Captain Andrew Tutt hailed Hartley’s Kent Cricket League Premier Division championship success as their best yet after wrapping up a fifth title in eight years.

Tutt’s side were forced to settle for third place last season, but bounced back in some style to claim the 2015 crown with a game to spare.

The skipper said: “This year we made a couple of personnel changes and for me it is our best achievement because a lot of the other clubs have improved quite strongly.

“I felt at the start of the season this was always going to be the most competitive Premier Division for a long time because potentially there were five teams who could have won it.

“Beckenham were just one of them but we absolutely hammered them just a few weeks ago.

“We’ve set the standard now and next year it will be everybody else trying to hammer us.”

Tutt missed most of last season due to family commitments, but the 47-year-old had no hesitation in accepting the invitation to become first team captain when it was made.

He recalls: “An overseas player left and they were looking for a skipper.

“I didn’t play much last year because we’d just had a baby, so coming back I knew would always be quite tough in terms of match fitness.

“However, I put in a lot of work over the winter months to make sure I was ready and it paid off.

“I’m still in a bit of a daze now because it is such a fantastic effort by everybody to win this title.”

Tutt first represented Hartley in 1987 and has enjoyed no end of success since returning for a second spell with the club a decade ago.

He said: “We won the Second Division and First Division back-to-back and now have five Premier Division titles, which is quite an incredible record.

“Having to settle for third last year was our worst season yet, so that speaks volumes.

“It isn’t just about the first team, though, right down to the fifth team the standard is very high at Hartley.

“We are always looking to maintain and build on that at all levels. Hartley is a great club and a fantastic place to play cricket.”

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