25-05-2025
McClure's ton leads Bexley to victory over St Lawrence
Ken McClure scored his first Kent League Premier Division century to help Bexley beat St Lawrence and Highland Court at home.
Having won the toss, the visitors may have had the weather in mind when they asked Bexley to bat first. Although the hosts were missing a potential three of their first four in the batting order, they made light of the absentees. Ellis Daly went early but overseas professional McClure joined Calum Basey and they took the score on to 71 before Basey fell four short of his half century in the seventeenth over.
Accurate bowling by former Kent all-rounder Darren Stevens, Thomas Copestake and John Grewar then strangled Bexley's middle order and at 124 for 4 from from 37 overs, they had work to do. However, McClure was still there and was joined by George Haley and they scored 74 from the next ten overs before the latter fell for 35 from 32 balls. McClure went on to complete his hundred before falling for 101 in the penultimate over. Twelve runs off the final over took the Bexley score to 236 for 7. Grewar ended with figures of 3 for 26 and Siddarthsinh Parmar 2 for 59.
It was then the turn of Harry Dowling and Fraser McWhinnie to put pressure on the St Lawrence top order. The former bowled a superb tight spell forcing the openers to take risks against the latter and the club's leading wicket taker this season claimed the scalps of Dan Stickels, Shineyu Anand and Will Hilton. After Syan Bulathinsatha had struggled initially, he started to look dangerous only to be run out by a Matt Stiddard direct hit for 29.
Stevens was stumped brilliantly down the leg-side by Ben Aldred off the bowling of Oliver Smith before Ellis Daly wrapped up the lower order, leaving Grewar stranded on 25 not out. McWhinnie ended with 3 for 27 and Daly 3 for 23. Although Dowling finished wicket-less, his seven overs only yielded nine runs as the visitors were bowled out for 123, 113 runs shy of their target.
Victory took Bexley up to third place in the early season table, one point behind Tunbridge Wells, and twelve behind Hayes, the only team to have won all three of their league matches so far.
