Kent League Match - 100 Overs

New Ash Green (1 point) 140-8 (50 overs)
Rodmersham (16 points) 141-2 (30.4 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 8 wickets.

A number of 1st XI players were absent at James Hewitt's wedding including the usual reporter for 1st XI matches. From talking to some of the players on Sunday and looking at the scorecard I have compiled a brief report below, but if anyone who played in the match wants to write a fuller report please send one in.

Kevin Ginn, acting captain, won the toss and chose to bat. Almost every batsman seems to have stayed in for a while, and it appears that the bowling was not exceptionally dangerous but was very steady and accurate. On a fairly slow wicket none of the batsmen seem to have been able to break the shackles. Ginn made 27 and Matt Scanlan made an impressive 24 not out on his 1st team league debut. Almost everyone else made some contribution, but overall the score was too low even for a slow wicket.

In response Mick Sumner took an early wicket but a 99 partnership for the second wicket between Rodmersham's captain and their overseas player, Piet Botha, put the game beyond NAG's reach. Ginn took the wicket of his opposite number, but Botha ended up with 78* and Rodmersham cruised home with nearly 20 overs in hand. Again the impression seems to have been that the batsmen weren't necessarily much more talented than NAG's but that they played the game better - pushed the ball around, took the singles and took advantage of fielders not yet used to playing at this level.

Another defeat drops NAG dangerously close to the bottom of the table, but they have already played 4 of the current top 5 teams, and will hope to be at full strength for a run of games against other teams in the lower part of the table over the next few weeks.

Rodmersham II v New Ash Green II
Saturday 7th June 2003

Kent League Match - 100 Overs

New Ash Green (3 points) 153 all out (49.2 overs)
Rodmersham (16 points) 155-3 (39.1 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 7 wickets.

Despite the significant number of players unavailable due to James Hewitt's wedding the club were able fulfil all 3 fixtures and at least compete with the opposition - although ultimately to no avail.

The Second XI only contained 1 person who had never played in the team before (Lewis Cooper on club debut), though it is safe to say that a large number of remainder had rarely played for the team at the same time. Matters were not helped by Dominic Adolphe's late arrival (3pm) which meant, due to some poor cricket and bad luck, he was unable to bat any higher than number 7.

After forfeiting the toss due to having no umpire New Ash Green were asked to bat by the Rodmersham skipper. This soon looked to be a good decision as the quick dismissals of openers Rob Jansen (who ran himself out for 3) and Neil Howick (who was unfortunate to see the ball roll back onto the stumps and dislodge a single bail after playing what appearing to be a textbook defensive shot) for 0. This brought to the crease skipper (and normal inhabitant of the lower order) Pete Burke and Matt Payne - who had not picked up a bat since well before the end of last season.

Payne did almost all the scoring during this partnership - and will have been disappointed to be bowled for 15 (including what he would have to admit is probably the shortest 6 he has ever hit). Still, there was enough on show to suggest that, with a few more knocks Payne will be of significant value this season. Next to the crease was Charles Duguid, who didn't stay too long - but hit a brisk 14, frustrating the Rodmersham bowlers in the process.

At this point New Ash Green were teetering on the brink. At 42 for 4, with a main batsman still nowhere near the ground, it was Oliver Harding and Pete Burke who contributed the highest partnership of the innings (55). Harding grew more and more assured with every ball - and looked completely comfortable in his surroundings. Pete Burke was by now playing more of the scoring shots and started to look in command of the bowlers - despite one easy catch being offered and dropped. It was Harding who departed first (for 22), which brought Dominic Adolphe to the crease (you guessed it - he was the one that was late). Whilst Adolphe never looked in the best form, he and Burke put on 47 for the 6th wicket, during which time Burke reached his first 50 for the club as 2nd team skipper. Hope were high that New Ash Green could accelerate for the final 6 or 7 overs to reach a score of around 200 - which would have been very competitive. However Burke was caught on the boundary for 67 and Adolphe followed soon after, being bowled for 23. The rest of the innings crumbled, with the team finally all out for 153 in the final over. Credit should go to Robin Wills who looked very solid, was not out at the end and was largely responsible for ensuring that none of our overs were given to Rodmersham. Freak dismissal of the day has to go to Lewis Cooper who smashed a leg side full toss at short leg - it hit the peak of the cap of the fielder in close which made it loop up and become a relatively simple catch for the fielder at mid-wicket.

Rodmersham got off to a stuttering reply as Matt Payne took an excellent catch at gully off Pete Burke's bowling to leave the home side 0 for 1. Whilst Burke was keeping things tight from one end (19 runs off his first 10 overs), Rodmersham found the bowling of Pennell more to their liking. Unfortunately Robin Wills struggled with his line which meant that the scoring rate became well above what was required. During this time Burke took 2 further wickets to give hope - and the introduction of first Bawdekar (0 for 36 from 12) and then Howick (0 for 17 from 6) did slow the rate down - although New Ash Green rarely threatened to take the wickets they needed. Burke brought himself back to try and sneak a wicket or two, but by now Richard Cooper and Peter Day looked comfortable.

By the last couple of overs victory for Rodmersham was certain, and Burke mixed things up a little by giving Lewis Cooper his first bowl for the club. Although extremely raw, there is certainly the potential to be a very useful bowler for the club - he is certainly already one of the best fielders!

