Mid-Kent League Match - 46 overs per side

New Ash Green (20 pts) 175-8
Sherwood (8 pts) 117 all out
New Ash Green won by 58 runs.

Losing the toss on a very damp wicket raised the spectre of a collapse, and with several batsmen missing, including rising star Marc Klus, who twisted his knee the day before the game, New Ash Green were a little nervous at the start of their innings. Sherwood's opening bowlers failed to exploit the conditions, however, and after a nerve steadying opening partnership between Matthew Quantrill and Andy Mayers was ended by a Quantrill mishit, the new slim-line Andy Payne looked in superb touch as he made 38 before lazy running more reminiscent of his former self carelessly cost him his wicket. Vic Mayers worked hard for his 35 and at 140-4 with 15 overs to go New Ash Green looked set for a big total. The appearance of Sherwood's fifth bowler, Kevin Tinker, put a stop to that - he took two quick wickets and slowed the run rate right down, ending up with 2-7 from 7 overs! Further disaster struck New Ash Green when Ian Shambrook dislocated a shoulder diving to complete a run, further depleting their bowling resources. Nonetheless emergency stand-ins Nigel McCloskey and Kieran Hoddinott played superbly to use up all the overs and carry the total to 175, a very respectable total in the conditions.

New Ash Green's opening bowlers, Andy Cox and Andy Stuart, made much better use of the conditions than their Sherwood counterparts, moving the ball around and beating the bat on several occasions. Cox was particularly tight, taking 2-14 in eight overs, four of them maidens. However Sherwood's new signing Tom Neave was hitting anything loose with great power, and New Ash Green were regretting dropping him early on from a simple edge behind, as well as missing a few more difficult chances, as he looked likely to win the match by himself. With Shambrook missing in hospital Vic Mayers, normally described as a 'short bursts' bowler, was called upon to produce a more substantial contribution, and he eventually did account for Neave just as Sherwood looked likely to get on top. He was bowled for 61, making the score 96-3, and from there on Sherwood collapsed. Mayers took 3-31 in 12 overs and James Hewitt, in his favoured role of mopping up the tail, got 4-34. Sherwood lost their last 8 wickets for just 21 runs and New Ash Green ended up with a comfortable 58 run win and maximum points.

Old Stacians IIv New Ash Green II
Saturday 4th May 2002

Kent League Match - 100 overs

New Ash Green (20 pts) 136 all out (48.3 overs)
Old Stacians (4 pts) 91 all out (37.4 overs)
New Ash Green won by 45 runs.

Despite the skipper taking most of the team on a journey to the ground that can best be described as 'the long way round' the team were up for the challenge of the club's first game in the Kent League. After a thorough 1 minute briefing on the new rules and regulations, openers Dominic Adolphe and Darren Phillips set about the Old Stacians attack as if it were a 4 day game. (I know I told them to take their time, but this wasn't quite what I'd meant!) As it turned out, no-one on either side was able play with any great degree of comfort so the contribution of Adolphe (who top scored for NAG with 23) and Phillips (19) should not be undervalued. They certainly saw off the new ball attack when they were at their best. Additional contributions from Matt Payne (16), Gary Browning (14), Paul Sumner (11), Matthew Scanlan (10) and crucially at the end from Mick Sumner (22) ensured NAG had something realistic to defend. Pick of the OS bowlers was the slow left armer Tyrell who ended up with figures of 5 for 14 off 10 overs.

Mick Sumner and Pete Burke opened the bowling for NAG and despite managing to tie down the OS openers they managed to put on an opening stand of 53. It was at this point that a heavy defeat was becoming a possibility for NAG, and a bowling change was looming large, but all of a sudden, Burke managed to get the left handed opener Bailey to play on - there was now a chink of light. From this point on there was a regular fall of wickets and it was definitely Burke who was having most of the luck (only one dropped catch off his bowling, as opposed at least six off Sumner - the guilty ones know who they are)! In the end, Burke finished with 8 for 34 off 18.4 and Sumner with 2 for 51 off 19. These figures would have been more similar if (a) people had held on to more catches and (b) Mick hadn't bowled so many wides! Apologies go to the other bowlers in the team (not you Matt Payne) who did not get their chance - it will happen. The circumstances of the match and in particular the timing of the fall of the wickets dictated the that the fat boys should continue.

Thanks again to late call ups Gary Browning and Geoff Shannon.

Click HERE for full scorecard from Kent League web-site:

New Ash Green v Chislehurst II
Sunday 5th May

Friendly Match

New Ash Green 207-4 dec.
Chislehurst 163-5
Draw.

With Chislehurst reduced to 8 men by last minute drop outs New Ash Green batted first. Dominic Adolphe didn't quite know how to cope with the very slow pace of Dave Coram and was soon out in typically comic fashion, caught by the wicket-keeper diving to about the leg gully position to take a mis-hit off the back of the bat. Christian Hoddinott and Matthew Quantrill both took a while to adjust to the slow pace of the pitch, but both survived and they put on 86 for the second wicket before Hoddinott was caught in the deep for 55. This caused a momentary wobble as Rob Jansen was unluckily bowled with several ricochets from pads, bat and gloves and Charles Duguid was run out suffering from winter stiffness and failing to complete what should have been an easy single. Vaughan John halted the collapse, though, and with Quantrill now picking off the loose balls more comfortably 78 were added for the fifth wicket before the declaration came when Quantrill reached his century, his 50th for New Ash Green.

Although New Ash Green had agreed to allow one Chislehurst batsman a second innings they still needed only 8 wickets, and with the early declaration had plenty of overs to get them in. Andy Mayers bowled well, but had no luck at all, and although Keith Bushell removed one opener courtesy of a spectacular diving catch from Vaughan John at third slip, David Skinner and Mark Angell began to play with increasing confidence. New Ash Green's bowling had no great depth, and although Lyle Ellard was remarkably accurate for someone who hasn't played a game for nearly 2 years and Kieran Hoddinott produced some good balls, Chislehurst were beginning to get on top when Angell was stumped having a huge heave at Hoddinott's last ball, ending a partnership of 97. The run rate began to mount and after Skinner had gone, for a very good 72, and two more quick wickets fell to desperate shots New Ash Green began to scent an unlikely victory. Chislehurst had no intention of throwing things away, however, and shut up shop very firmly. On such a slow wicket it was virtually impossible for New Ash Green to remove batsmen who were absolutely determined to take no risks, and what had looked like an exciting finish petered out into a tame draw.