Whitstable Cricket Club are celebrating one of their most successful seasons ever - with all three of their senior sides winning promotion.

The 1sts got the job done at basement boys Tenterden last Saturday as they won by seven wickets to secure second in Kent League Division 2 - before they raced back to The Belmont.

There, the 2nds earned a last-ball victory - by a single run - to beat Minster 2nds in their Division 2 title decider. With the 3rds crowned Kent Regional League Division 5 East winners, it’s been a summer to remember.

“It’s been a really good year for us as a club,” said first-team captain Sam Denly, whose team lost out on winning the title by four points to OD CUACO.

“The goal was for all three teams to get promoted. We missed out on the title by a few points, which is a bit annoying, but the 2nds were champions and the 3rds were champions.

“But we want to go back to the Premier Division as quickly as we can.

"Dave Fulton coming in as second-team captain and coach has really helped us. It’s probably one of our most successful seasons.”

While Fulton is a wise head, there are plenty of promising young players at Whitstable.

Denly said: “That’s the exciting part. Obviously we have some experienced lads for the here and now.

"But Harry Fulton, as a 15-year-old, has been excellent and Jayden, my boy, is only 16. But there’s so many young lads coming through - Henry Goss as well.

“The club has a fantastic youth set-up, there’s a lot of quality there. That’s why we need to be in and around the Premier League.”

Those youngsters won’t need to look far for inspiration, either.

Darcey Carter now plays for Kent and Scotland’s under-19s, Alexa Stonehouse played in The Hundred this year for the Trent Rockets while John Butterworth has been selected to play for England’s over-60s.

Denly said: “John Butterworth has been outstanding. He’s still getting runs and wickets.

“Him getting into the England set-up is something we are very proud of as a club. Darcey has represented Scotland, we have Alexa Stonehouse as well, she’s played in The Hundred.

“It’s a really special club and lots of people from the club go on and do really special things that we are very proud of.”

Denly, brother of Kent batsman Joe and son of Whitstable chairman Nick, also admits it has been special to play alongside son Jayden - both Joe and Sam previously played alongside their father in their younger days.

“I did it with my dad and Joe did it with dad but you kind of take it for granted as the kid,” said Sam. “It’s something I will cherish forever.

“There’s quite a few father-and-sons at the club, actually, which is good.”

Denly, a former Herne Bay, Whitstable and Hythe manager, hasn’t been involved in football since prior to the Covid pandemic.

But he isn’t missing the game as he focuses on his cricket these days, saying: “At the moment, I’m loving my cricket and not really missing the football, to be honest.

“Football management sort of takes over. But I have managed to get back in with the club [Whitstable] and it’s looking strong again.”

Against Tenterden, opening bowler Shakeem Boyce (3-16) was the best with the ball for Whitstable as the home side were all out for 146. Whitstable then raced over the line in 18 overs, Stuart Drakeley (54) their top scorer.

Their 2nds batted first and, despite a half-century from Bart Johnson (51), they were 146-6 and in trouble before former Kent captain Dave Fulton and Jake Guinan came to the rescue, with 72 not out and 57 not out respectively to get them to 247-6.

Harry Fulton (3-53) was the pick of the Whitstable bowlers and it was left to him to run-out Minster’s Riki Ashwell (52) off the final ball.

Whitstable’s 3rds, captained by Paul Gambrill, won last Saturday as they beat fourth-placed Canterbury 4ths by 99 runs.

Gambrill scored 100 while there were three wickets apiece for Butterworth and Phil Priston.