Captain Jarryd Taig won’t underestimate Bickley Park as Canterbury visit the Kent League Premier Division basement boys on Saturday.

Both teams were promoted from the Championship in 2023.

Canterbury are 10 points ahead of second-bottom Sandwich Town. Bickley Park are at the foot of the table, albeit only three points adrift and seven points from safety.

Taig said: “They have some good players in there that we know from last year. They can take a game away from you.

“We had success on the road at their ground last year - we chased down a big total - so it’s not a ground we don’t like going to.

"If we can get a couple of wins going into the pink-ball side of the season, that’ll be good.”

Taig thinks the city club are on course to maintain their top-flight status this season as it stands, expecting them to become stronger at the back-end of the summer.

“We knew, if we could win four or five games in the first half of the season, we would be there or thereabouts,” he explained.

“Our strength comes in the latter side of the season when it tends to dry up and our slower bowlers do a bit more of a job that’s needed, compared to earlier on in the season.

“We said we’d be in good stead with three, four or five wins from the first half.”

Canterbury earned a five-wicket win over Sandwich Town at Polo Farm.

Lewis White (2-32), Italian overseas international Anthony Mosca (2-41) and Ben Rutherford (2-43) got among the wickets in Sandwich’s 50-over total of 209-8.

Canterbury were then led safely across the line with eight balls to spare, largely thanks to all-rounder Mosca (77 not out) and Ben Marsh (56).

“The pitch was very slow and low, so I sort of changed our bowling plans up a little bit,” reflected the skipper. “But I think we adapted quite well.

“It wasn’t a turning wicket but they had slower bowlers, as well, so it was quite an even game.

"You had to be quite skilled with the bat - as you can see, no one really kicked on, apart from AJ (Mosca), our overseas.”

While a score had previously proved elusive for Marsh, he had already caught Taig’s eye this season.

Taig said: “It was good to finally see him get runs.

“He applied himself because he was in from the third ball.

"It was one of those decks where you had to know that you weren’t going to score quickly and needed to apply yourself into the innings. I thought he and Ben Rutherford did that really well.

“They saw off the new, harder ball, and got us to the first drinks break. As we set up our run-chase, we said that we wanted to have wickets in hand, going into the end.

"AJ went in after Ben Rutherford got out for 40-odd and did his job of rotating it around, being busy in those middle overs through the experience he has.

“But it was good to see Ben get a few on the scoreboard. He looked chuffed with himself.”

St Lawrence & Highland Court are set to host leaders Minster in a top-of-the-table game this Saturday.

Darren Stevens-inspired St Lawrence & Highland Court returned to second last weekend, now 23 points off the summit, seeing off hosts Blackheath by 79 runs.

Stevens fired 121 off 97 balls during their 50-over total of 306-8, well supported by Oliver Curtiss (65).

Opening bowler Joseph Payne (5-44) then left Blackheath well short of their target.