Wells II won the toss and elected to bat first, with mixed results as the score ended up a shade under par as the overs ran out.

   Nigel Keess set the innings going with a bright opening 24, which was built upon as Jamie Baldwin and Harry Florry took the score to 71-1 before Baldwin was caught behind. Skipper Tim Luckhurst added a careful and measured 59 for the second partnership with Florry, who played some certain and commanding drives for four through the cover and leg arcs on his way to a very fine half-century. Following the dismissal of Luckhurst, Brough Cooper joined Florry in the best play of the innings, all too brief as both were to fall within a few balls of one another, with the final five overs left to drag the score past two hundred. This last phase saw the Bromley attack strangle five victims in all, and the expected late progress did not materialize as the visitors were left to make 209 for victory.

   In a dazzling repeat of the 2009 scoreline, openers Stephen Bailes and Sadiq Hassan crashed the home bowlers all round the park en route to a ten-wicket defeat, Hassan blasting another century, this time from 106 balls. It was small consolation to Wells that they made him bat longer for this undefeated effort than that of two seasons before ~ then his 139* had taken just 87 balls. Nonetheless, the ten-wicket defeat was repeated as more than 200 runs were again blitzed in a little more than 31 overs, Bailes supporting his partner past three figures while compiling a rapid undefeated 79. Wells had to be content thus with just the batting points gained from a game that had promised so much more. The coming Saturday sees them hosting Bexley II at The Nevill.

   Another coin-toss went Wells' way, and Tim Luckhurst asked Bexley to take first knock on a greenish top with the possibility of rain about later in the day. In the event, no interruptions were met from the weather, and a quality reply from the home batsmen transcended the earlier events as victory was forced by five wickets. On the day, only nine wickets fell through all but ninety-eight overs of play.

   Bexley quickly lost two important wickets as the home catching demonstrated high quality, Nigel Keess and Chris Fenwick making outstanding efforts, and the score crept to 31-2 before Richie Barclay found steady support from Murtaza Abbas. The resultant third partnership of 107 took the innings far from the diffident beginnings, but Wells did not help themselves as five chances were grounded in this central phase. Nonetheless, the attack gamely kept the runrate to manageable proportions, in spite of the delightful play of Barclay and Abbas, and, taking a fourth wicket at 175, slowed the final sprint to just 45 runs from the closing overs, thus setting a target to chase of 221. Barclay stroked seven fours and a six in his cultured knock of 70, while Abbas carried his bat for an undefeated 93 that included 14 fours.

   The home response was given a marvellous start as Keess played a dashingly delightful innings of 77 that set the tone for the chase and gave Wells the impetus to follow through. Departing at 118-2, Keess had picked off a dozen boundaries whilst ensuring that the asking rate was met, yet the visiting bowlers struck back to remove three wickets for the addition of just fifteen runs. Sam Watts was now joined by Nick Chambers at 133-5, with both batsmen on nought, and the game at a crossroads, and these two players launched the bowlers for 80 glorious runs in nineteen overs to put Wells decisively on the victory path. Watts hammered four fours and a six, and Chambers weighed in with five fours, pulling the hitherto economical Paul Thorburn over mid-wicket time and again, until the first-named batsman was finally removed at 213. The last rites being accomplished, Wells cantered home with seventeen balls and five wickets to spare, Chambers finishing with an undefeated 42.

   The result pushed TW II into second spot in the Table, but having played one more game than their rivals.

   The toss went Wells' way, and the home batsmen were asked to bat first and set a target. In the event, the 248-5 that was the eventual tally proved to be more than adequate, much to the consternation of the visitors. The four-man attack that Wells were able to put into the field strove to keep the innings within bounds, but, unluckily, they were to lose a key player when 'keeper James Sharp had to be taken to Hospital for a suspected broken thumb, and the home batting seemed to pull away thereafter.

