A 40-40 clash at Leigh's picturesque ground saw Wells pile on the runs as fours and sixes flowed liberally.

   Batting first, three players on debut all enjoyed themselves, with Nick Chambers (96) providing the experience and quantity as the score rattled along at more than 7-per-over throughout the innings. Dinal Panchal (37), Jon Bourne (52) and Henry Francis all contributed as Chambers drove the score to 208 from 28 overs, and latterly Percy Watts and Adam Woodcock assisted Bourne as the score topped 300 in the penultimate over. 204 runs came from boundary hits during the rampage, such was the domination of bat over ball.

   Leigh, despite an early set-back, were not to be overshadowed, and the chase produced three half-centuries as the bowlers continued to toil. Messrs Stolton, Chaloner and Parfett saw the score safely to 231-7, although Woodcock (3-36) cleaned up some late-order hara-kiri. The target was not really in danger despite the robust reply, and Wells moved comfortably to a 78-run win in the evening sunshine.

   Bobbing Court visited the Upper Ground, and put together a testing 234-8 in their 46 overs, Chris Courtney (4-46) being the pick of the home attack. There was little suggestion of the mounting excitement to come as Wells made an heroic effort to overhaul this target.

   The visiting top order all settled in and made headway, while the Wells bowlers continually pegged back the scoring with the occasional wicket. Chris Murphy (45), Gary Ryan (40), and Paul Dennington (39) were the chief contributors as the score rose into the 170s, whereupon the bowlers took control as the batsmen tried to gather pace in the final overs.

   Set 235 to win, the Wells reply faltered to 53-3 after the opening 15 overs, only for a wonderful partnership to change the match as Wesley Bryce-Borthwick and Jon Bourne (51) came together to add 115 for the fourth wicket. The runs flowed as this pair rampaged along at the required six-per-over, Borthwick smashing nine fours and five sixes in an exhilarating knock that took his side to the brink of victory. Bourne gave stout support, and, when he was needlessly run out, Mark Newbould continued to give support. The score rose to 215-4, with just 20 needed from five overs, when four wickets fell in a crazy hara kiri, including Borthwick for an 87-ball 96 which had all but clinched the match. At length, the skipper and last man prevented the final wicket falling, yet were unable to grab the last three runs to win the game in as tense a finish as could be imagined.

   The eventual outcome benefitted both sides, and Wells moved to fourth place in the KRFL Premier Division despite not having recorded a victory from three encounters. Nonetheless, the game made more friends than enemies, and gave the home team every hope for further improvement as the campaign unfolds.

   The toss was won by the home side, who batted first, realising that the journey alone would have sapped the strength of most mortals. And so it was to prove, as Westgate teed off from the outset, and a wonderful innings from Neil Watford underpinned the construction of a monster target total.

   The Wells attack stuck manfully to their task, but the heat, the excellence of the track, and a couple of short boundaries meant that 46 overs of relative pain lay before them. An average tally of a run-per-ball was easily exceeded, and the entire innings achieved a mean of almost eight-per-over when the carnage ceased. Watford reached 195 when the final ball of the 46 overs was sent down, and tiredness or a slight under-hit saw him caught on the boundary to end a memorable knock of enormous importance, as it was by far a new Club individual record score. Assistance came from skipper Steve Wood (76) in a 195-run partnership, but the central figure throughout remained Watford, as he strove to reach the heights of a double-hundred. The bowlers managed to capture three wickets, and the Wells side had to contemplate uncharted territory when the chase commenced.

   To their enormous credit, Wells went for the runs from the outset, and, unbelievably, for prolonged periods, kept pace with the requirement. The all-important start saw Greg Brunger (42) and Brough Cooper (85) hit up 122 in nineteen overs to set the tone. Cooper was especially severe on the bowlers as he crashed seventeen boundaries from 55 balls before becoming the first victim of the home attack, followed by the hasty loss of four further wickets to propel the score to 186-5 from 30 overs. There now came an astounding tour de force from Michael Churchill, who swashbuckled 57 (4 fours and 3 sixes) from just 40 balls in a partnership of 74 for the sixth wicket with Stefan Grosvenor. At this point, the runrate had all but matched the huge ask, but inevitably some impetus was lost as wickets fell. Grosvenor became the third Wells player to pass 50, but his knock served to deny the home bowlers the spoils of all ten wickets. At stumps, the glorious effort had reached 311-8, and a 49-run defeat, but much honour had been earned by the enterprise shown.

   Wells have yet to notch their opening win of the campaign, but with such heroics occurring time and agin, it cannot be long before they haul themselves up the table.

