Saturday 11th September 2004
East Malling v New Ash Green
Friendly Match
New Ash Green
97 all out
East Malling 99-3
New Ash Green lost by 7 wickets.
The final game of the season, some three weeks earlier than usual,
and the only end of season friendly game, found New Ash Green travelling to
picturesque Bradbourne House, after the entire squad
had joined with a multitude of other club members in turning up to help with
the vital end of season pitch work at Manor Field….dream on! The usual faces
were doing the pitchwork with the aid of Channel 4
sponsored equipment, and most impressive it all looked too.
The heavy showers of Friday evening, meantime, seemed to have
avoided East Malling, though if anything this may have made the wicket more
difficult rather than less so. The bounce was highly variable and scoring was
not easy, though the bowling was accurate but not dangerous. As a result
Matthew Quantrill and Matt Scanlan
were able to put on 40 for the first wicket at a painfully slow rate.
Acceleration proved difficult though, and Scanlan
went for 20 getting a leading edge to an attacking shot, Graham Poole was
bowled and Quantrill departed for 15 when he
completely lost sight of a ball bowled from the (red brick) Bradbourne
House end! Ben boss hit a quick 10, Alan Carter impressed with 22 including
several good boundaries, but no one else could do much until Matt Bushe swatted a few at the end, having edged a 4 to bring
up his 50 for the season. He went on to make 9, but was last out just before
tea.
East Malling didn’t find the going much easier and although they
never looked much like losing they never took complete charge. All the New Ash
Green bowlers were tidy, Pete Burke conceded two boundaries in 2 balls but no
other scoring shots, taking 1-8 in 5 overs, Dan Lewsey bowled 8 overs for just 13
and Ben Boss took 1-15 in 6 overs. Whereas New Ash
Green gave everyone a game, though, with runs being taken off the less regular
bowlers, 3 of East Malling’s top 3 had also bowled, and that undoubtedly made
things easier. Theye were also helped by apparently
having a no LBW’s rule – 1 very good shout and 2
absolutely plumb ones being given not out without a thought by the batting
side’s umpires. Eventually they got home with nearly 10 overs
to spare.
Click HERE for full
scorecard from Play Cricket site