   The score reached 77-1 when drinks were taken, Jack Laraman showing his all-round skills with a fine knock of 57, which, at this stage was halfway towards completion. A second wicket fell straight after the break, but now the injury disrupted matters, and Paul Richards, in particular, surged ahead. Richards crashed fourteen fours and a six in a 55-ball 86, his partnership for the third wicket with Laraman posting 83, to be followed by more merry-making as the last eleven overs produced 86 runs while the bowlers took three more wickets. Nonetheless, 249 for victory had the appearance of being attainable, even with ten men.

   Wells set off with high ambitions, and went well as the score moved along to 138-3 at the 30-over stage. Jamie Baldwin (39) and Harry Florry (36) had played sensibly and with the required alacrity, and further support was forthcoming from Tim Luckhurst (38*) as the target was gradually brought within range. At this juncture, however, disaster struck as three wickets, including the captain, tumbled without addition, and suddenly eighteen overs required to be negotiated just to secure a drawn game. The loss of Sharp was now bitterly felt, but the headlong dive to defeat was singularly unexpected. Laraman (4-30) spun his way to cleverly-lured wickets, with telling support from Philip Mayes (4-54 from a marathon spell), and Wells found that survival was a step too far as the innings folded for 151 after 36.5 overs of play.

   The Lordswood win was both comprehensive and complete, and Wells took just four points from the encounter, an unfortunate outcome to a game that had promised so much. It is to be fervently hoped that the injured Sharp will soon be restored to full health.

   Wells won the toss, to complete a trio of such on the day, and put Sandwich Town in to bat. The decision was quickly vindicated as Matt Green snapped up two wickets while the total sagged to 31-3, but there the inroads ceased awhile as Ryan Davis (47) and Zack Fagg (42) pulled away in a fourth partnership of 64. Michael Churchill (3-54) now intervened to break up the recovery but not before the home batting had got to 156 by the time that the sixth wicket was taken. Dom Trett struck for a second time at 187, but that was the last success for the visiting attack as Daniel and Liam Evans added an unbroken 53 to set a target of 237 for victory, the former reaching a notable not out 52 as the overs ran out.

   The chase featured a dominant and trail-blazing century that ensured a happy ending for Wells, Jamie Baldwin emphatically returning to form in an authoritative innings that lasted throughout the entire reply. His undefeated 115 came with exquisite timing, as the victory was achieved with a mere eleven balls (and five wickets) to spare, vital partnerships towards the end ensuring the result after a diffident first phase.

   Sandwich Town struck quickly as Wells set off to make 237, and, after Harry Florry had suggested permanence with a steady 23 out of 46, wickets fell suddenly to reduce Wells to 84-4, and a long road lay ahead. Baldwin was not out 34 at this point, and was joined by Sam Watts (48) in a crucial yet marvellous partnership that realized 101 runs at the required tempo, and broke the back of the task as they set the effort back on track. When Watts fell just two short of his fifty, Theo Burley took his place, and, with Baldwin, now took Wells home without further loss. Burley and Baldwin judged the run-in to a nicety, putting on the required 54 in an unbroken sixth stand, and passing the target total with just under two overs in hand.

   Wells took 16 points from the game, which restored them to second spot in the Table, as they returned to winning form in a fine all-round display. They now have a gap of two weeks in which they move from a game in front to a game in hand on their rivals.

   The visitors won the toss and asked Wells to bat first on a wicket initially thought to be helpful to the bowlers, although, throughout the match, the conditions favoured the respective attacks far more clearly.

   Despite some awkward lateral movement, the home openers were equal to the Dartford wiles, and a sound basis was soon put in place by Mark Alexander and Jamie Baldwin, as the first wicket produced 92 runs from 22 overs. Baldwin was first to depart following a fluent and dominant 66-ball 54 (9 fours), and Alexander left at 106-2, by which time Harry Florry was into his stride on the way to a secure and sensible 54 with four fours. The attack now gained due reward for telling effort as the score slipped to 125-4 before Sam Stickler joined Florry to add 72 important runs at a run-per-ball as the closure loomed. The last few overs saw more wickets tumble, but the 200 was successfully passed, and Dartford were asked to make 213 from their 50 overs.

