..... 9 3 6 UKC 2* ............. 6 3 3 Gravsd 6ers 1 .. 5 2 3
Division 3 Chestfield ........ 6 6 0 12 11.34 Sheldwich ........ 6 4 2 8 8.78 Canterbury 3 .... 7 4 3 8 8.08 Street End 2..... 6 3 3 6 9.07 Sturry 2 ........... 5 2 3 4 7.60 Faversham....... 6 1 5 2 9.09 Grasmere Park . 6 1 5 2 6.00 *points adjusted 8 8 6 6 6 6 4 4 9.32 9.29 9.26 9.14 8.57 7.71 9.47 8.80