Kent League Match - 100 Overs

New Ash Green (20 points) 131 all out (46.4 overs)
Roan & Lambethans (4 points) 108 all out (41.2 overs)
New Ash Green won by 23 runs.

Andy Stuart being away for the weekend I have no report for this match yet, though I am hopeful that Andy Cox, having criticised the match report last week will produce a full version this week!

The scorecard is available below, and it appears that Kevin Ginn with 44 and Pete Burke with 46* were the only batsmen to get into double figures as NAG struggled to 131 having been inserted, though I gather there were some dodgy umpiring decisions. There seem to have been plenty of LBW's in Roan & Lambethans' reply as well, and they were bowled out for 108. The bowling seems to have been a team effort, with Matt Meehan being particularly economical and James Hewitt being the most expensive but taking the most wickets. The first maximum for the 1st XI, their second win on the trot, takes them well clear of the danger zone and towards mid-table safety.

New Ash Green II v Roan & Lambethans II
Saturday 28th June 2003

Kent League Match - 100 Overs

New Ash Green (12 points) 180 all out (49.5 overs)
Roan & Lambethans (7 points) 179-7 (50 overs)
New Ash Green winning draw.

Once again New Ash Green were without an umpire, but this time their opposition were also short of one as well, so a toss took place. Stand-in captain Matthew Quantrill was saved from making a difficult decision when he lost the toss and was asked to bat. It looked a good decision for Roan & Lambethans when Quantrill was out to the second ball of the innings, failing to adjust to one that kept low and slicing it to gully. Gary Browning and Rob Jansen rebuilt steadily, though Browning was reprieved twice by the umpires, decisions which probably set the tone for later in the match and may have ultimately cost New Ash Green victory. Jansen was eventually out stumped, which brought in Andy Payne, who was soon looking to up the scoring rate. As so often a few good shots were followed by some loose ones, and although he was dropped twice off skyers he eventually found a fielder who could catch and was out for 29. Gary Browning had also succumbed immediately before Payne for 46, leaving Andy Mayers to rebuild again with Dominic Adolphe to keep him company. They started steadily, but as so often on this season's wickets acceleration was difficult. Adolphe managed a couple of successful pulls before being given out LBW a long way down the track, a decision which failed to convince Roan & Lambethans that they should later give any of their own team out. Matt Scanlan was also out cheaply, but Andy Mayers was beginning to look in excellent touch, playing anything on the stumps or leg side powerfully through the on side, but with excellent control, frustrating the fielders by keeping the ball on the ground. As he started to make runs a score of 200 finally looked like a real possibility, but eventually he let one get in the air and was caught at mid-wicket, and although the tail were able to ensure (crucially as it turned out) that Roan & Lambethans weren't given any extra overs, only a few more runs were added before a rather suicidal call by Sharad Bawdekar ended the innings one ball early.

180 runs was not a bad total on a wicket that, whilst not misbehaving badly, was not easy to attack on, but New Ash Green were very short of established bowlers and were going to have to try some experiments to get through their 50 overs. As a result they started with a big con trick on the opposition, opening the bowling with Dominic Adolphe, but pretending that he was a regular opening bowler in the hope that the openers, faced with a slow bowler might treat him with respect for a few overs before realising that he was a bowler they should be taking runs off. As it turned out the trick was a spectacular success as the batsmen never came to grips with his one step run up and slow, angled left arm deliveries, mostly playing him defensively, and when they did try and hit him swinging too hard and mis-hitting, convincing them to take more care with the next ball. Although there were a few fours off him they were mostly off the edge and the speed with which he got through his overs also posed difficulties for the batsmen (and for Andy Mayers who was not getting much rest between overs at the other end!) Although the only wicket in his spell came via a run out Adolphe went through his full 15 overs for just 39 runs, and New Ash Green had got away with all the overs they needed from non-regular bowlers at very low cost. At the other end Andy Mayers was a little more expensive as the batsmen were able to use his extra pace, but he also caused them some discomfort with his better balls, though he was unable to take a wicket. After one opener had been run out failing to take account of the fact that his partner had just called for a runner and wasn't going to be able to take a quick single the first wicket for a bowler came in Sharad Bawdekar's second over replacing Mayers. Bawdekar soon slowed the run rate just as Roan & Lambethans had started to try and accelerate and by the time Adolphe finished his spell they were looking for over 4 an over. Try though they might they couldn't score off Bawdekar, and Matt Scanlan was also bowling well replacing Adolphe, swinging the ball just enough to cause trouble, including a beauty that started middle and swung round the bat to hit off stump and take the third wicket. Nonetheless the extra pace helped the batsmen a bit and although he took another wicket Scanlan's last over was expensive as he lost his line a bit and ended up with 2-30 from 6 overs. He was replaced by Andy Payne, who produced some good balls, but also got picked off occasionally. However every time the batsmen seemed to pick up the rate from the seam bowlers they were slowed down again by Bawdekar who they simply could not get away.