   Somehow the target looked a little on the short side, but the makeshift Wells attack, based upon the spin twinning of Nigel Keess and David Green, held their own and slowed down the victory charge just as it had begun to look irreversible. The story began with Dominic Trett selflessly providing the pace element following injuries eleswhere, and the Dartford chase was kept to 76-3 after seventeen overs. The contest now took shape in earnest as skipper Sean Parker (58), with support from Gregg Dassrath (45), pulled away in a fourth partnership of 81 that looked to have victory in sight. Keess (4-55) now induced some loose hitting, and Chris Fenwick held two marvellous deepfield catches, and at length the batting effort stalled. Stickler was finally produced to close out the run-in, Keess grabbed another wicket, and Dartford just fell short as the equation lengthened. Both sides lost six wickets, and both possibly felt that the batting had underplayed its role, but a grand game ended with a draw in Wells' favour as the team batting first.

   So well did the home bowlers perform at the death that the last four overs yielded just fifteen runs at a time when the ask was little better than a run-per-ball, and Wells ended up in seventh spot in the Table, separated from fourth place by just 15 points and all to play for.

   The toss went with the home side in un-Summery conditions, the threat of rain from the dark clouds ever present, and a start was made a little later than expected, with the loss of three overs per side. The rain in fact never really came down terminally although several stop-start episodes occurred, the most fortunate break arising shortly after the two sides adjourned for tea just after the Bickley innings had been completed.

   The visitors set off carefully, with Richard Potter (32) anchoring the effort while Glynn Francis provided the impetus with a fluent 28. The first wicket produced 37 runs from 12 overs, but after that, the home attack held sway to such an extent that the remaining 28 overs produced just 96 painstaking runs for the loss of the remaining wickets. Indeed, a rate of three-per-over at times was luxury unlimited, as Michael Churchill, David Green and the opening bowlers dominated the proceedings. From 92-3, the final seven wickets added just 41 runs in eleven overs in the deepening gloom, and at length the Wells batsmen were set 134 to win from a possible 54 overs, which was reduced following the post-tea rain delay. Churchill bagged 3-47 and Green 2-40, both from 14 testing overs, and Dominic Trett returned to remove the tail with consecutive deliveries, only skipper Gordon Darroch (21) having resisted for any time in the middle order.

   The reply had 39 overs in which to overhaul the target, following lengthy mopping-up operations, and, Bickley's bowlers had much the better of the opening exchanges as the total struggled to 18-1 from the first nine. Jamie Baldwin and Harry Florry then posted 58 for the second partnership from 18 overs, and the equation narrowed at this point with fifteen overs remaining to get the balance of 66 runs. Both were dismissed within a few balls of one another, and the responsibility for the victory charge now rested on the broad and capable shoulders of Brough Cooper to bring about the required outcome. Cooper, currently in outstanding form, crashed six fours and an enormous six en route to a gallant and match-winning not out 45, taking 42 balls, and timing his effort to a nicety. Three further wickets were lost in the uncertainty as the chase neared completion, but Churchill hit the winning runs with three overs to spare to reel in the sixteen points, and put Wells into fifth spot with a game in hand on their opponents.

   The match ended in almost complete sunshine, albeit that the late evening light was failing fast, and the third bat-second win was gained on a day when many others had suffered abandoned contests.

   Winning the toss, Wells put Blackheath in to bat, and staked all upon a bat-second win following a week of rain. The Rectory Field in fact played fairly well, but suited the home attack somewhat better, or so it seemd, when the impact made was scrutinised closely.

