Saturday 19th August & Sunday 20th
August 2006
New Ash Green v Bexleyheath
Saturday 19th August 2006
Kent League
Match - 100 Overs
Bexleyheath (3
points) 142 all out (37.2 overs)
New Ash Green (16 points) 143-6 (37.1 overs)
New Ash Green won by 4 wickets.
The holiday season was taking its toll on both sides, with
neither having an umpire and both ending up short of players. New Ash Green had
thought they had a side, but Kieran Hoddinott failed
to show, while Bexleyheath simply had 9. It did mean that there was a toss and
that the batting side provided the umpires, something which was always a recipe
for controversy. New Ash Green won the toss and chose to bowl first, despite
the lack of most of their regular bowling attack. Vic Mayers
once again stepped up when needed, bowling 11 overs
and taking 4-35, taking himself to the top of the season’s bowling averages in
the process. Matt Scanlan, fresh from his five wicket
haul last week tried his luck at the other end, but although he did collect a
couple of wickets he was more expensive this week, getting 2-52 in 8.2 overs. The alternative were Pete Burke and Andy Mayers, both of whom had been expensive in most of their
previous league bowling this season, but both produced good performances, Burke
getting 1-26 in 12 tight overs and Mayers 1-9 in 5. So effective was the makeshift attack that
it was only an 8th (and last) wicket stand of 49 that carried them
to the relative respectability of 142 all out.
142 is a score New Ash green haven’t
made often this season, but against 9 men they fancied their chances. Matt Scanalan and Marc Klus put on a
solid opening partnership of 30 before Scanlan was
given out LBW by Vaughan John, who immediately followed this up with another
LBW against Dan Walton in his first game back from injury. Oliver Harding was a
third LBW victim, some proof at least that New Ash Green weren’t being ‘home’
umpires, and when Klus had gone for 25 and Vic Mayers was out first ball New Ash Green were struggling at 82-5
(but effectively for 6 as they were one short.) Andy Mayers
obviously enjoys Bexleyheath’s bowling, though, having made 51 against them at
their ground, and on this occasion he top scored with 33, adding a season
leading 43 for the 6th wicket with Simon Duke. He did fall short of
50 this time, but Duke was joined by Arron Ward who
went on the attack. Having scored a four and a two he then skied one straight
up. Duke called a run and set off at pace, head down, and ended up charging
straight into the wicket-keeper just as he was about to catch the ball. Controversy
raged, of course, particularly with no full time umpire to make the decision,
and it appears from conversations afterwards a degree of lack of awareness of
the laws involved on all sides. The Law states, though, that the obstruction
must be wilful, and it seems that it seems that all sides accepted that this
was not malice but clumsiness from Duke, and the decision therefore appears to
have been correctly made that neither batsman was out. Interestingly, though,
it appears from discussions afterwards that had the decision been that this was
obstruction the assumption was that it would have been Duke who was out,
whereas in fact the Law is clear that if the obstruction prevents a catch from
being taken it is the striker who is out – that is that Ward should have been
the one given out if anyone. With Duke still in and Burke and John to come New
Ash Green should have been able to make the few remaining runs they needed, but
naturally as Ward and Duke saw them home some of the Bexleyheath side weren’t
best pleased!
Click HERE for latest league table.
Frindsbury II v New Ash Green II
Saturday 19th August 2006
Mid-Kent
League Match - 92 Overs
Frindsbury (20 points) 173 all out (45.3 overs)
New Ash Green (5 points) 74 al out (34.4 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 99 runs.
Both sides were weakened by holiday absences and were without an
umpire for this match, meaning a toss was held and New Ash Green were able to insert their opponents on a damp looking
wicket. After a steady start from Graeme Poole and Keith Bushell,
Frindsbury opener Pete Blackman started using his
feet to play aggressively, and looked as if he might make a big score until he
slashed at a wide one from
The final total of 173 was perhaps lower than it had looked like
being at one stage, but on a very difficult wicket it always looked likely to
be enough. Although Frindsbury were short of bowling
their under 15 opening bowler Lewis Cooper had just the right pace to get the
most out of the pitch, the ball bouncing completely unpredictably from where ever
he bowled it. He accounted for both openers, and although Shaikh
momentarily looked as if he might make his presence felt with two early blows
for four he got carried away and was caught immediately afterwards. From then
on it was a grind for the New Ash Green batsmen, with the ball turning and bouncing
unpredictable for a series of spinners. No one reached double figures until a
patient 9th wicket stand between Dane Lewsey (17) and
Kieran Poole (10) took them at least past the embarrassment of losing by 100
runs. Cooper, though, returned and finished off the last pair to end with
figures of 4-10 which were, in all honesty, more a reflection of the pitch that
the quality of his bowling.
Click HERE for latest league table.
New Ash Green v
Sunday 20th August 2006
For reasons that could not be determined as no one could contact
anyone from