   Wells journeyed to the Metrogas Ground, won the toss, and asked RACS to bat. Three good wickets fell to the visiting attack while 36 runs were put up, and a fourth wicket went at 71 after twenty overs.

   Wells now allowed the home middle order to effect a recovery, with David Clark (59) and Ian Bender (31) adding 90 for the fifth wicket in seventeen overs of care-free consolidation, and the platform was created to launch a late assault. However, the Wells bowlers removed both batsmen at 161, and went on to grab three further wickets from six overs as the score crept up to 182, although a last-ditch flurry of runs took the total past 200, and the target was set at 205. Chris Fenwick, clearly recovering from injury, grabbed 3-25 from twelve overs, and Michael Churchill weighed in with 3-45.

   The Wells reply reached 69-1 with Greg Brunger guiding the chase, but Paul Albrecht (6-38) was the visitors' nemesis as the victory charge was continually pegged back. Brunger's fine knock of 68 (6 fours from 88 balls) ended at 117-4, whereupon the middle order was swept away in a crucial phase that saw the score tumble to 141-8 as Albrecht worked his way through the list. The tail wagged briefly to add another 21 runs, but the target remained out of reach, and the effort ended at 162 and a defeat by 42 runs.

   And so, despite all of the good work in recent games, the Wells XI slipped into the relegation zone, and the basic need for a run of wins remained poignantly unfulfilled. Given the many abilities of the team, the downside trend must surely turn around as the campaign unfolds.

   Mark Thompson's Third XI visited Loring Hall for an encounter with fellow-stragglers Bexley, and there they lost the toss and were asked to take first knock.

   Greg Brunger (37) and Sam Watts negotiated the opening twenty overs quite comfortably as they saw the score to 88-1, but the home attack plucked out the middle order while the total advanced by a mere 42 runs for the loss of four further wickets. Matt Cheesbrough, whose first five overs netted 3-14, was the main protagonist, and the key wicket of Watts fell in this period for a well-constructed 62, which included ten fours. Some dozen overs remained to bat out, and James Madgwick (36) extracted sufficient assistance from lower order players Stefan Grosvenor and Liam Flint to take the effort beyond 200 and ask Bexley to meet a stiff task in obtaining 211 for the win.

   The reply featured a strong opening from Richie Barclay (37), who was supported by the middle batting, although progress was always somewhat laboured. Chris Pinnock (35) and skipper Rick Melbourne (33) looked to have the situation well in hand although the Wells attack fought all the way. 71-3 became 155-6 with just a handful of overs remaining, and the visiting bowlers held their nerve despite some hearty blows from Daniel Johnson at the bitter end. The target was at length defended successfully, and Wells emerged as narrow winners in a very fine tussle for supremacy.

   The win was their first of 2010, notwithstanding several close-run attempts, and was only the fifth such since Wells, by coincidence, were at Bexley in August 2008. The effect of the 18-point haul was to lift the side out of the relegation zone, and hopefully the road to survival is now fully underway. 

   Cowdrey came to the Nevill fresh from a memorable T20 triumph over a rather stronger Wells XI, took one look at conditions, and, upon winning the toss, elected to bat first in sweltering heat. The home fieldsmen then spent an afternoon chasing leather as 33 fours and 6 sixes were crashed in a dominant batting performance that enabled the promotion-chasers from Swanmead to get a step closer to their ambition.

   Skipper Mark Thompson (3-71 from ten overs) showed admirable heart in the sapping conditions, yet, aside from a brace of cheap dismissals, Cowdrey's early order tucked in for some sumptuous fare. After Nigel Keess had three-card-tricked Lewis Wright at 114-2, Glen Warner (94, 15 fours and 2 sixes) partnered the entrenched Jack Southwart (already past his 50) to add a devastating third-wicket 146 which featured an alarming acceleration in the dying overs and took the visitors' score into impregnable territory. Unlucky to miss three figures, Warner was removed by the persevering Dominic Trett (1-52), but Southwart was not to be denied, and smashed his way to a marvellous 114 before perishing a few balls later. Southwart notched 13 fours and a six, and those following tried for more quick runs, which allowed Wells a couple of late consolation wickets as the target inexorably grew.

   The chase looked at 284 for victory, but more realistically simply at lasting out the overs. In fact neither eventuality occurred, but this Wells side have frequently shown heroic stature in the face of long odds, and so it was again. James Madgwick (51) fashioned a classy half-century, around which the early order tried to provide support, but even this phase went to the visitors. Gayashan Munasinghe, that well-known Tonbridge-born Sri Lankan, was unafraid to send down the odd bumper, and reeled in a match-turning 4-51 as Wells slid to 126-7 with time and overs still remaining. Marcus Faithful (33) had added a defiant 46 with Madgwick that gave hope, while Thompson was made of sterner stuff altogether as he swashbuckled his way to a rapid 43 with 6 fours and a six to mitigate the defeat. The reply expired with just fifteen balls unused at 199, which allowed Cowdrey a full victory by 84 runs, enough to see them to the top of the table with one game left before the halfway point of the season.

