Hartley lift Shepherd Neame Premier League title
Saturday 27th August 2016
Hartley Country Club sealed the Shepherd Neame Kent Premier League with a 58-run win at home to Lordswood.
Former Kent batsman James Hockley and skipper Dan Stickels shared a century opening stand as they scored 266.
Current Kent opener Sean Dickson scored 39 as several Lordswood batsmen got starts that they could not convert into bigger scores as Hartley sealed the points and the title.
Dickson's opening partner Daniel Bell-Drummond scored a fluent 50 on his first appearance of the season for 2016 runners-up Blackheath.
The 23-year-old England Lions opener struck ten fours in a 37-ball knock as his partner George Wells (54) carried his bat to set up a nine-wicket win at Beckenham.
Bell-Drummond faced fellow Kent Cricket Academy graduate Alex Blake and took a catch as the hosts were dismissed for 125.
Third-placed Tenterden triumphed at home to demoted Dartford who were buoyed by in-form Charlie Hartley.
The Kent seamer, batting at 5, top-scored with 76 and Kent 'keeper Callum Jackson hit 16 as the visitors posted 246 at Morghew Park. Academy graduate Sam Weller took 1/41 in nine overs.
In reply, Tenterden were inspired by a century stand by New Zealander Bharat Popli (64*) and skipper Ben Price (101) in securing a six-wicket win.
Sevenoaks Vine defeated relegation battlers Tunbridge Wells at home in a battle of Kent Cricket Academy scholars past and present.
First team pro Zak Crawley scored 23 in Vine's total of 277 with contributions from scholars Marcus O'Riordan (29) and Charlie Russell-Vick (31) in Wells' reply which fell 21 runs short.
Elsewhere, Bexley beat relegation-threatened Bromley as Aryan Jain hit 75 and Jasdev Bassan took 3-41.
With one round remaining, one side from Lordswood (163 pts), Tunbridge Wells (160) and Bromley (158) will join Dartford in Division One next season.
Lordswood entertain Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells welcome Blackheath to The Nevill and Bromley host Tenterden.
In Division One, Hugh Bernard conceded just 15 runs in a fine ten-over spell and took two catches as Folkestone fell 15 runs short at Hayes.
The Kent Cricket Academy graduate scored 24 not out in 18 balls but ran out of partners as Folkestone suffered their second successive relegation.
Current Academy scholar Ollie Hills took a wicket and was stranded on 14 not out as The Mote lost at Sandwich Town to keep both sides in the hunt for promotion.
Leaders Holmesdale look favourites for promotion to the top flight after a three-wicket win at Whitstable.
The top side have 222 points with eight points separating the next four teams: Sandwich Town (208), Canterbury (207), HSBC (203) and The Mote (200).
In the final fixtures, Holmesdale travel to The Mote, Sandwich Town visit Linden Park, Canterbury are away at Whitstable and HSBC go to Folkestone.