   The home skipper, William Hickman (34) provided the rock upon which the Wells bowlers floundered, for he batted from over fifteen (at 44-3) through to over fortyfour by which time the tally had been raised to 118-9. The attack, for the rest, was in command, with Nigel Keess spinning out five men for 34 in 12 overs, and Matt Green snapping up 2-31, unfortunately with numerous no-balls. Parsimonious analyses were the rule, however, and the runrate per over was generally kept to three or below. Hickman received support at first from Tom Slater (19), and later, crucially, from number ten Shojib Ali (29), who lay about him with great effect to net four fours and a six just when the innings seemed to be over, doing harm to Keess' figures in passing. The last two wickets added an improbable 43 runs, and Wells were left to make 126 for the win.

   The reply started with the non-striker being run out, and thereafter struggled fitfully to overcome the skills of Ali, who ventured into all-round territory by grabbing 4-22 in ten overs. The Wells top order was swept away as the score drifted to 53-6 from 20 overs, and the game looked to have slipped away irrevocably. At length, Sam Stickler (31) showed resolve and carried the battle back to the home attack as he added 29 precious runs with Keess, using up thirteen overs in the process. Suddenly, Blackheath broke back to remove both players and the number ten in three overs, and, at 92-9, with 34 needed, it looked all over for the visitors. The youthful last pair, comprising Matt and David Green, now posted an epic 32 runs, with only one boundary, and edged ever nearer as the unexpected partnership flourished and the tension mounted. The century was reached , and then 110, and, unbelievably, the 120, as the last wicket held through twelve long and nerve-rending overs. Finally, two runs were all that were needed, when the younger brother lifted a catch from the persevering Saqib Hussein (3-21) and the courageous victory bid was thwarted so very close to landfall. The erstwhile League Leaders emerged as winners by a single run after a most exciting and entertaining match in which all played their part.

   Inevitably, searching analyses looked for reasons, and indeed there could be said to be many, such is the nature of the wonderful game that is cricket. Better perhaps for all to come away wiser and more accomplished after such a game than to seek blame. After all, this very XI put its supporters through four similar tight finishes in 2010, and only once felt the pain of defeat. Wells moved to seventh place in the Table, there being few points in the game for them, while Blackheath secured their second position as Bromley retained the lead. TW entertain The Oystermen from Whitstable at The Nevill in the upcoming Saturday game.

   Wells won the toss and asked Whitstable to take first knock on what seemed to be a greentop. Whatever the theory, the practise produced the classical stencil for a chase as the home attack restricted the visiting innings to set up the game.

   Apart from a defiant if pedestrian half-century from James Loader, the visiting batsmen were at sea after the aggressive Byron Gould was removed at 33-3. Loader (55) engaged in a grimly obdurate fourth partnership of 78 with John Butterworth (24) that spanned twenty-eight overs, but never entirely broke free of the home stranglehold. Matt Green (2-35) and Dom Trett (3-25) provided the pace, and cleaned up the tail in second spells, while David Green (2-57) put in a 14-over stint that kept the tempo manageable at around three-per-over, and Sam Stickler shaped the ball enough to snap up 2-25. Jack Crouch lay about him effectively as the closure loomed, smashing four fours in a 32-ball 29, but the target that was produced after 50 overs was 177 for the win.

   The key effort in the chase came from Harry Florry, whose 99-ball 70 (8 fours), took the load off his colleagues as the platform was formed. Despite five successive maiden overs at the outset, Jamie Baldwin assisted Florry to add 59 for the second wicket from 16 overs, whereupon Florry raised the runrate with some lovely timing as he neared his half-century. Sam Watts and Stickler in turn provided support until Florry feathered one to the 'keeper at 148, and the equation narrowed. 46 runs had been needed from 48 balls while Stickler reconnoitred, and upon Florry's dismissal, he unfurled a series of telling boundaries. 35 from 36 became 16 from 24, and finally Stickler crashed 4-3-4 from five balls to bring up the win with ten balls to spare and four wickets in hand.

   Undefeated on 37, Stickler had ensured that Wells took the game, and the sixteen points, which moved the XI to sixth spot in the lists, and still with a game in hand over their rivals.

