Kent League Match - 100 Overs

New Ash Green (20 points) 202-8 (50 overs)
Down & Bell (6 points) 199 all out (50 overs)
New Ash Green won by 3 runs.

New Ash Green eased any lingering relegation concerns with a nail biting victory at fellow strugglers Downham & Bellingham.

Having lost the toss and been invited to bat by the hosts NAG made a stuttering start when Andy Cox bagged his second successive league duck with the score on just 6. Matt Meehan promoted to number 3 joined Kevin Ginn at the crease and caused debate amongst his team mates as to how he fails to score runs more regularly by playing a stylish, assured innings as he and Ginn took the score up to 60-1 after 19 overs.

Just as they looked to pick up the pace Meehan was adjudged lbw for 21 despite appearing to be a long way down the wicket. However the fall of the second wicket saw Kevin Ginn hit the accelerator and with Vaughan John providing steady support Ginn went on the attack, losing two match balls as he powered his way to his third league half century of the season. He continued to attack at every opportunity before getting carried away a little too early and being stumped for 79, when a big hundred looked a certainty.

With the score 117-3 and still over 20 overs remaining Ginn's innings had built the ideal platform for NAG to go on and post and big first innings total. However none of the NAG middle order could keep Vic Mayers company for long enough as the run rate ground to a halt. First John fell for 14 and was followed by Andy Mayers for 0. With the overs now running out and the score just 138-5 Simon Duke unselfishly tried to force the pace and went on the attack before picking out deep mid wicket for 8.

With Steve Hurst next to join Mayers and looking unlikely to fare much better Mayers went on the attack himself and started powering the ball to all parts - losing Hurst run out for 4 in the process. As James Hewitt was next to join him Vic continued the assualt bringing up his 50 in style with a six before finally being bowled trying to repeat the shot for 55 in the penultimate over. His timely innings had saved the visitors when it looked like they would struggle to make 180 and he left Hewitt and Stuart the last 8 balls to pick up the 4 runs needed for the magical 200.

Setting Downham 203 for victory on a flat track and small outfield the game was certainly in the balance as Meehan and Cox took the new ball. Things didn't look too promising when Chesney smashed Cox's first over for 18, though this served to add a couple of yards of pace to Matt Meehan's second over and Chesney looked a different player facing a bit of extra pace with it taking Meehan just a couple of balls to send his stumps flying.

Downham continued to make good progress reaching 48-1 from 9 overs before Cox, finding plenty of movement, accounted for first Chris Goddard (12) and then Gary Hopper (2) leaving the hosts stuttering at 48-3. Before Downham could build another partnership of note Dave Powell made the mistake of calling a single to Andy Mayers in the covers and could only watch as John Sawyer was comfortably run out by a Mayers direct hit.

Stuart replacing Meehan, found some extra bounce and soon accounted for Nick Goddard via Andy Cox at slip. With Downham limping to 58-5 after 17 overs the game looked all but up as Dave Powell and Peter Goddard tried to consolidate and Stuart and Hewitt looked to open up the Downham tail.

Powell and Goddard slowly looked to up the pace as NAG turned to the spin of Ginn to try and break the threatening partnership. With the pace picking up over by over Downham were well and truly back in the game and left themselves 100 runs in 20 overs with two set batsman playing well.

First the 50 partnership and then the 100 partnership came as the Downham pair continued to progress against the tiring NAG attack who were struggling to find any penetration with a soft ball. After an inspired spell of tight bowling by Cox and Meehan the game shifted towards NAG as 60 were still required off the last 10. With a victory now almost out of the question NAG went on the defensive in an effort to force the winning draw. However just as it looked like Downham had left too much to do Goddard, with a flurry of stroke play, took 13 from a Meehan over and continued to attack with the run rate tumbling. Stuart replaced Meehan but his first over back went for 9 and Downham left themselves needing just 24 from the last 6 overs with two batsman in the fifties.

With NAG all but out of the game, Goddard attempted a run to Kevin Ginn at point; despite having dived to field the ball Ginn's throw beat Goddard to leave Downham 181-6. New Ash Green's new found hope looked to be short lived as Powell picked up two more boundaries, but just 4 from Hewitt's over meant there was still some hope.

NAG from being almost down and out came back to life after first Sam Medham tried to take two to Vic Mayers at third and then Chris Medham picked out Ginn at mid-off to leave Downham still needing 6 to win from the final over, now 8 wickets down but with Dave Powell on strike

Hewitt started with a dot and with the in field all on the edge of the circle Powell could only take a single off the second ball to leave ex-Charlton Athletic Manager Steve Gritt facing Hewitt with 5 needed to win. (Editor's note - What with Bobby Gould at Gordano top class football managers in the opposition seem to be something of a recurring theme with us. I think we should be grateful that Charlton supporter Hewitt didn't fawn over Gritt the way Andy Stuart did over Bobby Goud - at least not on the pitch!) Gritt launched into a lofted drive making good contact but could only watch in horror as the ball nestled in Vic Mayers grasp at the second attempt.

With two ball left 5 runs were still needed. With Powell back on strike and 65* Downham were still odds on for victory. With the field back on the edge of the circle, though, Powell could only manage one to Cox at mid-on as Hewitt held his nerve. With 4 now needed off the last ball and with number 11 set to face his first ball - the game was anyone's. With a small boundary and the fielding restrictions meaning NAG couldn't pack the boundary one good connection was all that was needed.

