Stiddard plays a captain’s innings as Bexley beat Tunbridge Wells

Captain Matt Stiddard led from the front as Bexley returned to Kent Premier League glory with a dominant performance against Tunbridge Wells.

On a beautiful sunny afternoon at Manor Way it was no surprise that the hosts opted to bat first. However, they did not get the best of starts as Varun Anand, promoted from the second team after a good innings seven days earlier, was dismissed by Sahil Shah without scoring. Shaun Evans then joined Aiden Griggs and they made the score 51 for 1 at the end of the first ten overs powerplay.

Their partnership was worth 57 before Griggs was caught behind by Sam Smith off Michael Waller for 17. Stiddard then joined Evans and Tunbridge Wells’ application of spin at either end slowed the run rate. As a result, Bexley had to take quick singles when possible, and at the end of one Evans seemed to give up with cramp and had to retire injured on 47.

Ben Aldred then joined Stiddard and they batted sensibly to take the score to 152 for 2 with nine overs remaining. Aldred, back in his more familiar mid-order slot, then cut loose and took fifteen off a Matt Barker before dying on the next ball he faced after reaching an excellent 50. Australian professional Jack Sinfield kept the score going before Stiddard decided to go after the bowling for the final five overs.

Two overs from Chris Williams made for 27 before Sam Huggett had Sinfield caught in the deep for 25. Shah returned to bowl the final over and Stiddard hit him for two big sixes before holed out and caught by Waller. Stiddard’s excellent knock of 93 came from 103 deliveries and included six sixes (one of which was an incredible strike from a delivery that bounced three times) and two fours.

After a wide and another wicket, Freddie Foster came in for the last ball of the innings and hit it for 6. Bexley closed on 257 for 6 with 105 runs from the last nine overs. Shah finished with 3 for 44, Waller 2 for 25 and Huggett 1 for 22.

Although the visitors were given a tough challenge, the Williams brothers were back in the game after a week’s absence. Chris Williams appeared to target Harry Dowling, but Bexley’s opening bowler had the last laugh. When he was at 24, the danger man tried to get a big shot off him that went high into the air, but with no distance, and Foster held the spire.

At the other end, Jamie Batten was stingy again and got his rewards when he bowled both Shah and Alex Williams, with the latter looking in disbelief after missing a big hoick.

Sam Smith then danced across the wicket to Sinfield, missed it, and Aldred completed a clever stumping before Fraser McWhinnie took full advantage of his call-up from the second eleven, sending back both Will Stickler and Waller during an excellent six-over spell .

That left the reply in tatters at 78 for 6, and the visitors never recovered. Foster dismissed Mark McLean, Barker and Freddie Freeman, and Sinfield ended the innings with one caught and bowled when Huggett hit it straight back to him. Foster took 3 for 14, Batten 2 for 15, McWhinnie 2 for 19, Sinfield 2 for 29 and Dowling 1 for 40.

The win for Bexley moved them up to sixth in the table, above Tunbridge Wells, who dropped to eighth.