   Bexley won the toss at Manor Way and put Wells in to bat, and the first fifteen overs yielded just fifty-seven runs for the loss of two wickets. There was no indication of the transformation that was about to take place, and the expectation remained that the match would be one of low scores.

   The captain, Tim Luckhurst, had opened the innings, and now was joined by Brough Cooper, and the pattern of events was altered as the bowlers were held at bay for the next twenty-one overs. Luckhurst finally hit form with a defiant 54 (seven fours) and posted 106 with Cooper, who had reached a fearsome not out 80 when his captain departed, and now personally added a further barnstorming 55 runs from the final thirteen overs. Cooper reached a remarkable KL century from 99 balls, accelerating at an alarming rate, with his final 35 coming from just twelve balls, the undefeated 135 including sixteen fours and four sixes, and whichever the cause and effect, this display of power hitting allowed Luckhurst to close the innings and ask Bexley to make 246 from 53 overs. Sam Stickler added an unbroken 58 with Cooper, who took out his bat after a memorable display of pyrotechnics.

   The chase was briefly disturbed when a wicket fell after eleven overs, but Daniel Haley (75) and Alex Pinnock (58) put on a secure and consolidating 97 for the second wicket that threatened the hitherto one-way course of the match. Haley was suddenly run out at 134 after batting splendidly for thirty-one overs, and Pinnock (A) departed at 149 five overs later when Chris Fenwick bowled him to set off a late spell of 4-4 which sent the reply into siege mentality. Another Baldwin run-out and a Matt Green wicket turned the collapse into a freefall with six wickets crashing for eighteen runs in eight overs, and still nine overs remained. Chris Pinnock (15) anchored the last-ditch rearguard but he too perished to Green (M) at 150, but those extra three overs availed Wells nothing as the last pair kept the attack at bay, and a draw became the outcome.

   Wells drew satisfaction from gaining the maximum 14 points from the Winning Draw, but that final resistance was a setback after so much fine work had been put into the game. These matters notwithstanding, Wells moved up to fifth place in the Table, and they, with a game in hand, are poised nicely for a late assault on the positions above them.

   Sandwich Town visited The Nevill with a relatively illustrious second XI, sporting two Academy stars in their line-up, and made a spirited chase to net the points, after winning the toss and asking Wells to have first knock. The surface played well for those who wished to take the chance although effort balls from either attack were difficult to despatch.

   Mark Alexander (52) graced the opening overs with a vintage half-century that sparkled with trademark boundaries, launching the innings at four-per-over in partnership with Jamie Baldwin (26), and the partnership had become worth 71 when the latter was caught-and-bowled. Alexander unluckily played on at 93-2, whereupon the runrate subsided as Harry Florry and Tom Elliott ~ fresh from a World Tour ~ collected their energies for a late assault on the bowlers, which was attempted as Elliott accelerated towards his fifty in the final overs. These two batsmen posted 88 for the third wicket from 21 overs, but there were only 20 balls left when each had been dismissed, and the subsequent race for a fourth batting point led to Sandwich gaining two bowling points as that target was attained from the final delivery. Florry made 47 and Elliott reached his 50 with seven fours.

   The reply was jolted with a first-ball wicket for Matt Green, but Tom Chapman (60) showed his pedigree in a stylish and commanding innings that took the score up to 111-3 from 28 overs. Liam Collins (20) assisted Chapman as 72 runs came for the second stand, followed by Stephen Murphy, who made several fierce hits ~ one of which severely endangered Chapman ~ on his way to a 47-ball 41. David Green (3-37) had made his mark as a spinner while the game see-sawed between the sides, but here Tammy Beaumont (30) played a decisive hand in bringing the victory to the visitors. Briliantly stumped in the final over, she had guided the chase from over 29, and departed with just two needed from three balls. A second misfield within the space of four deliveries allowed the winning runs, and a splendid match was decided in favour of Sandwich Town by four wickets with just two balls remaining.