   Wells re-entered the dropzone, playing a yo-yo game there with Bexley, but the spirit of the side should see them survive with more of the same in the second half of the campaign.

   The home side batted first after winning the toss, and Wells had to endure some leather-chasing as Jamie and Kieron Burrett plundered the visiting attack while adding 158 for the second wicket partnership.

   Skipper Jamie B. (91) narrowly missed three figures, while Kieron B. was also removed by the spin of Nigel Keess (2-50) for 69, although Wells had done well to constrain the batsmen throughout the long afternoon. The flow of runs continued to the end, while wickets remained hard to take on a surface made for batting, although it was difficult to know just what constituted a par score on the day. Nonington finally posted 265-4, and left Wells to go for that or merely bat out the time.

   The reply featured a long-overdue century from James Madgwick, who put together a stylish and match-saving undefeated 121 (20 fours from 92 balls) which had the dual purpose of allowing a victory push while ensuring that his side would not be all out. In the event, the wickets lost at the other end meant that the win surge would not be mounted, although the dying stages saw a new record partnership posted for the team's seventh wicket as Wes Bryce-Borthwick stood firm with Madgwick and brought the final total to within 25 runs of the target. The pair added 109 from the last sixteen overs, but the home bowlers never allowed them to get the win fully in their sights. Josh Tutton's 12 overs cost just 33 runs, and produced two wickets at vital moments.

   Once again, Wells scented victory without the final push materialising, while the defeat was another narrow one, with points gained to mitigate the loss. The XI have re-entered the relegation places, and need a couple of straight wins to overhaul Bexley and Old Brocks who occupy the places immediately ahead of them. 

   Another scorching day at the Car Park Ground saw Wells win the toss, and immediately it was decided to bat first. Greg Brunger (74) and Tim Luckhurst (83) both hit form from the outset, and settled in to 'bat time', and so well did they succeed that the twentyninth over was reached before a wicket fell. Such was their dominance, that soon a pace of five-per-over was established, and this was maintained for the duration of the long opening partnership.

   The stand had become worth 155 when Brunger (14 fours and a six) was finally caught, and it fell to the rest of the order to accelerate the runrate so that the target total would take on intimidating proportions. Luckhurst (16 fours) soon followed, and Dartfordians began to prosper with Chris Scott (3-31) making headway, but the batsmen quickly found a second wind as Sam Watts and Nigel Keess struck to or over the boundary in a quickfire session that brought the total past 250. The customary late surge for runs finally rewarded Simon Harman, whose last over from twelve netted three wickets, and the eventual nine-down score challenged Dartfordians to make 260 for victory.

   The reply was measured but never quite established the partnerships that would give the home attack cause for concern. The top three batsmen all made starts yet were undone either by the canny spin of Stefan Grosvenor (3-33) or the pace of Dommie Trett (2-40), while skipper Mark Thompson put in a welcome return to wicket-taking with 2-34 and a spectacular caught-and-bowled for the second. Scott (56) added to his allrounder status, but his effort was too little too late, and the visitors slid to a 59-run defeat with sixteen balls unused. The win was meticulously fashioned by a side unused to the experience, but showing increasing confidence and spirit despite the setbacks.

   Although still in the bottom two in the table, Wells have only to keep on winning to maintain their status, and the steady improvements being shown week by week strongly suggest that survival is not the only ambition. 

   Wells lost the toss at Chapel Meadow, and once more bowled in the afternoon heat, with great success for the mostpart as the home innings reached an all-out 181 with one over unused.

   Bobbing Court quickly lost wickets to the impressive pace of youngsters Dominic Trett and Wes Bryce-Borthwick, with a scratchy opening leading to 51-4 before skipper Gary Ryan dropped anchor, receiving support firstly from Paul Dennington (36), and later all-rounder Trevor Earl (50). Ryan constructed a vital 52 to rescue his side, while Earl rallied the lower order, and the all-out total gave the home bowlers something tangible to defend. Trett came away with KL best figures of 4-35, while Borthwick snapped up 3-37. The change bowlers met with precious little success, however, and the late recovery took advantage of the strike bowlers being rested.

