BERKSHIRE Over 60s suffered a disappointing 37-run defeat to Kent in their County Championship game at Hurley, writes Richard Ashton.

The hosts elected to bowl first but found Kent openers Chris Swadkin and Bob Phillips in fine form as they shared an excellent opening stand of 103.

Phil Ridgeway made the breakthrough when he had Phillips caught by Ronnie Brock for 44, and he then trapped Swadkin lbw two runs later.

Ridgeway completed an outstanding nine-over spell by having Frank Packman stumped by Nino Trapani, returning figures of 3-24.

Jim Phillips kept the Kent momentum going with a useful 42 from 50 balls, until he was eventually dismissed by returning new ball bowler Ian Harvey.

A flurry of late wickets allowed Richard West to improve his figures to 2-61 off nine overs, while Harvey ended with 2-38 after having Neil Wilson caught by Dave Tooze. Kent closed their 45 overs on 191-7.

The Berkshire reply started reasonably until Tooze was run out by Swadkin with the score on 26.

Fellow opener West was then bowled by Peter Thompson to make it 42-2, but Ronnie Brock (25) and Mark Simmons took the score to 77 until the former became the first of Jim Phillips’ three victims, out bowled.

The bowler (3-22) also accounted for Simmons and Phil Ridgeway in quick succession to leave the home side wobbling on 93-5, and that became 114-6 when Chad Cudjoe was bowled by Rupert Staple.

By this point, however, Berkshire were slipping further and further behind the required rate, and despite Harvey making 26, three more wickets for Thompson (4-32) ensured they were eventually bowled out for 154 with one ball of their innings remaining.

Things were even worse for Berkshire Over 50s as they were thrashed by 100 runs at Kent on Wednesday.

The home side racked up an impressive 210-9 at Tunbridge Wells, and then ran through the Berkshire line-up to skittle them for just 110 in 33.3 overs of an ultimately one-sided contest.