There was a weekend double-header at The Rectory Field when Blackheath hosted Bexley in the Kent Cricket League Premier Division on Saturday, and then the ECB National Club Championship on Sunday.

Bexley elected to bat first in the league game. Jahid Ahmed drew first blood removing Aiden Griggs before taking the big wicket of Australian Hugo Burden. Shaun Evans and Ben Aldred then took the score to 88 before Matt Golding pinned the former leg before wicket for 41.

Aldred followed soon after off the bowling of Tejpal Birdi, and Bexley collapsed. Kent’s Arafat Bhuiyan took two cheap wickets and Golding claimed two more on his way to 3 for 19 as the visitors tumbled to 145 all out

In response the Heath scored 61 for the first wicket before Ahmed Jamal trapped Brendan Louw for 25. Jamal (3 for 41) also dismissed George Wells for 35 and Ross Richardson for 20. Golding then took it on, following up on his bowling feats by scoring 39 not out as Blackheath surpassed their total with five wickets and 23.4 overs in hand.

One day later, both Blackheath and Bexley had to release their Kent players Bhuiyan and Jas Singh upon instruction from the county team. Bexley again won the toss but this time, they asked their hosts to bat first. They had them at 18 for 1 before Tanweer Sikandar joined Wells in a partnership of 182 before Wells fell for 83.

Sikandar powered on to 133 from 112 deliveries, and Golding continued where he left off the day before, crashing 43 not out from just 25 deliveries. Harry Dowling was Bexley’s most successful bowler, taking 2 for 50, but he could not stop Blackheath from finishing on 292 for 3 from their 40 overs.

Evans rattled off 31 from 14 deliveries before being dismissed by Sikandar. Griggs and Calum Basey then started to build an innings, keeping ahead of the required rate whilst wary of the threat of rain. That duly arrived causing a lengthy suspension of play at 85 for 1 from 12.3 overs. The Duckworth-Lewis scoring system then came into force and Bexley were set a revised total of 142 from eighteen overs meaning they required 57 from 5 overs and 3 balls.

When the cricket was finally resumed, in drizzle and murky light, Basey fell but Griggs hit 21 from 11 deliveries taking him on to 59 before was removed. Going into the final over the reigning National Club Champions needed three to win, and a six by Burdon ensured that they surpassed their target with three balls remaining and seven wickets in hand.