   Once again a narrow finish occurred on the main Nevill Ground, and, although the spoils did not go to the home side, Wells remained safely positioned at sixth in the Table, with Sandwich leapfroggong over them as the pair jostled for the places.

   The toss went to the home side, who elected to bat first, and underwent a drubbing at the hands of the Wells attack. Recalling their astonishing one-run home defeat from 2010 clearly rankled still with the visitors, or, if not that, certainly there was a strong determination to dominate.

   With some twenty overs still to be played out, the Hayes innings had crashed to 86-9, before last ditch resistance brought about a bravado 61 for the final wicket. Yet the tale commenced with Dom Trett taking two-in-two in his opening over, emulated by new-ball partner Sam Stickler in over number four, and, despite neither man getting a hat-trick, the total had slid to 22-5 before Malcolm Brown and skipper Colin Couldrey added 39 for the sixth wicket. Trett went on to snap up 4-46, meanwhile Jamie Baldwin and David Green now grabbed three wickets to keep the skids on the batting line-up. Then came tenth pair Andy Jackson (32) and Anthony Sharpe (33*) to halt the inexorable direction of the game, so that the overs were almost batted out and the visitors needed the KL Chairman to mop up the last man, leaving T/Wells to make 148 for victory.

   The loss of Mark Alexander at 31 simply served to bring in Harry Florry to partner Baldwin in an unbroken winning stand of 117 which clinched the sixteen points with barely a scare, finishing the job with all but twenty overs in hand. (Three overs had not been used in the Hayes innings and so fell to the side batting second). Florry came in with an unshakable not out 58, while Baldwin carried his bat for a cultured 67, the win coming up in the 34th over, lifting the side to fifth place in the Table and still with that game in hand.

   Wells won the toss and asked the League Leaders to bat first, and Dominic Trett (2-39) rocked the home innings as the score slipped to 20-2 with two good men back in the hutch. Skipper Robert Dummer (57) set about a recovery with Andrew Naipaul (54) which saw 118 vital runs added for the third wicket thus blunting the strong early showing from Wells.

   Dummer finally holed out to the spin of David Green at 138, but the resistance was carried on by Naipaul with Mathew Horder (26) providing support. Matt Green broke through at 176-3 setting up another fine phase for the visitors as four further wickets fell while the score rose by an uncertain 28 runs. Chris Tooley (36*) added some sparkle to the closing stages, and the target was set at 245 for victory as the overs ran out.

   The reply fell headlong to a disastrous 17-3 with Wasim Hoque grabbing all three for next to nothing, but again a recovery stemmed the tide. Skipper Tim Luckhurst (35) was joined by newly-promoted James Madgwick (42) and together these two added 73 to repair the damage as the fourth wicket stand kept the battle alive. However, Jon Froome (4-30) and Scott Edmed precipitated another collapse and four Wells wickets crashed for 13 to leave the innings struggling on 103-7. Important overs were now used up as a lower order pair mounted a further fightback to take the game at least into loss avoidance territory: Jamie Lawrence (32) and David Green (25*) put on an eighth partnership of fifty-eight runs, which allowed Wells the slim chance of holding out for the draw. Bromley tried to wrap up the match, and indeed reduced the innings to nine down, but the last wicket held for the final couple of overs and Wells escaped defeat.

   The XI retain their game in hand and stay at sixth in the Table, with some tough games to come. The batting, usually so dominant and unruffled, for once had some testing moments, which will need to be overcome as the campaign nears its end.

   Wells visited Hesketh Park and there lost the toss, being asked to take first innings on the lifeless track that awaited them, managing a highly creditable four-per-over total from their fifty overs that netted the full tally of batting points while challenging the home XI to match their endeavours.

