Kent Cricket League Division One XI: Holmesdale (237-7) beat Folkestone (234 all out)
Holmesdale entered the week full of confidence and looking for three wins on the bounce. A top of the table clash saw Holmesdale play Folkestone as the second half of the season commenced.
Holmesdale lost the toss and were forced to field on a extremely hot day. They got off to a flyer with Folkestone on 24-4 with two wickets from Luke Blackaby, one from Ben Fawcitt and a sharp runout from Rupert Harbig.
Folkestone fought back putting on a large fifth wicket partnership, however some tight bowling from the spinners stemmed the flow and Blackaby came back on breaking the 162 partnership and then cleaned up the tale to end up with figures of 5-32. Folkestone eventually reaching 234 all out.
Holmesdale got off to a rocky start in their innings finding themselves 49-5, however Fawcitt, who had been promoted up the order produced a patient 83 not out, playing some exquisite shots and showing real maturity. Fawcitt was well supported by Harbig (36) and Nick Miller (39) not out to steer Holmesdale to what had seemed an unlikely victory. Holmesdale now top the table and face a struggling Dartford this Saturday.
Kent Cricket League Premier 2nd XI: Tenterden 2nd (228 all out) lost to Holmesdale 2nd (229-9)
Holmesdale 2nd XI made it two wins from two on Saturday with a fairytale victory against Tenterden. Losing the toss and being asked to field first was never going to be easy but Holmesdale stuck at it in the field, bowling out Tenterden for 228 – a score which could have been much higher considering Tenterden were 150-1 after 30 overs. There were key performances from Richard Linfield (4-49), David Hudson (2-29) and Jamie Monkhouse (2-35).
Holmesdale‘s response got off to a limp start as they were reduced to 70-7. Enter Holmesdale’s star man with the bat this season – Michael Brown (95). Ably assisted by number 9, Hudson (35), they rebuilt the Holmesdale innings, putting on 130 for the ninth wicket and taking the score up to 200. However, both were unluckily adjudged LBW in quick succession, meaning that the last 28 runs were left up to numbers 10 and 11, Monkhouse and Will Dickinson.
Five nervy overs later and there were jubilant scenes in the visitors changing room as Monkhouse (22*) dispatched the winning runs in what had become a heated affair.
The win takes the 2nd XI into 7th place of the Premier League and they now look forward to the challenge of the derby with Sevenoaks Vine this weekend.
