Dipayan Paul

Kent Premier Division: Blackheath 254-7 beat Bickley Park 210 all out by 44 runs

Blackheath skipper Chris Willetts paid tribute to Dipayan Paul and Mehdi Abbas after the two lower-order youngsters racked up the runs that secured victory against Bickley Park.

The hosts were without some of their top stars in Mohammad Ashraful, Daniel Bell-Drummond and Ivan Thomas as they looked to preserve the position at the top of the Kent Premier League table.

Blackheath were 123-6 after Bickley elected to bowl first, but Paul and Abbas – who batted at number seven and eight respectively – scored 121 runs between them to put their side in a commanding position.

And their captain was delighted with the duo’s display.

Willets said: “The match was in the balance during the first innings, but the scoring of Dipayan Paul and Mehdi Abbas really made the difference.

“They’re two 18-year-olds who’ve come through the youth ranks and it’s very pleasing to see them do so well.

“We’ve got a lot of talented young guys at the club.

“They play with a freedom that can sometimes frustrate you, with the occasional wild shot, but it’s also very pleasing to see them develop.

“I was also happy to see a strong performance given we were without three of our bigger names.”

Bickley batsman Ben Fulton scored a ton before being caught and bowled by Jahid Ahmed.

But he was the only member of the opposition to pose a sustained threat as Warren Lee (4-42) claimed another four scalps.

Willetts added: “Ben Fulton is a left-hander who can sometimes hit the ball into some funny places.

“He got his head down as the other wickets were falling around him and batted very well for Bickley.”

Blackheath entertain Sevenoaks Vine on Saturday as first meets second in the table.

But Willetts denies that it’s a potential Premier League title-decider.

He said: “We’re not looking at the game as a 40-pointer.

“But Sevenoaks are a good side and I think they’re a bit stronger all round than perhaps they were last year.

“They’ve now got Tom Parsons, who’s a seam bowler (who has played for Kent), so they’re stronger in that area.”

The game is dependent on the weather, of course.

And although Willetts wants to avoid abandonments, he’s optimistic that the table will not be distorted by varying climate conditions throughout the division.

He said: “There are so many London-based clubs in the Kent Premier League now that there are less fears about other teams having an advantage.

“Hopefully it’s pretty much the same for everybody.