Sevenoaks Vine: 163ao

The Mote: 219-7

Vine lost by 56 runs

THE Mote were to be the Vine's final guests in an up and down Kent League Premier Division season, and this match proved to be no different.

Winning the toss, the Vine inserted the Mote on a damp wicket, hoping to get the best bowling conditions.

Sevenoaks struck early when Tim Shaw had Mote skipper Tom Harvey caught at mid-on. The ball continued to deck around and Shaw was unlucky not to get run machine Hodgson second ball, but it was adjudged not out.

With the new ball starting to lose some of its gloss, The Mote bats started to move the ball around nicely, but the introduction of Holmes made an impact as he got the wicket of White with the help of a great catch by Rayner.

Hodgson continued to work the ball around well, and with some indifferent bowling from the Vine, he and his partners picked up well-needed boundaries, Hodgson eventually went for 60 and the Vine's bowlers started to pick up wickets as The Mote's batters went for runs in the final overs.

Cowdrey got three wickets as The Mote posted a competitive 219–7 off 50 overs, a modest total which the Vine felt could be chased down.

With opener Bowden at A and E with a nasty finger injury, Shales and Cowdrey began the run chase, but ex-Vine player Tom Parsons, who has been playing for Middlesex all summer, worked his magic on the Vine batters.

First, Cowdrey (6) was out second slip, before Shales (9), the man of the match last week, went lbw and then young Blackaby (1) was bowled for 1.

The Vine were in trouble at 25-3, but a stand between Barber and Howick looked to be dragging the game back in the Vine's favour as they batted with ease, picking up runs where they wanted.

However, the demise of Howick, caught on the mid-wicket boundary, put the game back in the balance.

Bowden, returned from hospital, tried in vain to swing the game back in the Vine's favour, and Barber fell for a well-made 56, with the game slipping from the the home side's grasp.

Rayner chipped in with 29, all but securing another point, but the Vine were bowled out for 163.

Skipper Bowden said after the match: "As I said last week, we have thrown another game away, which we should have won.

"It's very frustrating. After last week, this was very disappointing."