Saturday 14^th August and Sunday 15^th August 2004

New Ash Green v Macknade
Saturday 14^th August 2004

Kent League Match - 100 Overs

New Ash Green (13 points) 237-5 (50 overs)
Macknade (6 points) 230-7 (50 overs)
New Ash Green winning draw.

The first of two crucial games against fellow strugglers for New Ash Green, and the recent dry weather had given way to heavy rain in the previous couple of days. The wicket was as a consequence very green, and very soft on top. Not surprisingly Macknade captain Steve Taylor had no hesitation in inserting New Ash Green on winning the toss. The opening bowlers had no great pace, but conditions were still very difficult, with plenty of bounce and movement off the seam. The surface was wet, but the pitch was firm underneath, and the wicket soon started to dry. Matthew Quantrill edged one low to slip for 3 and Elvis Murrey again showed his potential with two good shots before being beaten by the slowness of the wicket and getting through his shot too early and hitting it a long way in the air, but only for it to come down straight into the keeper’s gloves. Both wickets fell to Jamie Rigden, who bowled his 12 over opening spell for just 18 runs, but Marc Klus and Andy Cox saw him off, and ensured that New Ash Green didn’t collapse while the conditions were at their most difficult. At the half way stage the score was 64-2, but with the conditions improving and Macknade not having great depth of bowling there were grounds to hope that a score of 150 would be reached, a score which seemed likely to be competitive. Klus eventually guided one to slip for 32 after 56 had been added for the third wicket, and Rob Boss then survived two extraordinarily simple drops, palyed some good straight drives and cuts before finding a fielder who could catch having made 17. With 12 overs to go Simon Duke still had time to play himself in, making just one 4, off the edge, in his first 14 balls. Then with 10 overs to go, the score on 117 and six wickets in hand New Ash Green launched their assault. Duke started it with 16 from one over including a huge 6 to the short leg side boundary, and Andy Cox quickly joined in. From then on it was complete savagery from Duke, and good shots from Cox as well. Andy Perkin, who had been bowling tidy spin, had bowled 8 overs for 28, but by the time Duke had finished with him his figures were 1-70 in 11, and he ‘celebrated’ the 4 off his last ball by kicking the stumps down at his end. Other bowlers fared no better, Juniper having had 1-31 in 11 came back to take 1-30 in a 2 over spell, and opening bowler Jarrett was hit around as well. In the end Cox was out in the last over for 86 to end a partnership of 122 for the 5^th wicket and by the end exactly 120 had been added in the last 10 overs, more than doubling the score after 40! Duke finished with 69* including four 6’s and eight 4’s and having taken 14 balls to reach 4 he added another 65 from his next 29 balls!

237 was New Ash Green’s highest score in the league, but Macknade are known to be a strong batting side and the conditions were now much better for batting, the damp surface having dried out somewhat and New Ash Green needed to bowl well to stay on top. Andy Cox having batted for most of the innings and in the slow conditions bowled within himself, but got plenty of movement, and Vic Mayers although slipping in the odd loose ball also troubled the batsmen, conceding just 14 in his 6 over spell. Steve Taylor and Roger Beak played aggressively, and inevitably there were some mistimed shots, but nothing would quite go to hand for New Ash Green and 57 was added for the first wicket at a good rate. In the end it was Micky Sumner who made the breakthrough, although he was struggling for rhythm. A succession of legside wides was suddenly followed by one on a good line, and Taylor was so surprised by it that he drove it straight into the safe hands of Andy Mayers at cover. Sumner took another next over with a nick behind, but he also went for 27 in 4 overs and was withdrawn. Andy Mayers bowled a good spell to concede just 25 in 6 overs, but the wickets were not falling, and Beak in particular was hammering anything loose. He used no foot movement, but planted himself soundly, using strong arms and a good eye to swing hard at anything in his arc, and hit several big sixes to keep Macknade in the hunt whenever they looked like falling behind. He was joined by Kennard in adding 64 for the third wicket, with Simon Duke proving expensive despite creating a number of chances. Andy Stuart, having his first full spell in a month following his thigh injury was causing problems, but occasional loose balls kept the runs ticking over. Eventually, though, Stuart bowled Kennard, and a mix up in the running when the ball was hit straight to Andy Mayers led to another wicket. The big one, though, took a few more overs, but it was Stuart who provided it, beating Beak’s late cut for pace and taking the top of middle stump when Beak had made 94. However if New Ash green thought they were home and dry they had another think coming. Perkin and Taylor carried on the attack. Andy Cox came back to replace Simon Duke, and immediately reduced the run rate at his end, but a tired Andy Stuart was beginning to slip some loose balls in. Macknade continued taking risks, and a some missed chances, mostly difficult, for both catches and run outs looked as if they might prove costly. When Stuart conceded a 4 and a 6 in successive balls, bringing the required run rate down under 5 an over Macknade were looking hot favourites again. Cox held them back in his next over, and Stuart decided to rest with 2-67 in 12 and take a gamble on the unknown quantity – Elvis Murrey. Not looking a great athlete he had nonetheless shown with his fielding that there was more to him than there appeared, and off a slow run up he produced useful skiddy pace, which was particularly difficult to pick up in the gathering gloom. 18 had been needed off the last 4 overs with 5 wickets in hand, but having scored just 1 from Murrey’s first 5 balls Perkin tried to charge his last and skied it for the bowler to comfortably take the catch. 17 needed off 3 overs should still have been in reach, but another tight over from Cox kept the batsmen under pressure, enough to drive them into another running mix up and run out, and with Murrey giving away just 2 in his second over (2-0-3-1) 11 were needed from the last over, and Macknade never looked like getting that off Cox, who bowled far better than his figures of 0-45 in 13 overs suggest.

All in all a terrific game of cricket. On what had looked a very difficult wicket at the start 467 runs were scored for the loss of just 12 wickets, with a plethora of sixes over the short boundary and one or two over the longer ones as well. Some terrific hitting, and perhaps surprisingly some less good bowling and fielding, but 13 very useful points for New Ash Green which will give them heart for the game against Bexleyheath which, with a similar performance, should secure their position.

Click HERE for full scorecard from KCL site

Click HERE for latest league table.

Ashford II v New Ash Green II
Saturday 14^th August 2004

Kent League Match - 100 Overs

New Ash Green II (1 point) 125 all out (44 overs)
Ashford II (16 points) 126-0 all out (21.2 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 10 wickets.

A disappointing result for the seconds against fellow strugglers, but as so often this season when the opposition are in the bottom part of the table New Ash Green put out a weak side. Darren Phillips batted a long time for his 35, Alan Carter chipped in 24* but the rest failed to get past 6, with the tail collapsing rapidly, Matt Bushe’s long run of not outs finally coming to an end. Extras were comfortable top scorers with 47, helping New Ash Green to scrape their way to one bonus point. In response Ashford knocked off the runs with ease. Alan Carter may supply a match report in due course, but from the scorecard their doesn’t seem to be much else to say.

Click HERE for full scorecard from KCL site.

Click HERE for latest league table.

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