Sandwich Town skipper Jan Gray on their seven-wicket win at Blackheath, his seven-wicket haul and looking ahead to a weekend double-header

Skipper Jan Gray was thrilled with Sandwich Town’s performance in their Kent League Premier Division victory at Blackheath on Saturday.

Gray was in fine form himself, claiming 7-39 to limit the home side to 217 all out.

A 109-ball Ben Chapman 113 then led the way while Rory Smith (77 not out) also ensured Sandwich got over the line with seven wickets in hand after a 182-run stand between the pair.

“Since I joined, I don’t think I can remember a better team performance,” enthused Sandwich’s captain.

“We have so many talented players. There’s always a chance one can win us the game, but everyone was just brilliant.

“It was so humid and a flat pitch. To keep them to 217 was quite incredible on a 260 or 270 pitch.

“I’m not a big one for statistics, really either, but Rory and Ben’s partnership was the biggest of the year in the Kent League Premier Division.”

Chapman and Smith - both semi-professional footballers - came together at 24-1 but almost single-handedly won Sandwich the match from there.

Gray said: “It was brilliant. Ben went at over a-run-a-ball and Rory did more of an anchor role.

“It was very nice to watch, they were in complete control.

“Rory also got his first hundred the previous Sunday in the National Club Championship [in a defeat to Hayes]. Then Ben got his hundred.

“It felt like a real reward for both of them.

“They have played well all year without the statistics necessarily showing it, so it was so good to see.”

Gray was modest about his own display with the ball, six of his seven scalps coming as the home side tried to push on in the latter stages of their innings.

“It was a bit weird really,” he said. “We did a brilliant job between overs 15 and 40.

“Even though we didn’t get loads of wickets, they