KENTON S survival hopes were dealt another crushing blow after defeat to South Hampstead left them cast adrift at the foot of Division Two. The league s bottom two sides went head-to-head on Saturday in a match neither could realistically afford to lose –

KENTON'S survival hopes were dealt another crushing blow after defeat to South Hampstead left them cast adrift at the foot of Division Two.

The league's bottom two sides went head-to-head on Saturday in a match neither could realistically afford to lose - and it was South Hampstead who held their nerve to ease their own relegation fears, and leave Kenton 18 points from safety.

Deepak Singh's Kenton now have five games left with which to save their season, beginning with a daunting trip to third-placed Southgate on Saturday, and the skipper will know their batting must improve dramatically after this week's dismal showing.

Sohail Butt offered the sole resistance, but his knock of 81 was in stark contrast to the rest of his team-mates, of whom just one managed to make double figures as South Hampstead's Amit Chakrawarti (6-53) ran riot through the hosts' batting line-up.

After a solid start at the crease, Johnny Mills was the first Kenton man to fall, caught by Majid Akram off Kirk Drummond, and Kenton never recovered from the loss of their first wicket.

Drummond took his second wicket shortly afterwards, dismissing Chanmeet Kohli for 6, and Sachin Patel soon followed, bowled for a duck by Chakrawarti as Kenton's innings began to stutter.

Mark Sweeney added 8 before Drummond took his third wicket, and skipper Singh (3) barely made an impression before he too was sent packing by Chakrawarti.

Kenton continued to stumble along as the rampant Chakrawarti accounting for Mohammed Hasnain (4), David Sweeney (8) Sneh Shah (0) and Sami Haider (0), ending the day on 6-53. Butt hung on grimly, but his innings was ended by Jeremy Medlin.

Having made themselves firm favourites, South Hampstead were in no mood to relinquish the initiative, and they reached 58 before losing their first wicket, when Zia Sialvi was bowled by Baqar Rizvi.

Even when Matt Cullen (33) quickly followed for the addition of just four more runs, SH rarely looked in trouble, with Paul Atherley (12) and Medlin (12) helping their side along.

Any faint Kenton hopes of a South Hampstead collapse ended with Nish Patel's 62 not out, alongside James Williams (16no), as SH overhauled their opponents' total with ease.