   The chase was also rocked early on as Earl removed the openers, yet Nigel Keess and James Sharp (53) put together a robust and combative 90 runs for the third partnership, sadly ended when Sharp was run out. A high-point was reached at 112-2, while Keess (61) went on to marshal the lower order, but the home attack, led by Richard Gower (5-30) broke back decisively. Keess was dismissed at 155-9, and the tail was brushed aside in short order to give Bobbing Court the win.

   Although just 20 runs separated the sides at the end, Wells narrowly failed to catch Bexley in the table, and so remain in the dropzone, albeit with every chance to escape. A runfest against Westgate promises to unfold at the Car Park on the upcoming Saturday, if the earlier encounter is any guide, since more than 670 runs were scored then in an amazing afternoon.

   Batting first on the Upper Ground, Wells knew they would need a significant total after the monster runfest at Westgate, and this they proceeded to achieve in a thoroughly professional manner. The second phase was perfectly executed as well, with Mark Thompson's XI chipping away at the visitors' batting until the last man was taken with just four balls remaining.

   At the outset, the innings was guided by Greg Brunger (40), as the opening twentythree overs brought up 87-2 with James Sharp starting out on a match-turning performance that saw him smash ten fours and four sixes en route to a swashbuckling 73 from just 48 balls. After Brunger fell at 99, Sharp was joined by Tom Williams, who enjoyed the mayhem at the other end and put up some of his own as he helped post 94 for the fourth partnership from a rollicking twelve overs. First to go at 193, Sharp had seen to the establishment of a solid platform, while Williams batted on as the lower order looked for quick runs to capitalise upon the fine beginnings. Skipper Thompson and Marc Newbould added a quickfire 33 after Williams was dismissed shortly after reaching his maiden TW fifty, and the final tally of 268-7 asked Westgate to go at almost six-per-over to win.

   The chase was severely dented as Dominic Trett (3-41) and Thompson (2-11) ripped out five of the top six as the total limped to 40, Jamie Baldwin adding a run-out as the home side wreaked havoc from the start. Chris Flint (65) battled through this carnage from the number one spot, and finally found some assistance when Marcus Taylor (39) at number seven stood firm to add 53 for the sixth partnership and halt the inexorable Wells advance. Taylor lost Flint at 93, but put on a further 64 with Ross Heathcote (33) and again kept the victory charge at bay. David Green now lured two lower order men to their fate, wonderfully well-caught in the deepfield by the skipper, and spin accounted for the final wickets with the last going to the second ball of the final over. The win, by 76 runs, was a welcome boost, and was due reward for the combative resilience that the team has evinced in recent weeks.

   The 20 points gathered may not keep the XI out of the relegation places, but the renewed vigour with which the side is performing, added to their spirit and resolve, will surely see the status quo preserved for another year.

   Wells journeyed to the War Memorial Ground, where they lost the toss and were asked to field out the home innings. Dominic Trett (4-36) and captain Mark Thompson (2-26) soon rocked the batting line-up as they reduced the score to 7-2 before Benjamin Lodder (52) set about fashioning the Belvedere recovery.

   Keith Crabb (26) and Martin Gamester (31) supported the opener as the score moved past the 100-mark, until finally, after a wonderful effort, Lodder was snared at 136 to open up the lower order. Back stormed Thompson and Trett, and the innings fell away in rapid time for the addition of three more runs, with the result that Wells were left to make 140 for victory. Sam Stickler (2-42) and Stefan Grosvenor pegged away against the middle order, but the home innings had not batted out the time, and provided four extra overs for the chase should they be needed.

   The reply started off with Greg Brunger (21) and Tim Luckhurst posting 53 for the opening partnership in eighteen overs, before the latter was dismissed, which brought Stickler to the wicket to complete Belvedere's misery. The second wicket held through to the win, with Luckhurst supporting the aggressive number three with a staunch and polished not out 47 (six fours), and the target was passed with thirteen overs in hand. Stickler smote ten fours and a six en route to a 62-ball undefeated 64, and the partnership had become worth 89 when the points were reeled in. The home attack went through the innings without a wicket, the sole success having fallen to a run-out, and Wells' resurgence took a further step as the side moved up to seventh place in the Feeder Premier League.

   The XI are now a long way from the low point experienced at the start of the season, and the captain deserves much prasie for the manner in which he has resolutely guided his resources out of the trouble zone. 

   The general damp and cloud-cover delayed the start as the outfield dried out, and an important toss was won by the home skipper, who asked Bexley to bat first in a game limited to 40 overs per side. These two teams had seesawed up and down past one another for much of the season, but this time Wells put distance between the two with an emphatic victory based upon putting out the visitors for under 150.

