Skipper Jan Gray has spoken of the roller-coaster of emotions Sandwich Town went through as they avoided Kent League Premier Division relegation by the narrowest of margins.

They ended third-bottom ahead of relegated Sevenoaks Vine, despite the teams finishing level on points. Sandwich survived by virtue of seven league victories to Vine’s five.

A win at second-placed Bexley would have definitely meant Sandwich survived - only for them to suffer a dramatic one-run loss.

Thankfully from their perspective, though, Blackheath did them a huge favour.

Gray said: “It was dramatic and traumatic!

“I’ve never been very good with points and stuff but, if we won, or lost and got seven losing bonus points, we would have stayed up.

“We played Bexley and, in the end, we bowled them out for 168 so we couldn’t get seven losing bonus points. That meant we had to win or tie.

“It became evident Blackheath were going to beat Sevenoaks. If Blackheath beat Sevenoaks, then Sevenoaks needed to get two more bonus points than us on the day.

“They only needed to score 200.”

Chasing 169 after Cody Nieuwoudt (3-27) did well, a fine Rory Smith half-century gave Sandwich every chance and they were 142-5 at one stage. But that became 146-9.

Smith took it to the wire but was run-out in the last over for 81. Gray and his troops felt they were relegated at this stage.

They needed Sevenoaks to get less than 200 in their reply at Blackheath but they were 168-5 - before things swung back Sandwich’s way.

The Sandwich players watched the live stream of the action from Blackheath.

Gray, who saw Sevenoaks end up agonisingly close at 197-9, said: “It felt a bit like the last day of the Premier League season in football where goals come in and change who is where in the table.

“It was just all over the place!”

The 2nds were relegated from Division 3 after a 47-run home defeat to Blackheath 2nds.