Champions Hartley celebrate a wicket at Lordswood Picture: Peter Still

Canterbury and Tunbridge Wells have been relegated from the Shepherd Neame Kent League Premier Division.

The pair slipped through the trap-door into Division 1 on a dramatic final day of the season which saw Bickley Park stay up by just three points.

At Manor Way, Canterbury beat Bexley by seven wickets but it wasn’t enough to save them. The home side posted 195-8 and Canterbury chased the score down inside 39 overs. Tim Bishop (81) and Paul Steer (73) starred with the bat although their efforts were ultimately in vain.

Bickley Park travelled to Beckenham sitting just above the relegation zone and knowing their destiny was in their own hands. When Raza Ali Dar hit 118 in the home side’s total of 232-8, however, their future suddenly looked a lot less certain. Ali Dar returned to pick up 4-28 as Park were restricted to 210-9 in reply. Defeat by 22 runs left them waiting on news from elsewhere.

An epic encounter was unfolding at The Nevill, 30 miles away. Tunbridge Wells were chasing 271 to win and give themselves a hope of staying up after Kent’s Daniel Bell-Drummond (129) had fired visitors Blackheath to an imposing score of 270-4.

Will Stickler hit 115 for the Wells and at 242-4 it looked as though a miraculous escape could be on the cards. However, wickets tumbled and the hosts fell three runs short at 267-8. They will lock horns with local rivals Linden Park in Division 1 next season, while Bickley Park have another summer of Premier Division cricket to look forward to.

Champions Hartley Country Club signed off in style as they thrashed Lordswood by 10 wickets. Lordswood were dismissed for 134, with Daniel Redwood returning fine figures of 6-34. Dan Stickels then blasted 78 off 54 balls as Hartley raced to 135-0 in less than 17 overs.

Fabian Cowdrey topped the 2012 Premier Division batting charts with 683 runs after hitting 113 for Sevenoaks Vine against Bromley on Saturday. The 19-year-old helped Sevenoaks to a score of 245-6 but he finished on the losing side. Bromley had Wayne Morgan (111) and David Smith (64) to thank as they reached 246-5 with seven overs to spare.