Hayes: 252-4

Holmesdale: 253-6

Holmesdale won by 4 wickets

HOLMESDALE travelled to Hayes for their round 16 clash in Division Two of the Kent League, as the home side tried to see off the prospect of relegation.

The tourists were greeted with an excellent batting strip and Hayes had no hesitation in batting first, despite the inclement weather.

The absence of Max Melbourn paved the way for Harry Galpin (0-26) to take the new ball, and he bowled well in tandem with the experienced Jaco Van der Berg (0-45).

After being given an early chance, Oliver Williams (67) played an array of fine strokes, straight-driving anything over-pitched to the boundary and working good-length balls to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Keeper-batsman Adam Dicker (43) was the aggressor in the partnership, hitting patient line and length to ensure the bowlers did not settle. However, 17-year-old Will McDowell (4-42) was brought into the attack for the last over before drinks to break the partnership and dismiss Dicker, who was well caught by David Backx in the covers. With the home side well placed at 114-1 after 25 overs, Holmesdale were staring down the barrel of a big total with the league's leading run scorer, Jamie Askew, now at the crease.

McDowell struck for the second time to remove Williams, but with a couple of sharp chances being put down under pressure, Holmesdale found it difficult to pick up wickets in close succession.

Three of Hayes's top four batsmen registered half-centuries.

Askew, with a classy 66, played the ball through the off-side with ease until McDowell enticed him out of his crease and he fell to a sharp stumping by Matt Topliss.

Beau Couldrey (53no) knocked the ball around in better than a-run-a-ball innings to see his side post an imposing 252-4 from their 50 overs.

With a big total on the board, Hayes started their defence on the offensive looking for early wickets.

It quickly paid dividends when youngsters Sam Harris (0) and Jay Barclay (2) fell in the first four overs, and Will Browne (16) shortly after to give Hayes opening bowler Stuart Eddicott (2-37) his second wicket.

With skipper Stuart Brown being joined at the crease by 18-year-old Harry Galpin, Holmesdale were in deep trouble at 20-3 in just the sixth over.

The pair batted through to drinks with no further loss to give Holmesdale a good chance, but at the same time requiring a run a ball. The tourists were well placed at 123-3 after 25 overs and after taking his time to get in, Gaplin played a mature innings as he manipulated the bowling round the ground, survived an extended period of good bowling from Eddicott and then one by left-arm spinner, Ashley Quayle (1-36), who was the pick of the Hayes bowlers.

There were periods where Brown and Galpin found runs hard to come by, but the latter played his way through with the minimum of risk.

The pair shared a significant partnership to add 192 runs for the fourth wicket, when Brown played on trying to force a boundary through the off side with the score on 219-4.

With Holmesdale still needing 34 runs from 36 balls, the pressure was on Galpin and he did not disappoint, finding the boundary four times before David Backx hit the winning runs with a well-timed drive for four to record an emphatic victory for Holmesdale with 10 balls to spare.

Bespokes man of the match: Harry Gaplin, for his impressive 91no, just nine runs short of his maiden Kent League century.