Champions St Lawrence & Highland Court and Holmesdale promoted to the Kent Cricket League Premier Division; Hayes, Bickley Park, Minster, Bexley and Blackheath end with wins

Kent pair Harry Podmore and Darren Stevens helped St Lawrence & Highland Court end a 12-year wait to return to the Kent League Premier Division as they went up as champions.

St Lawrence beat Canterbury at home on Saturday to finish three points ahead of second-placed Holmesdale who also have been promoted, beating Bromley Common by seven wickets.

Batting first, St Lawrence posted 213-7 thanks largely to Stevens (103) and Will Hilton who added 52, opening bowler Jarred Lysaught (3-29) the best of Canterbury’s bowlers. Podmore opened for St Lawrence and contributed 12.

Duncan Moore (28) and Owen Griffiths, 27, dug in for Canterbury but they were 125 all out in 37 overs. Opening bowler Ben Trott (3-29) was best with the ball for the hosts in a fine all-round display on a huge day for the club.

Both Stevens and Podmore, however, have not been named in Kent's 13-strong squad for their County Championship Division 1 match at home to Essex which starts from today.

Newly-crowned Premier Division champions Hayes earned a 111-run victory over Sandwich Town who narrowly avoided relegation.

There were centuries for opener James Bamber (126) and William MacVicar, 102 off just 78 balls, as Hayes reached 318-5. Sandwich skipper Jan Gray, 3-67, took three of the five Hayes wickets to fall.

In reply, Jake Smith scored 47 but Sandwich were all out for 207 in the 41st over. Connor Byrne (4-46) did well with the ball.

That means Bickley Park finished second-bottom and are relegated despite their four-wicket win against Sevenoaks Vine.

Michael Cowdrey (59) did well for Sevenoaks who posted 186-9 from their allocation despite Bickley Park opening bowler Jason Benn, 3-15, impressing from his 10 overs.

Bickley Park openers Elliot Hooper (54)