Meopham Cricket Week - 40 overs per side, Max. 10 overs per bowler

Meopham 203-7 (40 overs)
New Ash Green 204-5 (38.4 overs)
New Ash Green won by 5 wickets.

New Ash Green returned to Meopham's cricket week with a rather stronger team than last year, anticipating that Meopham might be out for revenge after one of their very few defeats last year against New Ash Green. With the long term forecast of rain turning out to be wildly inaccurate, Meopham skipper Andrew Powney, an old 'friend' of New Ash Green captain Andy Stuart from his Cobham days, elected to bat first in hot sunshine. New Ash Green opened the bowling with the interesting combination of Vic Mayers and Kieran Hoddinott, and initially it was Hoddinott who was the more accurate, though Mayers' additional pace meant he conceded fewer runs. However it was Mayers who made the early breakthroughs, taking 3-13 in 7 overs, all bowled. At this point skipper Andy Stuart was talking optimistically about whether New Ash Green should 'let' Meopham make 150 or 180, always a mistake. Meopham opener Nathan Goodwright had other ideas, taking good advantage of the short boundaries to make 69. Andy Payne's first spell of spin was expensive, but he later returned to bowl much more effectively at the death, and Matthew Pennell recovered well from going for 20 in his second over to take 2-46 in 8 overs and stop Meopham getting away completely, restricting Andrew Powney to mostly singles in his 42. However even with bursts from Andy Stuart and Andy Cox at the end New Ash Green couldn't keep Meopham below 200, Darren Deeks bringing up the final total of 203 with a six from Cox's final ball of the innings.

With a stronger batting line up and a smaller total to chase than last year New Ash Green were confident of making the runs, although conditions were not quite as easy as last year with a peculiarly two paced pitch, the down hill side being distinctly softer than the top half. Andy Mayers struggled slightly to adjust, even playing out a maiden, but then started to play his usual range of powerful shots before top edging a full toss to Gary Wallace's first ball and being caught for 23. Matthew Quantrill hit a couple of early loose balls for 4, then played himself in carefully. Andrew Powney, bowling left arm over very close to the dividing line on the pitch between the bouncy and soft halves proved very difficult to get away and conceded just 1 run in his first 6 overs. The other bowlers were less difficult though, and Quantrill and Graham Hampsheir put on 85 for the 2nd wicket before Hampsheir perished for 25. Darren Phillips started slowly, but as the field came in for him and retreated for Quantrill he started to play some attacking shots and 58 more were added for the 3rd wicket. Quantrill had moved to 50 with 3 sixes onto the road from Andy Roxburgh, and continued to find the boundaries from anything loose, but as the field retreated for him and Philips started slowly the run rate required had been rising. Powney's return to bowl his final overs was cause for concern, but Quantrill came down the wicket and hit him over the deep mid-wicket fielder for 6 on his 4th ball back, before completing his century a few balls later. This seemed to have brought the game comfortably under control, but with Phillips already gone the 37th over found Quantrill holing out on the long off boundary for 103 (4 sixes and 14 fours) and Andy Stuart caught at mid-wicket first ball while only one run was scored. This left 19 needed off the last three overs, two of them to be bowled by the so far awkward Powney, with two new batsmen in. However the two were Andy Cox and Andy Payne, and with the confidence of knowing they still had Vic Mayers to come they had no difficulty in finishing the game off with time to spare in a flurry of boundaries, Cox ending up with 19 not out.

For the 2nd successive year both sides had scored over 200 and the game had been won in a tight run chase. New Ash Green, and especially Matthew Quantrill, will be hoping to return next year for a similar game!