During this crucial period New Ash Green (reduced to 10 men for the last 20 overs as Adolphe had to leave immediately he finished his bowling spell to go to a wedding) fielded magnificently, despite a number of obviously tired fielders at the end of a long hot game. Everyone kept trying their hardest, and some magnificent stops by the likes of Olly Harding and aggressive attacking fielding by Paul Rourk saved several runs, all of which were vital! However it was also during this period that New Ash Green lost their chance to win the game as a couple of catches went down (virtually the only serious misfields) and their earlier umpiring decisions came back to haunt them as a blatant stumping and a very good looking LBW were given not out. Even with this help to the batsmen and some very harsh wide calls New Ash Green were still on top as Bawdekar continued to be impossible to get away and desperate running produced another run out as Quantrill came out from behind the stumps to make a direct hit at the bowlers end. With 5 overs left 28 were needed with 4 wickets in hand, but two superb Bawdekar overs left Roan & Lambethans needing 18 off the last two overs. Andy Payne had switched from seam to spin, but still conceded 9 off the penultimate over, and when Bawdekar dropped the first ball of the last over short and was smashed for 4 it looked all over. He recovered superbly, though, with three dot balls before a scrambled leg bye left 4 needed off the last ball with the established batsman off strike. New Ash Green then nearly threw the game away as the fielders were scattering to the boundary before Matthew Quantrill remembered just in time the fielding circle rules. With one man missing this meant only 4 could be put back, with the others all right on the edge of the circle, but Bawdekar didn't give the batsman anything easy to hit and although he squeezed the ball past point Rob Jansen was able to get the ball back into the keeper to get a run out as the batsmen looked for a third run that would have levelled the scores, instead giving New Ash Green an extra bonus point for the 7th wicket.

It was a dramatic and tense conclusion to the game, though most of the New Ash Green side were too tired to fully enjoy it, and sadly the game was spoiled by bad feeling on both sides (probably justified on both sides) over umpiring decisions, which showed the importance of having proper umpires even at this relatively low level of league cricket. Nonetheless it was a spirited performance in the field by a New Ash Green side that was short on bowling and might have been thought to be weak in the field with the whole side keeping up 100% effort (to the best of their varying abilities…) throughout 50 hot overs, and thoroughly deserving to come out with the winning draw.

New Ash Green III v Lordswood III
Saturday 28th June 2003

Central League Match - 40 Overs

Lordswood 248-2
New Ash Green 74 all out
New Ash Green lost by 174 runs.

Having won the toss, Lordswood decided to bat first and made steady progress but tight bowling from Robin Wills (8-1-29-1) and Dan Lewsey (5-1-15-0) kept the scoring rate down to a respectable level. On a wicket with inconsistent bounce, the batsmen played very well but Wills finally made the breakthrough to dismiss Hussain for 21. This brought in R.Hartley for Lordswood and the runs began to come at a brisker pace. After being dropped and let off from a stumping, Graham Hampsheir (8-1-39-1) finally got rewarded for bowling a good line by tempting Hartley to play all around a well flighted leg break which bowled him. J.Waite went on to score a faultless century on a wicket which didn't offer him much assistance.

NAGs innings was virtually a repeat of last weeks which included six ducks! Credit goes to Dan Lewsey 29, Robin Wills 12* and Andy Tutt 11 for actually scoring some runs.....thats all I've got to say about that. Third team cricket is like a box of chocolates - you go into it full of hope and expectations, but you never know what you're gonna get. (No, that's not true is it?)

New Ash Green v Hawkinge
Sunday 29th June 2003

Kent Village League Match - 40 Overs

New Ash Green (1 point) 170 all out (39.2 overs)
Hawkinge (6 points) 174-2 (29.5 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 8 wickets.

New Ash Green's only previous Sunday league defeat had come courtesy of a freak innings from Detling's opener, and in their second it was again one innings which left them comprehensively beaten, but this time one of high class.

Having lost the toss and been asked to bat New Ash Green looked in difficulty early on as the wicket looked as if it would be impossible early on. In the first over Matthew Quantrill got 2 at ankle height and 3 at head height all from a similar length. However the 2nd opening bowler was not as accurate and Quantrill and Andy Mayers had scored 16 runs before Mayers got through one a bit early and spooned the ball in the air in the fifth over, shortly followed by John Howland who edged to slip 2nd ball. Things might have been much worse for New Ash Green, but Kevin Ginn was dropped from a fairly simple caught and bowled chance before he had got off the mark. As so often this season the pitch seemed to calm down considerably after the first 4 or 5 overs and Quantrill and Ginn were able to take advantage, both scoring well as they added 82 for the third wicket. Quantrill was out for 40 on the last ball before the drinks break at 20 overs, once again slicing a low one outside off stump into the air. At 98 for 3 after 20 overs and with Ginn scoring freely New Ash Green looked well set, but although he was dropped twice more to difficult chances he was eventually caught just inside the boundary for 77 and the scoring rate declined dramatically. Only Dominic Adolphe with 22, including (for a change) a few well timed shots, got into double figures as New Ash Green managed to secure the bonus batting point before being all out for 170 in the last over.

Hawkinge's openers looked competent, but not outstanding, batsmen and it looked as if a reasonable constest was on. Andy Mayers picked up the first wicket fairly quickly, well caught by John Harding as the edge kept low, but this brought in 19 year old Smith at number 3. He looked a class batsman immediately, seeming to have plenty of time to play his shots, and although of very slight build timing the ball beautifully. Keith Bushell got through his 9 overs for 32 and Kevin Ginn, bowling spin, picked up one wicket when the other opener pulled a short one straight into Andy Mayers' hands at square leg, but he went for 48 in his nine overs. Andy Mayers returned when Keith Bushell finished, but by now Smith was well set, and had no trouble at all with Mayers' pace, looking like he had all the time in the world to drive him through mid-wicket. Mayers carried on through his spell but ended up with 1-69, and by the time the three main bowlers were finished the game was virtually over. Kevin Lamberton stayed with Smith (sorry - first name not known!) to add 113 for the third wicket and Smith ended up with 93*, making it all look very easy.

While the loss to Detling could be said to be something of a fluke this time there could be no quibbling with the quality of the batting, and with the heavy defeat inflicted. Smith is a player who deserves to be playing at a much higher level than this, and he never looked in difficulty against any of the bowling, though he might have been run out a couple of times. New Ash Green will simply have to console themselves with the thought that Saturday is their main league day and that Sunday is supposed to be for fun, though there were one or two in the field who didn't seem to be enjoying it that much!