   The innings battled steadily to a high point of 61-1, with John Olufawo (34) and Peter Mitchell (25) consolidating after an early setback, while the home attack was shuffled before settling upon a winning combination. Peter Ford (10-3-22-4) and Stefan Grosvenor (2-21) ripped the heart out of the lower and middle order once the second partnership was broken, and only a late flurry for the ninth wicket took the score up to 140 as the overs finished. Skipper Ian Mobey (21) had stood virtually alone in this second phase as the Wells spinners wreaked havoc on a helpful surface.

   The reply was also immediately troubled by the captain-to-captain removal of James Sharp, and the first innings pattern persisted with a strong second wicket stand as Greg Brunger (32) and Sam Stickler added a brisk 58 from 12 overs to thwart the visitors' bowlers. Next, the Wells third pair drew away in a boundary-studded domination that took their team past the winning line without further alarms. Stickler was especially destructive, striking eleven fours and a six en route to a vibrant, unbeaten 63, while James Madgwick (36*) cantered along in his wake as the remaining 79 runs came in nine overs to reel in the 20 points that victory brought.

   Wells move up to fifth spot in the Feeder Premier Division, and at last have some 31 points between their position and the dropzone, reflecting a long and persevering upward fight throughout the 2010 campaign. Survival is now all but guaranteed although the next match sees the side travel to nearby high-flyers Cowdrey which will be a deep examination of the team's heart and resilience.

   Wells visited the Champions lair at Tonbridge, looking to become the first side to dent the phenomenal progress made by Cowdrey - undefeated in 2010 - but, having won the toss, batted first, only to encounter a bowler-friendly surface despite some heroics, most notably from Jamie Baldwin, who opened the innings and carried his bat throughout for 39 precious runs.

   The opening partnership posted 36 runs from 16 overs, and gave no indication of the dominance of the home attack that soon became apparent. Tom Williams (22) and Baldwin made an untroubled start, and Baldwin moved to a cultured 25 out of 49-2 when the bowlers suddenly grabbed three more wickets while thirteen runs were added. Sam Watts crashed a quickfire 22, but he too became a victim of Glen Warner (5-32) and, Baldwin aside, there was little further resistance. An all-out effort of 95 was hardly the anticipated outcome, but the momentum of Cowdrey's promotion bid was not to be interrupted by their local rivals. Baldwin's undefeated 98-ball epic was all the more praiseworthy in the circumstances that unfolded.

   The chase was given a couple of early shocks as Dominic Trett (2-32) rocked the reply, removing Gayashan Munasinghe for a rare duck, but there was little enough room for manoeuvre despite a further brace of wickets falling. Warner (31 not out) and Barney Scott (18*) stabilised the innings and took Cowdrey past the winning line without further setbacks while adding an unbroken 46 runs, and the home XI took their fifteenth victory of 2010 with 23 overs in hand. Wells nonetheless reached safety of their own with the points gained, and the long, hard-fought uphill battle to remain in the top Feeder Division had successfully been accomplished.

   Nonington visited the Upper Nevill, and, winning the toss, chose to bowl first, in the hope that they would gather enough points to take the second promotion spot ahead of Bobbing Court. A sterling bowling performance was followed by a crashing century from James Sadler, and the victory that was to bring promotion came about in just 27.3 overs amid great rejoicing for the visitors.

   A cultured and graceful 56 from Tom Williams, in a rich vein of form, saw Wells to a crossroads at 101-3, as the visiting attack strove to contain the effort, spearheaded by Rob Paton with 3-37. Josh Tutton and Ross Griggs each chimed in with a brace of wickets, and it was only the delightful strokeplay of James Madgwick (53) which delayed the ambitions of the youthful Nonington XI. Five wickets, including that of Madgwick, fell in ten overs while 70 runs were eked out, but the final tally of 199-8 from the allocation somehow did not look to be enough.

   The chase was set in train by J. and M.Sadler who posted 129 in 13 overs for the opening partnership, and the hectic pace was continued to the very end, which came up with 18 overs to spare. J.Sadler reached a match-winning 109 in that time, becoming Ed Prest's sole victim at 196 with just four required for the momentous outcome, duly achieved shortly afterwards. The whirlwind dash to victory overlooked the courageous work of the home attack, but fortune favoured the bold approach, and the lack of a fuller target total fatally undermined the bowlers' task.

   Events confirmed that Nonington had achieved their aim to rise up into the next Division, but Wells, too, enjoyed the satisfaction that a long and hard campaign had been successfully conducted under their popular skipper Mark Thompson, with a final position of seventh to look back upon after a scary and unlucky start to the season. The entire ethos within the XI had been happily rebuilt, while the ultimate goal must remain to return to the main KL Competition.