Minster Cricket Club maintain a healthy lead in the Kent League Premier Division after victory against Blackheath and play Bexley this Saturday before taking on title rivals Hayes in the KCL Twenty 20 Cup on Sunday

Minster captain Dave Masters has no issue with title-talk among his team after another big weekend win in the Kent Cricket League Premier Division.

The island side maintained a 26-point cushion over in-form Hayes as they won the first game of the second half of the season, beating Blackheath by 27 runs at Gilbert Hall.

More: Kent League Premier Division round-up

Minster have won seven games on the trot, leaving them clear favourites for the title despite Hayes keeping up the pressure.

Captain Dave Masters said: “I actually quite like talking about (the title chances) with the lads.

“If you don’t talk about it they will be thinking about it themselves anyway.

“Everyone is talking about it in the changing room, it is what it is, we are there to be beaten.

“Everyone wants to beat us, that is what we have every week, everyone works that little harder against you and that is what happens with all good teams. That is why you always have to be on it.

“As long as we don’t slack in any way and we keep playing hard cricket, don’t think it is done and dusted, then we will be there or thereabouts at the end of the year. Hopefully, we can hold off Hayes and a couple of the other teams.”

It was the first week of pink-ball cricket in the Kent League top-flight and with Minster losing the toss, they were in an uncomfortable position of having to bat first.

Masters wasn’t sure which way to attack the match but their total of 210 all out was enough to claim 18 points.

“I think I have lost the toss nine out of 10 times so we’re making it quite hard for ourselves,” joked the captain.

“The new pink balls have made it a bit harder and we weren’t sure what to expect. Everyone wanted to bowl first to see what the balls did.

“It was a hard game and I thought we were 20-30 runs short. The worst thing about losing the toss and being put into bat is that we didn’t know what a good score would be.”

Masters (27) and Dan Stickels (39) made a steady start, James Thompson added 34 and Kai Appleby (24) and Aron Nijjar (23) also contributed.

Masters said: “Batting second became easier, we were up against it as we didn’t bat as well as we should have done but on the other hand we have a very good bowling attack. If we score 200 or above it is hard for anyone to get really, we know that. I couldn’t be happier.”

With third-placed St Lawrence & Highland Court losing their last two games, Minster’s chief rivals at the top are Hayes, a team who have bounced back from defeat against Masters’ side by winning their last six.

He said: “It is starting to get towards a bit of a two-horse race but anything can happen, we just have to keep on winning games of cricket, enjoy it and have fun and that is what we have done really well this year.

“We’ve not taken it as seriously but people are seeing we can win it and some of the lads will start to put pressure on themselves a bit. I have to take that away from them.”

Minster are away to Bexley this Saturday before facing Hayes in the KCL Twenty 20 Cup quarter-finals on Sunday. The teams meet at Gilbert Hall at 12.30pm with the winners making it through to the finals day.