Mid-Kent League Match - 46 overs per side

High Halstow (3pts) 138 all out
New Ash Green (20 pts) 139-2
New Ash Green won by 8 wickets.

High Halstow won the toss and chose to bat first on what looked a reasonable wicket. With Matt Meehan back in the team generating fiercesome pace and Andy Cox seaming the ball around and beating the bat regularly it was a slow start, with only a couple of edged fours lifting the rate above one an over. Try as they might High Halstow could never break free of the shackles imposed by all the bowlers for long, and although they seemed to have wickets in hand for an assault at the end, they were unable to accelerate when the time came. Opener Graham Franks top scored with a patiently grafted 43, but no others could build any sort of score. There was brief hope when James Hewitt went for 17 in his first four overs, but once he settled into his rhythm he became almost unplayable, removing Franks on his way to figures of 2-23 in 12 overs, 5 of them maidens and just 6 runs coming from his last 8 overs! Chris Dockwray looked like he might lead a late onslaught as he hit a vast six off Meehan, the ball going well out of the ground, but Cox finally had some luck with a double wicket maiden in his last over to finish with 2-29 in 11, and Meehan wrapped up the last wicket to finish with 4-33 in 11.1, the last three wickets all falling on 138.

High Halstow were clearly hoping at tea time that the ball might move around as much for their bowlers as it had for New Ash Green's, and that 138 would be a defendable total. Their hopes were dashed when number 2 bowler Belsey was hit for 4 off each of his first two balls by Matthew Quantrill and then crushed as Andy Mayers finished off the over with another dismissive stroke to the boundary, so the score was 14 after two overs - it had taken High Halstow 7 overs to reach the same score. The pace slowed after that, but not by much. Quantrill (18) and Mayers (30) put on 63 in 12 overs before High Halstow's one good over, bowled by Luke Donnelly, in which he removed both batsmen. He also nearly had Andy Payne first ball in the same over when Payne's mis-hit lobbed up gently to mid-wicket, but somehow the fielder couldn't get to the catch. Payne should then have been run out as he was jogging slowly up the wicket, seemingly resigned to being caught, but the enthusiastic throw missed the stumps, and it summed up High Halstow's day that Payne ended up being credited with 5 runs from his first ball! After that he and Steve Hurst were in imperious form, Payne making 31 not out and Hurst 39 not out as they put on 70 in ten overs, taking New Ash Green to victory by 8 wickets with more than half their overs to spare.

New Ash Green IIv Bobbing Court II
Saturday 11th May 2002

Kent League Match - 100 overs

New Ash Green (20 pts) 114 all out (48 overs)
Bobbing Court (4 pts) 73 all out (36.3 overs)
New Ash Green won by 41 runs.

For the second week running NAG found themselves inserted and struggled to get a decent total on the board. A combination of good bowling, poor batting and an indifferent pitch ensured that the game would have to be won the hard way again. The only score of any major significance was 49 (serious jug avoidance - must be some irony in that comment) from Matt Payne which included some controlled yet brutal strokeplay.

Bobbing Court's reply never really got going and regular wickets from Mick Sumner ensured he finished with figures of 5 for 34 off 18.3 overs. Tight bowling from Pete Burke (8 runs off 11 overs), tidy bowling from Andy Harrington and two excellent run outs effected by the combination of Matt Scanlan and Duncan Shannon behind the stumps ensured victory was surprisingly comfortable.

New Ash Green have been fairly fortunate in the first two games of the season and it is certain that bigger scores will be required in order to keep up the 100% record.

Old Gravesendians v New Ash Green III
Saturday 11th May 2002

Central League Match - 40 overs per side

Old Gravesendians 268-3
New Ash Green 81-8
Old Gravesendians won by 187 runs.

Old Gravesendians won the toss and elected to bat on a wicket Vaughan John would have been proud of! With a beginless supply of bowling NAG struggled to suppress the Old Gravesendian batsmen. Nine bowlers were used including the ageless Geoff Shannon as opener. Two wickets from Ben Inman were the only successes as Old Gravesendians rattled up 268 for 3 from their 40 overs.

New Ash Green's reply was a little more subdued as wickets steadily fell, a brief stand of 25 between Hampsheir snr and Hampsheir jnr steadied things for a time before more wickets tumbled. A final wicket stand of 52 between Graham Hampsheir (38) and Geoff Shannon (21*) added a hint of respectability as the innings ended on 81 for 8 (only ten players and Charles Duguid, injured, did not bat!)

Editor's note: this may seem like a savage beating (actually it was a savage beating!) but bearing in mind just how weak a side this was, particularly in bowling, great credit must go to those who did play for keeping the scores within the bounds of respectability, especially considering that this was a 1st XI against a 3rd XI. Less than ten years ago the 2nd XI was receiving similar sorts of beatings at this level on their first venture into league cricket and look how much they have progressed. Hopefully there will be a few more players available for future games, and the exposure of the younger players to regular competitive cricket can only improve their game. I only hope that those taking part are not down-hearted and that the rest of the club gives them the support they deserve, because with the right encouragement things can only get better, and the widening of the pool of regular league players can only help the club to improve.

New Ash Green v Beckenham Merlins
Sunday 12th May

Apparently Beckenham called this game off, presumably at too late a stage for us to get a replacement fixture from the bureau.