Years of hard work paid off for Canterbury as they sealed a Kent League Premier Division return as Championship champions.

Canterbury last played in the top flight in 2019 but, having already sealed promotion, they ensured they would head back to the Premier Division as champions with a one-wicket away win against Whitstable last Saturday.

First-team club captain Jarryd Taig said: “It’s been a long three or four years rebuilding since Covid, so it was good to see it pay off.

“I thought it was well-deserved after the season we have had.”

Defeat at The Belmont could potentially have seen Bickley Park pip Canterbury to the title.

But Tom Davis (3-49) restricted Whitstable to 196 all out before Jarred Lysaught’s unbeaten 74 from 59 balls - which included some seven maximums - got Canterbury across the line in the 38th over to spark joyous scenes.

“It was pretty tense there for a while but to get over the line was pretty good,” said 25-year-old Taig.

“There were good club celebrations afterwards. We had our prize-giving straight away and coming back from Whitstable wasn’t too far for that.

“The team deserved it.”

Skipper Taig missed Canterbury’s run-in himself through a pulled hamstring, with Isaac Dilkes taking over in his absence.

He explained: “Thankfully enough, we had Isaac who stepped up. It was pretty seamless so there wasn’t much of a change - myself coming out of the middle order was probably the only difference.

“It was good to see three or four leaders stand up.

“Hopefully, we can keep them around.”

Others to help guide Canterbury to glory included Lysaught and spinner Syan Bulathsinhala.

But Taig said: “The best thing was that it felt like everyone had done their role and not one person had not contributed to us winning a game.

“One of the big pick-ups this year was having Tom Davis. Coming back from Lordswood, he gave us a big boost.

“Jarred had a great year. He averaged around 60 with the bat and around 20 with the ball. As a leader, he was pretty influential.

“Isaac was pretty influential with the bat. It was nice to have Syan - a young leg-spinner from Middlesex - as well.

“He was a big game-changer and a great personality around the team.”

Canterbury can now look forward to Premier Division derbies against city rivals St Lawrence & Highland Court, as well as Sandwich, next year.

Brisbane-born Taig, who moved to the UK from New Zealand in 2019, admitted: “It felt a bit weird not playing St Lawrence this year for the first time in so many years, especially after I think we played them five times in the Covid season!

“Hopefully, those games will attract more people down.

“We get on well with Sandwich and St Lawrence - they both have a good bunch of guys - and we look forward to playing against them.”

St Lawrence & Highland Court came fourth upon their Premier Division return. The year before, the two newly-promoted teams finished first and second, respectively.

“Hayes won it last year,” Taig noted. “The year before, when they went up, we had close games with them.

“We learnt from that. We want to stay up and really consolidate our position up there in the next few seasons.”

The 2nds missed out on one of the two Division 4 promotion places by a single point despite a five-wicket home win against Dartford 2nds at Polo Farm.

Dartford totalled 192-9 despite Ben Cooper’s 3-21 from 10 overs. Fred Sharp’s 60 then helped Canterbury home. But they finished just behind second-placed Frindsbury 1sts.

Max Rutherford led the way for Canterbury 3rds as they sealed Division 9 Shepherd promotion with a four-wicket win at Nelson 1sts.

Rutherford took 3-26 in the hosts’ 163-7 while Anthony Kennard’s 65, supported by 34 not out from Rutherford, ensured they won in the 33rd over.

They finished in the promotion positions alongside champions St Lawrence & Highland Court 3rds, with third-placed Worth 1sts six points behind.