Hewitt resisted the temptation for one of his infamous slower balls and bowled another 'length ball', which Blake could only heave straight up in the air. Though the drama was far from over as Andy Mayers positioned himself under the ball - Andy is probably our most talented fielder but those that know him will know he tends to miss the catches he has time to think about and he had plenty of time to think about this one. With some of the NAG players unable to watch as 8 points dropped into Andy's hands........and stayed there, easy as you like!!!

New Ash Green II v Downham & Bellingham II
Saturday 2nd August 2003

Kent League Match - 100 Overs

New Ash Green (3 points) 171 all out
Down & Bell (16 points) 172-3
New Ash Green lost by 7 wickets.

After a tour full of rain (and very little cricket) it was someone ironic (though entirely predictable) that the weather for the first game after tour would be glorious. Fortunately, Downham & Bellingham had no Umpire, and skipper Burke (back after a stint in the first team - and getting ever decreasing
scores) had no hesitation in batting first.

With a lack of regular opening batsmen Burke and Scanlan had a go in the quicksand that passed for a crease, though it was not long before the D & B Bbwlers accounted for Scanlan (1) and the number three Tutt (4). Burke then started to accelerate and was looking confident however he became over confident and was bowled by one that nipped sharply back in for 23. At this point NAG were precariously placed at 39 for 3.

K Hoddinott was joined at the crease by Adolphe, and carefully they both played excellently to re-build the innings from possible collapse. They put on 110 for the 4th wicket - and steadily increased the run rate. When the last 10 overs began, they started a more aggressive assault on the bowling but the team were unable to post the big score now hoped for. Adolphe was finally out for 51 and Hoddinott finished with a very accoomplished 58*. The late flurry of wickets meant that NAG had posted a defendable but far from unbeatable score of 170 for 7. First change bowler Barnes took an excellent 5 for 27 off 14 overs with his accurate away swing bowling.

M Sumner and Burke opened the bowling and it was not long before Sumner started finding a good line and length - and was causing all batsmen some problems. Two early wickets from Sumner left D & B on 41 for 2, however Burke was struggling with a consistent line at the other end (though was unlucky to find an edge go through the hands of 2nd slip). P Sumner came on to replace Burke and bowled a very tidy spell of 11 overs - the first 10 going for only 26 (the last going for 10) - however he was unable to make a breakthrough despite one golden opportunity which was dropped by his brother.

Scanlan then came on - and bowled very tidily at first - but was a little expensive towards the end of the spell (5-1-23-0). Again no way could be found to break the partnership. Burke returned for one over but realised M Sumner would need to be called back into the attack to try and break the now
troublesome partnership of Bagnall and the ubiquitous Barnes. Sumner finished with excellent (though still unlucky not to be better) figures of 2 for 45 off 15 - though his last 2 overs went for around 20 when bowling chinamen. Eventually, K Hoddinott's assorted spin accounted for Barnes, stumped by Tutt for 74. Barnes (the guy who got 74 and 5 for 27), you would be interested to
know had played all his 10 other games this season for D & B's first team.

In the end, it was too little too late for NAG, who simply could not contain or breakthrough the D & B batsman as they cruised home with over 8 overs to spare. These leaves NAG 12th in the table - not out of the woods yet, and really need at least one more win from their remaining 4 games to make them feel a little more comfortable.

Special thanks to Steve Ball and Paul Rourk, who did not get a bat or bowl (and also to Keith Bushell, who only got the briefest of innings) for putting in 100% in the field. It was much appreciated.

New Ash Green III v Gravesend RFC II
Saturday 2nd August 2003

Central League Match - 40 Overs

New Ash Green 142 all out (39.5 overs)
Gravesend RFC 145-5 (34.5 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 5 wickets.

For the first time this season Ash Green won the toss and elected to bat first. A steady start from Robin Wills (27) and Dan Lewsey (2) followed by a stand of 71 between Graham Hampsheir (44) and Alan Carter (24) put Ash Green in a good position on a wicket which must have been sited on an ancient gremlin burial ground, good length balls flew five or six feet over Hampsheir's head and others seamed 18" from pitching! Having been given the task of marking a boundary, Alan Carter robbed himself of a six over square leg by making the perimeter bigger than the Oval (twat!)

On a wicket such as this it was not surprising that the rest of the team capitulated for just 142 in the end although it must be said that Sam Wilson batted very well for his 20 runs and was unlucky to be run out with one ball left of the innings.

Gravesend's innings began badly with Matt Pennell (8-0-34-1) snapping up the wicket of Saunders. Dan Lewsey bowled without any luck from the Pavillion end and it was left to Robin Wills ( 8-3-13-4) to make the breakthrough, Wills bowling fast and straight made light work of the Gravesend batsmen, taking 4 for 2 in his first 4 overs but in the end the batsmen managed to see the visitors home. This was not without drama however as both Graham (7-0-29-0) and Shane Hampsheir caused the batsmen problems bowling from the cursed Pavillion end, catches were put down, run outs missed and bails refused to drop.

On the whole it was a good performance from a young side - if we can build on this and get an exorcist to visit the ground things will surely get better!

Champagne Moment - Graham Poole getting severely reprimanded by team "MUMM" Leslieann for refusing to umpire (he did in the end!)

 New Ash Green v Crusaders
Sunday 3rd August 2003

Sadly this game had to be called off for lack of numbers, though the end of tour and the holiday season may provide some excuse.