So ultimately defeat, but no disgrace in the circumstances. No doubt with more available players next week, all three sides will be looking to turn things around.

New Ash Green III v Cobham
Saturday 7th June 2003

Central League Match - 40 Overs

Cobham 171-5
New Ash Green 91 all out
New Ash Green lost by 80 runs.

Knowing that we were going to be short of players and that Cobham were a very strong side the decision was taken early in the week to concede the league match and invite Cobham to mix up their teams and play a friendly game. This seems to have been a resounding success, and I am indebted to stand in skipper Alan Carter for the following report:

On a bright sunny afternoon with a strong breeze blowing down the ground Cobham were asked to bat on what looked to be a good bowling track. With both sides playing understrength teams it was an opportunity for some of the colts to impress. Keir Wilson was asked to open the bowling and after a shaky start proceeded to bowl an excellent spell finding a good line and length throughout and being rewarded with 2 good wickets for 23 runs off 6 overs. After the first 12 overs Cobham were under real pressure at 29-2. When the openers were taken off Graham Poole and John Sharpe continued to keep the pressure on with only Knight , Cobham's opening bat having any luck at the crease. John Sharpe was replaced bowling into the wind by Dan Lewsey, who tied the batsmen down with figures of 8-1-24-1 and with Sam Wilson taking over from Graham Poole at the pavilion end finishing with figures of 2-44 New Ash Green had bowled and fielded themselves to a potentially winning position with only Knight (106) and Broadley (26) making anything with the bat. Brian Taylor also deserves a mention for some fine glovework behind the stumps and some astute observations in the field.

New Ash Green replying to Cobham's 171-5 started soundly with Clive and Lewsey putting on 15 for the first wicket and Glover and Lewsey getting the score to 50-1 before Steve Glover holed out at mid on. Next in was Wonderkid Wilson determined to be even more impressive with the bat than with the ball smashing a four then a six, and at 69-2 in the 17th over it was game on. But 69-2 became 3 then 4 then 5 then 6 and New Ash Green hobbled on to 91 allout with a bit of resistance from Brian Taylor with a cameo 10 and Graham Poole holding out with a very mature innings but needing a partner who could do likewise.

Overall it was a very enjoyable afternoon and credit must be given to the Cobham captain and all his team for the spirit in which the game was played.

New Ash Green v Southfleet
Sunday 8th June 2003

Kent Village League Match - 40 overs per side

New Ash Green (6 points) 162-9
Southfleet (0 points) 101 all out
New Ash Green won by 61 runs.

On a wicket which had been exposed to heavy overnight rain New Ash Green lost the toss and were asked to bat. Their worst fears about the wicket were realised when Kevin Ginn was out first ball to one that stopped and rose off a length and Matthew Quantrill only just survived the next ball which never rose more than 6 inches off the ground but was just down the leg side. Andy Mayers did flick a full toss away nicely off his legs, but at the end of the third over he was too eager to hit one which was slightly over-pitched and drove straight to mid-off.

At 9-2 and with the ball doing something different every ball New Ash Green looked in trouble. However the Southfleet bowlers were not really quick enough to exploit it and their captain was slow to bring close fielders in for the popping ball. After 4 or 5 overs the pitch settled down a bit, and although never easy to bat on it was never again quite as dangerous as it had seemed at the start. Quantrill and Marc Klus weathered the initial storm and carried on defending sensibly and putting away the loose balls so effectively that they brought up 50 in the 10th over. They were slowed down slightly after that as the bowling became a little more accurate, but still put on 80 for the 3rd wicket before Klus was caught for 44 just after the drinks break. Quantrill went shortly afterwards mis-hitting a wide long hop to point for a 34 which included a rare (for him) hooked six off what must have been one of the least frightening bouncers ever seen on New Ash Green's ground. The remaining batsmen kept up a steady run rate, but stuttered whenever acceleration was applied. Dominic Adolphe made 21, Matt Scanlan 16 and Vic Mayers 12* as the bonus batting point was earned in the final over and Southfleet were denied their own bonus point.

Although there was another sprinkling of rain around tea time Southfleet found the pitch much more docile when they set out on their quest for 163 to win. Nonetheless the openers looked very nervous at the pace of Kevin Ginn, and also struggled to get Keith Bushell away. The opening bowlers bowled through their 9 overs each, taking 1-23 and 1-24 respectively. Although not always looking secure the Southfleet batsmen were all putting away the loose balls very effectively and at 62-2 at the halfway stage the game still looked very evenly poised. However as New Ash Green had found earlier acceleration was not easy on this wicket as long as the bowling was reasonably tidy and Marc Klus and Vic Mayers kept things tight. Klus took 2-18 and Mayers 1-9, with Andy Mayers also taking a wicket when he replaced his father to reduce Southfleet to 84-6. With the game seemingly in the bag New Ash Green then embarked on a sequence of three balls in which they contrived to drop 3 catches and miss two run-outs, showing Southfleet that they still had a chance. Southfleet's captain was the beneficiary of 4 of these missed chances, and went on to be dropped again before the end. Andy Mayers decided to take things into his own hands, taking two wickets in consecutive balls, bowled and caught & bowled, and with Matt Scanlan taking one at the other end despite being handicapped by a strained muscle in his leg New Ash Green were back in control. There was still time for one more simple missed catch before Mayers wrapped things up by knocking the stumps down again to leave him with the impressive figures of 4-8 and give New Ash Green a comfortable win.