Monday 29th August 2005
New Ifield v New Ash
Green
Friendly Match
– “Proper Cricket”
New Ifield 192-7 dec. (43 overs)
New Ash Green 131-8 (36 overs)
Match drawn.
Beautiful bank holiday weather was the perfect compliment to a
rare friendly fixture for New Ash Green, involving a trip through the country
lanes to New Ifield, where a full team with scorer
and umpire was at the ground on time. Marc Klus,
delegated as captain for the day immediately lost the respect of his team by
losing the toss and being asked to bowl first, though this at least meant that
plenty of players could be given the opportunity to bowl. Klus
himself opened the bowling with a short burst of seam bowling – all his knee
will allow, but managed to make the early breakthrough bowling Stearn with one that cut back sharply off the pitch. At the
other end Graeme Poole also bowled a tidy opening spell, getting some movement
in the air and off the pitch, but with no luck early on. Kieran Poole recovered
well from a first over which went for 10 runs to bowl his most promising spell
to date, conceding just 4 runs in his next two overs
and then having a wicket maiden before his enforced break. Ben Cooke was also tidy, conceding just 13 in his first 4 over spell, but Dan Lewsey was more erratic, being taken off after 2 overs. Matt Bushe started with a
maiden and in just the 19th over Alan Carter became the 7th
bowler, and immediately took a wicket with a nonchalant one handed catch off
his own bowling. Bushe and Carter each suffered a
poor over as the batsmen tried to pick up the pace before Bushe
had Makoni LBW. Kiearn
Poole returned to the attack, but having started with another maiden was more
expensive in his last three overs. Ben Cooke was tidier
on his return and got the next wicket when top scorer David Bull failed to
clear Matt Scanlan at mid on. Carter returned to keep
one end tidy, and Graeme Poole took two wickets in two balls with a catch in
the deep and a stumping. There was just time for Dan Lewsey’s
bowling figures to be well and truly ruined by a couple of huge sixes from Jack
Serfontaine before the declaration came after 43 overs and just over two and a half hours of batting.
New Ash Green’s reply started very promisingly with Matthew Quantrill and Dan Walton looking solid and putting on 53
for the first wicket at better than 5 an over. Quantrill
led the way, mainly because he faced all but 2 balls of the five overs bowled by Jared Ellis, who was fairly gentle in pace
and bowling at least 2 loose balls an over. Just as it looked as if victory
might be something of a stroll Quantrill got a
leading edge and was caught and bowled for 34 by Serfontaine,
and Walton followed shortly afterwards, LBW to the same bowler for 12. Aron Dodson was also LBW for 4, but Matt Scanlan and Marc Klus looked
secure in adding 18, and as the 20 overs started New
Ash Green needed a run a ball, and a tight finish
looked on the cards. Scanlan, having got off the mark
with a six (courtesy of four overthrows…) was doing most of the scoring, but
his innings was curtailed when he pulled one to Makoni
at mid-wicket to give Serfontaine his 3rd wicket.
When Klus was out almost immediately afterwards, LBW
for 1 much to his disgust, New Ash Green were suddenly struggling to find the
runs. Graeme Poole made 1 and Ben Cooke 2 before both were bowled, and Dan Lewsey lost sight of a full toss and was bowled half way up
middle stump for 5. With 11 overs still remaining at
this point the situation looked dire for New Ash Green, but Alan Carter and
Kieran Poole looked very comfortable in playing out the remaining overs against a variety of spin bowling. Poole in
particular used his feet with great confidence against the spinners, and with
the game virtually saved took the opportunity to swing his bat in the last
over, striking New Ifield’s first team spinner for 4,
4 & 2 off the last 3 balls and ending up 14 not out, with Carter 18 not out
at the other end in a partnership of 40 for the 9th wicket.
While it was in some ways a tame finish it was another game
enjoyed by all and played in good spirit on both sides. The result in the end
mattered less than the participation and a rare draw in club cricket was
something of an experience in itself for many of those playing. Indeed New Ash
Green’s scorer, Hayley Cooke, had to be introduced to
the concept of the last 20 overs for the first time,
so the game proved to be something of an educational experience all round,
which was appropriate considering the strong school/teacher link between the
two sides.