Sevenoaks Vine 1st XI welcomed Tunbridge Wells to the Vine on a blazingly hot June afternoon. Tunbridge Wells won the toss and elected to bat on a hard, and somewhat typical looking Vine wicket. After losing the early wicket of Waller run out by Bekker, Davis and Williams rallied and stabilised the innings for the next twenty overs.
It would be the off spin of Mike Thompson who would make the breakthrough for the Vine taking the all important wicket of captain Williams for 46 at 93-2, bringing A. Williams to the crease. Along with Davis, the two batted with urgency and intent, looking to accelerate the run rate with both bring up their fifties. Schlemmer would then make the next break through catching Williams off his own bowling with the score at 230-2.
Towards the back end of the innings, chances for the Vine were few and far between, with Tunbridge Wells going through the gears and smashing the ball to all parts with the last nine overs going for just under 100 runs. Despite Thompson (3-51) taking the wickets of Karvelas and Francis, Davis surged to an unbeaten century, leading to Tunbridge Wells to an impressive score of 303-5 off their 50 overs.
Undaunted by the total, the Vine set about their business well despite the early loss of the experienced Bowden to Karvelas. In similariy with the Tunbridge Wells innings, Bekker and Cowdrey looked to rebuild posting 53 for the second wicket until Cowdrey fell victim to the off spin of O’Riordan.
The Vine’s South African overseas Schlemmer joined his fellow countryman in Bekker who took the score to 150-2 before Sadler made the all important breakthrough, taking the wicket of Bekker for a well-made 73. The chase would soon begin to falter, with Schlemmer falling for 54, before A. Williams tore through the middle order taking the wickets of Richardson, Howick and Barber in quick succession, taking the score from 204-4 to 204-7.
Pearson offered some resistance finishing on 20*, however the tail failed to wag and the Vine were bowled all out for 229.
Now sitting just above the relegation zone, the Vine 1st XI travel to 2nd placed Sandwich, who are only two wins clear of eighth place.
