Walmer 87 lost to Cowdrey 90-4 by 6 wkts
COWDREY made short work of Walmer after the long trip to the coast and confirmed their supremacy at the top of Kent League Division Four as second-placed Catford Wanderers slipped to defeat.
It was to prove a special day for spinner Ralph Yeats-Brown, who picked up five wickets on his 21st birthday.
The home side won the toss and elected to bat first, and they initially stood firm against some accurate seam bowling from Chris Fenwick and Nick Farr.
Fenwick (2 for 32) claimed both openers, however, which brought to the crease Walmer’s skipper Tom Burnap, who is the leading run-scorer in the division.
It was the introduction of Yeats-Brown that proved the difference with his slow left-arm spin deceiving the Walmer middle order.
He clean bowled Burnap, and a smart stumping by Barney Scott and a successful LBW appeal saw the home side slip from 40 for 1 to 49 for 5.
Walmer’s last hope lay with overseas player Daniel Giles but after a good start he struck a long hop from Yeats-Brown to Thom Brown on the boundary and he took the catch.
That scalp secured an impressive five-wicket haul for the birthday boy, who finishing with 5 for 25 from nine overs.
It was left to seamer Brown to come on and polish off the tail, and he did so in rapid fashion to grab 3 for 4 in 19 balls as Walmer were bundled out for a paltry 87.
Cowdrey were aggressive in their reply, which resulted in the loss of a few wickets.
The pick of the Walmer bowling attack was 57-year-old Ally Milroy, who bowled the prolific Ashley Borrella and also removed top-scorer Xavier Yeats Brown (22) to take 2 for 26.
However, Cowdrey cruised to a six-wicket victory on 90 for 4 with 35 overs to spare, opening up a 53-point gap to third-placed Walmer so that promotion is almost assured.
Winning two of the last four fixtures should be enough to secure the title after Catford Wanderers’ defeat against Rainham.
Cowdrey will now look to avenge their defeat to local rivals Tonbridge as they entertain them at Swanmead on Saturday [August 11] – at the start of their first ever cricket week in celebration of the club’s 70th year.
PICTURE: PARTY TIME: Ralph Yeats-Brown took five wickets on his 21st birthday
