The Mote: 149ao

Tunbridge Wells: 150-6

Wells won by 4 wickets

TUNBRIDGE Wells are still in the relegation zone, despite this fine victory.

In overcast conditions, Wells asked The Mote to take first knock, and soon the score toppled to 36-4 from 11 overs.

Chris Fenwick, assisted by a lightning stumping from veteran Simon Routh, had 2-21 and Chris Lawrence 1-11, while opposing skipper Tom Harvey skied the ball to Evert Bekker at gully in his opening over.

Dan Thirkell (21) and Danny Rowe (55) built a recovery snuffed out in a disastrous calling mix-up, while a brief flourish from Caspian Paget added a further 20 runs from three overs.

Nonetheless, at 84-6, Rowe battled grittily in partnership with Glen Aukett (14) to put together 53 for the seventh partnership, whereupon Rowe moved to a half-century from 64 balls, but Fenwick re-arranged his stumps at 137 on his way to a maiden Premier five-wicket haul that did much to end the visiting innings some three overs early at 149.

Fenwick came away with 5-28 (three clean-bowled), his best result at this level, and the home batsmen set out to make 150 for the win.

Bowlers Kenny George and Tom Parsons set The Mote off on a wild session that saw the first four Wells batsmen back in the pavilion as the score crashed to 12-4 from eight overs. The asking rate of four per over was no longer a consideration as the match teetered on the brink.

Skipper Smith now took the battle to the visiting attack with Oli Priestman and slowly these two put the dreadful start behind them. The stand held for 20 overs and 80 runs before the effort from Smith (35) was ended, and Will Stickler buckled down, despite losing Priestman (47) at 119.

Six overs remained to haul in a further 31 runs as Routh joined Stickler.

A boundary from the keeper eased the tension, then a trio of fours from Stickler came and finally the last over arrived with four needed for the win.

Stickler hit the winning runs from the third ball.

News from elsewhere showed that Lordswood had stayed ahead in the relegation tussle by a single point, adding depth to the upcoming encounter this weekend at Martin Grove, with two key games to be played out before the matter is settled.

The Mote II: 204ao

Tunbridge Wells II: 214-9

Wells won by 10 runs

THE Mote took the option to chase the target, but the Wells batting line-up was rather more consistent and carried the day by just 10 runs in this Kent League Premier (second teams) game.

Chris Williams set the tone for the innings with 27 out of 38 from the first 51 balls, and the top four saw the score up to 97-5 after 30 overs had been sent down.

Mark Alexander (46) played yet another pivotal knock for his side, which guided the late order to the brink of a fourth batting point, 49 runs coming in partnership with Theo Burley (22) for the sixth wicket.

Michael Churchill added a quickfire 42 with Alexander, which saw the score into the 190s before a late flurry added 15 runs. The final total asked The Mote to make 215 for victory.

Richard Coles (4-69) and Chris Back (3-59) showed what could be achieved by the bowlers.

The chase moved to 68-3 from 18 overs, with Matt Green snaring a brace on the way to 3-54, but in the fourth partnership Back (54) and Rajeevan Raveendran added 98 runs that took The Mote to within 49 of the win when all-rounder Churchill broke through to snap up 3-52 and apply the brakes as the innings lost its way.

Raveendran smote 11 fours in his 62, the stand spanning 21 overs, but now Wells applied pressure, which was rewarded as the next eight overs produced five wickets and just 33 runs.

Following two catches from Williams, the same fielder ran out the last two batsmen to bring victory with just seven balls to spare.

Wells pocketed the full 20 points from the game and remain eighth in the table, some 17 points clear of the nearest chaser in the drop zone.

Relaxation will not be possible yet as Lordswood and Vine, in that order, hove into view.

Other results: Bexley 140-8, Tunbridge Wells III 141-2; Tunbridge Wells IV 206-5, Orpington V 113ao; Tunbridge Wells Sunday beat Old Colfeinas by 100 runs.