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Kent Cricket League round-up: Beckenham win battle of top two against Tunbridge Wells

Beckenham won the battle of the top two to edge closer to Premier Division glory on Saturday.

They beat Tunbridge Wells by four wickets to move 15 points clear at the summit with three games to play.

Bexley are now their nearest challengers while defeat sees Wells drop to third place.

Sandwich batsman Jan Gray is tested during their win at Lordswood Picture: Sean Aidan
Sandwich batsman Jan Gray is tested during their win at Lordswood Picture: Sean Aidan

Beckenham elected to field and soon had their opponents in trouble at 24-4 after three wickets for William MacVicar and one for Mahi Mahfuzul.

Alexander Williams offered resistance with 68 off 93 balls, including three fours and four sixes, and Ian McLean (23) also chipped in.

Williams become MacVicar's final victim, the opener bowler finishing with 4-18, with Stuart Binny (2-20) also bowling well as the visitors were dismissed for 166.

David Smith (2-23) removed openers Alex Senn (17) and Rithik Hari (10) in quick succession but a gritty 43 from 86 balls by Alex Blake put Beckenham in a good position.

Ross Piller finished the job with three fours and a six in a knock of 35 not out from 42 balls.

Bexley moved up to second place with a 47-run success against HSBC.

Skipper Adam Riley made a steady 63 off 118 balls, including five boundaries, as the hosts recovered from the early loss of Jack Bell for 6.

Matthew Stiddard took a different approach, hitting a lively 50 not out from 29 balls, with three fours and two sixes, as Bexley closed on 213-7.

Richard Golbourn (4-41) was the leading HSBC bowler.

Sandwich opener Zack Fagg falls to James Anyon in Saturday's Premier Division clash Picture: Sean Aidan
Sandwich opener Zack Fagg falls to James Anyon in Saturday's Premier Division clash Picture: Sean Aidan

Jason Benn (3-31) struck early in the reply, removing Golbourn for 3.

Half-centuries from Matthew Abbett and Sadiq Hussain (both 51) boosted the Bankers but with David Crawley (3-28) and Riley (2-31) also in the wickets, they were all out for 166.

Canterbury dropped into the bottom two after a six-wicket defeat against relegation rivals Blackheath.

The sides swapped places after Canterbury slipped to 116 all out on a disappointing afternoon.

The city club made a promising start as Bradley Goldsack (31) and Justin MacVicar (20) put on 37 for the first wicket.

But with those two out, Joe Gordon (35 off 44 balls) was the only other player to reach double figures as eight wickets went down for 52 runs.

Tanweer Sikandar (4-16), Dipayan Paul (2-32) and Mohammad Ashraful (2-20) did the damage.

Ashraful went on to hit an unbeaten 36 from 49 balls, including six boundaries, as Blackheath completed a six-wicket success inside 28 overs, leaving Canterbury 12 points from safety.

Sevenoaks Vine are effectively out of the championship running following their five-wicket defeat by Bickley Park.

Jack Laraman took two wickets for Lordswood, followed by a dogged half-century Picture: Sean Aidan
Jack Laraman took two wickets for Lordswood, followed by a dogged half-century Picture: Sean Aidan

They're 28 points off top spot after losing off the penultimate ball of the match.

Vine closed on 181-8, a total boosted by an unbeaten 63 from No.8 batsman Lorne Burns, whose knock came off 85 balls and featured eight fours.

Ranjit Singh, with 3-36, was the top Bickley bowler.

Karl Pearson (2-24) removed Mick King for 1 but solid knocks from skipper Daniel Mangin (50 not out), Singh (44) and Michael Ridley (40) led Bickley to victory at the death.

Sandwich beat Lordswood by 50 runs in a mid-table clash.

Alex Smith made 56 from 71 balls and Jordan Cox 51 off 81 as Sandwich closed on 204-9.

James Anyon took out the top three, finishing with 3-31.

Jack Laraman stuck to his task, hitting 56 off 110 balls, before falling caught and bowled to Matthew van Poppel as Lordswood were dismissed for 154.

Fred Klassen (3-34) and Jan Gray (3-40) were the leading Sandwich bowlers.

Read more: The latest sports news in Kent

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