   The visitors' total owed much to the pedigree skills of Tom Eliott (49) and Oli Priestman (48), who battled hard for their runs while steering their side past three figures for just two down. The second-wicket partnership proved to be the platform upon which the middle and lower order built, with Brough Cooper, Sam Stickler and David Green adding priceless runs down the list. The home attack persevered manfully, with Eddie Stanford and Lee Crane grabbing three wickets apiece, and, as the innings closed at 206 for nine, honours seemed to be fairly evenly shared.

   The reply encountered the same difficulty in getting the ball away as had the first innings, with Wells soon pairing speed and spin to make the best of the situation. But first came the opening spells from the speedsters that were comfortably countered by Dartford's top two of Jim Lowrie and Joe Murphy in getting the chase off to a steady start. The introduction of Stickler (S) and Priestman reaped rewards however, with four wickets going down as the century was posted. Kevin Webb (26) and Crane (31*) gave the final twenty overs some spirited intent but Nigel Keess (3-11) snuffed out any threat that the required total would be reached. The runs/wickets equation finally prevented further manoeuvre, and Dartford held on for the draw. The brothers Stickler each bagged a brace of catches in a tidy outfield display.

   Wells took thirteen points from the match, which was thus a happily favourable venture, and they moved up a place to fifth in the lists, and shortly stand to play off their game in hand. This asset should enable the campaign to augment the success already attained.

   Wells journeyed to Bickley where they encountered Richard Horner in devastating form, followed by a remarkable rainstorm that held up play for a considerable time before a resumption could be made. The toss was won by the home side, who elected to take the field first, a decision that was soon greeted with extraordinary success.

   The Wells line-up was in disarray almost from the opening salvos, and wickets fell steadily as the score slid to 30-4 whereupon the skies opened. The delay did not save the visitors, but Nigel Keess (30) batted grittily to defy the seemingly inevitable decline as Horner grabbed 5-17, and the late order rallied somewhat to see the final total to 95 and give the bowlers a chance. James Madgwick made 18 and added 25 with Keess, who put on successive twenytwos with Marcus O'Riordan and David Green to defy the Bickley bowlers, but the end came just before thirty overs had been sent down, and the target of 96 had seventy overs available for the chase.

   Bickley did not enjoy batting any more than had Wells, with Matt Green grabbing an early wicket, but the second pair saw the score up to 51 as Matt Russell and Frank Strachan knuckled down. Sam Stickler (3-15) now broke through, and Dom Trett removed Strachan for 22, a high score on the day, to give the home side the jitters with the total slipping suddenly to 63-5. Paul Bunn (23*) now stepped up to save his side in spite of tempting spin from Keess, and the required total was reached for the loss of one further wicket to give Bickley the points. 

   The four wicket defeat was hardly what Wells required in the run-in, but, although they slid to seventh place in the Table, they retain a game in hand which is to be played off in the upcoming weekend. It must be hoped that the inherent advantage contained there is not negated by the weather. An interesting feature of the match was the second XI debut of O'Riordan, aged just 13 and 207 days, thought to be the youngest player in the Club's history to appear at this level.

   Wells gave a clinically destructive field performance in this match after winning the toss and asking second-placed Blackheath to take first knock.

  The visitors were soon put under great pressure as the home attack kept good lines, and never allowed the batsmen the freedom to play their shots as over after over was on the mark. Two outstanding slip-catches were held, and the groundwork was sharp, Will Stickler giving a masterclass in close-in fielding, and the bowlers responded nobly to this tightness. Brothers Chris and Jamie Lawrence were re-united on the cricket field for the first time since (probably) their U15 days, and they snapped up 3-46 and 1-20 from 24.1 overs collectively, while main honours went to Dom Trett with 4-20 as Blackheath tumbled to 122 all out from 44.1 overs. Opener Jamal Patterson topscored with 27, while Ahmed Akbari made 21 down the order, and the rest were undone by the home disciplines. Theo Burley took five catches behind the wicket on a day when it all went right for Wells.

