Whitstable Cricket Club celebrate historic season as all three senior sides promoted

Whitstable Cricket Club are celebrating one of their most successful seasons ever - with all three of their senior sides winning promotion.

The 1sts got the job done at basement boys Tenterden on Saturday as they won by seven wickets to secure second in Kent League Division 2 - before they raced back to The Belmont.

There, the 2nds earned a last-ball victory - by a single run - to beat Minster 2nds in their Division 2 title decider. With the 3rds also crowned Kent Regional League Division 5 East winners, it’s been a summer to remember.

“It’s been a really good year for us as a club,” said first-team captain Sam Denly, whose team lost out on winning the title by four points to OD CUACO.

“The goal was for all three teams to get promoted. We missed out on the title by a few points, which is a bit annoying, but the 2nds were champions and the 3rds were champions.

“But we want to go back to the Premier Division as quickly as we can.

"Dave Fulton coming in as second-team captain and coach has really helped us. It’s probably one of our most successful seasons.”

While Fulton is a wise head, there are plenty of promising young players at Whitstable.

Denly said: “That’s the exciting part. Obviously we have some experienced lads for the here and now.

"But Harry Fulton, as a 15-year-old, has been excellent and Jayden, my boy, is only 16. But there’s so many young lads coming through - Henry Goss as well.

“The club has a fantastic youth set-up, there’s a lot of quality there. That’s why we need to be in and around the Premier League.”

Those youngsters won’t need to look far for inspiration, either.

Darcey Carter now plays for Kent and Scotland’s under-19s, Alexa Stonehouse played in The Hundred this year for the Trent Rockets while