Saturday 2nd September, 2017. Some would have you believe it was the day that Sevenoaks Vine Cricket Club just won their last match of the season away at Blackheath CC – and by quite a margin too!
The Vine hit a total score of 228-7 in their 50 overs with openers Jon Bowden (38) and vine captain Oliver Durell (82) setting the pace. Oliver Howick (24), Karl Pearson (12), Michael Barber (34) and Tom Coldman (13) saw them through the maximum overs before the hosts took to the wicket. Some fantastic bowling from Pearson (3-33), Bowden (2-31) and Coldman (3-30) ended Blackheath’s chances of getting a win in the 45th over, all out for 167.
However, this was not just an ordinary win for the Vine. They had, for the last few months, been assisting Holmesdale CC by propping up the bottom of the Kent Cricket Premier League where Holmesdales fate had already been signed, sealed and delivered. The weekend before saw the Vine beat a drifting Hartley Country Club CC to give them a slim chance of survival and close the points gap significantly on their visitors that day.
With the Vine travelling to fourth placed Blackheath CC and Hartley CC hosting second placed Bexley CC, the odds looked slim for either team to record a win and Bexley CC needed success to have any hope of winning the league title too. Bexley CC did indeed win, however Beckenham CC also won against Holmesdale CC to secure the league title. Hartley CC therefore joined Holmesdale CC in relegation to Division One just 12 months after lifting the Kent Cricket Premier League trophy.
As you have read, Sevenoaks Vine CC won away at Blackheath CC, and once again have confirmed their position in the Kent Cricket Premier League for the next season. We reported in September’s issue of the magazine that they would bounce back, they just managed to do it sooner rather than later!
The final league table is shown below:
| Team | P | W | L | Pts |
| C Beckenham CC | 18 | 14 | 2 | 274 |
| Bexley CC | 18 | 13 | 4 | 260 |
| Sandwich Town CC | 18 | 10 | 5 | 230 |
| Lordswood CC | 18 | 8 | 7 | 208 |
| Blackheath CC | 18 | 8 | 7 | 203 |
| Tenterden CC | 18 | 8 | 8 | 196 |
| Tunbridge Wells CC | 18 | 7 | 9 | 180 |
| Sevenoaks Vine CC | 18 | 7 | 10 | 168 |
| R Hartley Country Club CC | 18 | 4 | 12 | 164 |
| R Holmesdale CC | 18 | 1 | 16 | 84 |
Both Holmesdale CC and Sevenoaks Vine CC are always looking for fresh players at any level and both have fantastic youth programs for local kids. You can contact them through their websites at holmesdalecricketclub.co.uk and svcc1734.org.
