Sandwich Town progress to the Semi-Finals of The Conference Cup for The Bertie Joel Trophy ahead of another weekend double-header

Sandwich Town’s squad depth has been praised by club captain Jan Gray after they progressed to the Semi-Final stages of a cup competition.

Town beat hosts Wimbledon by five wickets last Sunday in The Conference Cup for The Bertie Joel Trophy, a day after heavy rain saw their Kent League Premier Division trip to face second-placed Lordswood abandoned.

Chasing 218 for victory, Benji Niewoudt - who scored 89 for the 2nds before the elements intervened - hit an unbeaten 18, along with Tom Burnap (29 not out).

Gray said: “When we have full availability, our first and second teams, especially the batting, is very strong.

“Realistically in the club, we have got 12 batters that can bat in the top six for the first team.

“I think we probably had five or six first-team players, but one person making their debut and one playing for the first team for the second or third time.

“But genuinely, everyone put in a good performance.”

Surrey Championship Premier Division side Wimbledon were 119-1 before the away team limited them well.

Gray said: “By the end of our innings, it was spinning quite a lot but, generally, it was flat and small boundaries. It was more a 240 to 260-type ground.

“It was sort of in the balance at halfway. They were 117-1 at drinks, it could have gone either way.

“But we knew, if we took some wickets, that’s the way to stop their momentum.

“As Ben [Chapman] and Zack [Fagg] showed, it was quite hard to stop the momentum because a lot of sixes were hit throughout the day.

“That [taking wickets] gave us a bit more flexibility.

“We didn’t have to worry so much about the death bowling because we were down to nine, 10 and 11 by then.”

Gray played his part with figures of 5-36 from 8.2 overs.

But he said: “I think it was