Monday 28th August
New Ifield v New Ash
Green
Friendly Match
New Ash Green
116 all out (38.5 overs)
New Ifield 117-9 (37.2 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 1 wicket.
The
annual Bank Holiday fixture against New Ifield
say another close finish in a tight game played in a mostly good spirit.
New Ash Green looked almost professional with a full 11 including an overseas
player, an umpire and a scorer, while the umpiring duties for New Ifield were shared by two boys who looked about 11 but did
a good job. The pitch was very soft having been exposed to heavy overnight rain
and New Ifield had no hesitation in inserting New Ash
Green when they won the toss. With the ball stopping and jumping most of the
time, but occasionally staying low batting was never an easy business, though
it got slightly less difficult as the ball got older and the pitch dried a
little through the game. Scott McKechnie was the
first victim, gloving one to slip that jumped off a length, and Matthew Quantrill followed not long afterwards through a shot too
early and spooning it to cover, a shot repeated by David Baker. Marc Klus played some attacking shots in reaching 20 before
being bowled and Matt Bushe counter-attacked briefly
before also hitting to slip. Kevin Ginn and Olly Harding saw off the opening bowlers before Ginn swung to deep square leg for the top score of 24. At
77-5 New Ash green’s chances of reaching 100 looked slim, but Ben Cooke then
joined Harding in the best partnership of the innings, 25, before Cooke had a
swing too many and was bowled. Joe Elisak also kept
Harding company, and with some 20 minutes of the
innings remaining New Ifield were forced to turn back
to their opening bowler, Matthew Walker, with dramatic effect. Their was a leg
by from the first ball before Elisak was caught at
slip, John Harley edged his second ball and Kieran Poole was bowled first ball,
bringing the innings to an abrupt end on 116.
Even
in the difficult scoring conditions 116 did not look enough, but in Kevin Ginn New Ash Green had the perfect bowler for the
conditions. A steady medium pace, on good line and length was enough, with the
aid of the still helpful pitch to make scoring very difficult. When Charlie McSweeney lifted his first attempt at an attacking shot in
the air and was well caught by a diving Marc Klus New
Ash Green were on their way. There followed three
moderately controversial dismissals, with the young umpire giving Jack Whiskin out LBW, playing forward but hit straight in front,
a thin edge just carrying to Scott McKechnie and
Robert McSweeney well caught low at slip by Matthew Quantrill. McSweeney didn’t
believe the ball had carried, but Quantrill’s
throbbing fingers testified to the fact that the ball had still been going down
when it hit them! Ginn followed up with two more
conventional dismissals before being withdrawn from the attack with 5-11 from 7
overs and New Ifield in
trouble on 42-6. Kieran Poole replaced Ginn and
produced a tidy five over spell, taking the wicket of Dival
fending the stopping ball off to slip as he took 1-14. Ben Cooke also bowled a
good spell, bowling Lockyer and taking 1-15 and
leaving New Ifield on 70-8. Joe Elisak
and Olly Harding bowled some overs
of spin in tandem, but although there was turn the slow wicket didn’t help them
and they had little luck. Matthew Walker was going well at number 10, and John
Harley decided the time was right to bring back Ginn,
which produced a bizarre wicket as