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There was double success for Kent’s cricketers over the weekend as Bexley were crowned ECB National Club Championship winners at Lord’s.
While Kent were beating Lancashire to be crowned Royal London One-Day Cup champions at Trent Bridge on Saturday, Kent League Premier Division Bexley earned a final-ball final victory over Cheshire County League outfit Nantwich by just a single run on the same day.
Half-centuries from wicketkeeper Ben Aldred (68) and opener Shaun Evans (56) helped them post 241-8 from their 40 overs.
There was also a late cameo from captain Adam Riley, the former Kent spinner, who chipped in at the end with a 13-ball 18 not out.
In Nantwich’s response, opening bowler Adam Ball (3-37) - another former Kent player - removed captain Raymond Doyle, caught behind by Aldred, for a golden duck before Marcus Stables joined Chis Simpson and they put on 56 together, as they enjoyed the short boundary on one side.
But Riley (1-45) then made another breakthrough in the 14th over, trapping Simpson for 12.
Stables went on to make 51 before being run-out when Luke Robinson drove straight back at Riley, and he deflected the ball onto the stumps. Jake Pearson didn’t hang around for long before being bowled by Freddie Foster (1-61) but, at the halfway stage at 95-4 and with Robinson going well, Nantwich’s target was still very reachable.
Robinson looked to have everything under control until Riley brought Ball back. He fancied the short boundary but he could only hoist it straight into the air for Anish Patel to hold his nerve to take an excellent catch and Robinson was out for 75.
It was then up to Spencer Byatt to hold the innings together while wickets fell at the other end.
Philip Stockton went for a run which was never there and was sent back but couldn't beat Aldred’s throw to Shaun Evans. Oliver Griffiths then tried to hit Kent’s Jas Singh (1-54) over the top, but Evans made a brilliant catch in front of the pavilion at the Home of Cricket.
However, Byatt found a willing ally in Scott Wardley, and they went into the last two overs needing 13 to win. Ball bowled Wardley in the fifth ball of the penultimate over.
That left Nantwich needing eight off the final over, although a tie would have seen them champions on a boundary count.
Byatt turned down a single off the first ball of Evans’ over before scoring two off the second ball of the over.
When he reverse-swept the third ball to the short boundary for four, they looked home and hosed but he couldn't find a gap off the next two balls.
And he could only hit the final ball straight back to Evans, who ran-out Jimmy Warrington, leaving Byatt on 59 not out as the Bexley celebrations started.
“Huge congrats to @AdamRiley92 and everyone @BexleyCC,” Kent skipper Sam Billings wrote on Twitter.
“A great day for @KentCricket.”
Kent head coach Matt Walker said: “Many congratulations to all at @BexleyCC!
“[A] special day all round for Kent cricket!”
Reacting to his side’s win, Bexley skipper Riley wrote: “Speechless.”