   The chase saw 60 runs arrive from eighteen overs with Stickler (W) and Tim Luckhurst showing delightful form, followed by Harry Florry with James Madgwick taking the home side to an eight-wicket win after the openers had been dismissed, the effort needing just 32 of the 55 overs available. It was all wrapped up tidily to give Wells the points, and they moved a step nearer to the third spot that would crown their campaign. Curiously, this was the sixth bat-second win of the year for TW II, who have yet to record a bat-first maximum.

   Wells played off their game-in-hand at The Nevill on BH Monday against already-relegated Hayes, and the home batsmen set up all manner of records as they posted three hundred and ten for two wickets before a declaration saved the visitors' attack further humiliation. It is thought to be the best total made by the second string in the KL competition, certainly so in the Premier version of the top Division for Second XIs.

   Wells won the toss and batted, but Hayes actually removed two fine batsmen before the avalanche began with the score on 47 for 2 after eight overs. At this point, Will Stickler was joined by Tom Elliott, and the next thirty-one overs were to see 252 runs added at tremendous pace for the third partnership before the innings was closed to allow the home bowlers a good chance to reel in the points. Even so, the wicket was not in the least bowler-friendly, and Hayes were able to comfortably bat out the 60 overs on offer, notwithstanding the asking rate of five-per-over.

   Stickler (W) played second fiddle as Elliott rampaged along, the number four soon overtaking the opener en route to a massive aggregate score. At drinks after 25 overs, he had reached a barnstorming 89 not out with sixteen fours and one six, going on to add a further six fours and another huge six as he motored along at five-per-over himself, and a magnificent partnership flourished as first the century stand was reached, then the two hundred and finally the two-fifty mark. Stickler accumulated as well, and was four short of three figures when Elliott at length holed out for a marvellous 160 out of 252 for the third wicket, easily a new best for the Club. Hayes were set 311 for victory at the closure after 40 overs. Stickler's century duly arrived, unusually the second time he had reached that level along with a team-mate in the same innings. 

   To their great credit, Hayes did not roll over, and indeed Wells only managed five wickets from the sixty overs, and a draw was the outcome, the wicket the winner. Delrick Adikari made 81, and Rob Jones 52, and most of the batsmen clambered in on the innocuous track. Wells took 12 points and can still become the third-placed side if all goes well in the final week. 

  Wells visited Whitstable where the home team won the toss and chose to bat, and the visitors' bowlers initially prospered as the total slipped to 78-4 from nineteen overs. Chris Lawrence and David Green each bagged a pair of wickets in this period of play, but then the batsmen stole the show with Seth Simmons in the limelight.

  The fourth partnership posted a whirlwind 123 in seventeen overs as Simmons and John Butterworth (45) set about the bowlers with a welter of boundaries both to and over the line, collectively crashing ten fours and seven sixes between them. The onslaught was slowed momentarily as Jamie Lawrence snapped up three wickets but the cost was commensurate with the punishment that Simmons continued to mete out. A further four fours and four sixes propelled him past three figures and on to a blitzing undefeated 145 when the overs ran out, meanwhile the three hundred had been brought up and Wells had managed an expensive additional four wickets. 

  The chase suffered a stunning blow when Piers Richardson (5-43) removed both openers in his first over with the score at 4-2, but Harry Florry and Sam Stickler (57) steadied the ship and consolidated in a third stand of 107 that took up 23 overs and set the platform for the chase. Florry remained defiantly at one end while the Whitstable bowlers worked through the list, finally falling at 134-6 for a stoical battling 60 (nine fours), but the wasteful fall of the middle order stymied the effort and tilted the game decisively toward the home side. At 144-9, it seemed all over, but Lawrence (C) took the long handle to the Whitstable bowlers as he lashed four fours and two sixes in a 28-ball 43 that spectacularly prolonged the innings. Indeed, he and Dom Trett set a new last wicket IIs record stand by adding 41 together. However, defeat duly came, and Wells had to be satisfied with a creditable equal fourth spot in the Table after a splendid campaign that had promised even more.