Saturday 29^th July & Sunday 30^th July 2006

New Ash Green v Wickham Park
Saturday 29^th July 2006

Kent League Match - 100 Overs

Wickham Park (20 points) 220-9 (50 overs)
New Ash Green (5 points) 142 all out (42.2 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 78 runs.

Back to something a bit closer to full strength New Ash Green were asked to field first by Wickham Park. With Andy Cox back and James Hewitt conceding only slightly more runs in 14 overs than he had in 3 at Walmer the week before they were able to keep Wickham Park’s top order in check. Cox claimed 3-50 and Hewitt 1-39 as well as taking 3 catches, and Pete Burke also picked up 3 wickets if slightly expensively. Scott McKechnie enhanced his reputation with a stumping off Burke and it was only a quick 40 from Wickham Park’s number 8 that eventually carried them to 220-9.

Vic Mayers and James Hewitt made a solid start in reply, but struggled to score quickly. Once they were out Vaughan John and Oliver Harding also played soundly and at 84-2 New Ash Green were in as solid a position as they have been all season. However the necessary acceleration was beyond them. Harding went for 12, Mick Sumner, promoted to try and hit the spinner was quickly out and Andy Cox was LBW to his first ball. Neil Howick breathed some life into the innings with a typically robust 13 and Vaughan John made an excellent 54, but despite another promising innings from McKechnie the innings subsided tamely at the end when a second batting bonus point was in sight.

Click HERE for full Scorecard

Click HERE for latest league table.

New Ifield II v New Ash Green II
Saturday 29^th July 2006

Mid-Kent League Match - 92 Overs

New Ash Green (3 points) 105 all out (38.2 overs)
New Ifield (20 points) 107-2 (16.3 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 8 wickets.

New Ifield have become something of a bogey team for New Ash Green in the last couple of years, and the early season debacle when New Ash Green were all out for 21 was still fresh in their mind as they arrived to play the rematch. The pitch conditions were rather different though – hard and bouncy rather than wet and seaming. This meant that run scoring was rather easier, and having been asked to bat Matthew Quantrill and Andy Harrington got away to a reasonable start. New Ifield’s Australian, Andy MacGregor does tend to get over excited by bounce and bowl short, and he would perhaps have been more dangerous, at least in wicket-taking terms if he had pitched the ball up more. After making a sound start, though, Harrington was tempted to hook once to often and got a touch to the keeper. Quantrill looked sounder and was picking up occasional runs when anything loose was offered, but just as it began to look as if New Ash Green could get on top he got one from Lindenberg that popped off the pitch and took the shoulder of his bat on the way to the keeper. Lee Saunders played aggressively at the short stuff and racked up a quick 28, but with New Ifield a little short of change bowling he lost his head when he made a pre-determined slog at the second to last ball from the opening bowlers and lost his middle stump. The change bowling looked very gentle, but New Ash Green’s lower order couldn’t take advantage and the innings tailed away, though a total of 105 was exactly 5 times the score New Ash Green had made in the first game.

There had been a few words exchanged in the field and Steve Bage in particular had managed to annoy one or two of New Ash Green’s younger players, so their joy was unconfined when after a couple of blazing shots he aimed a huge hit at Keith Bushell and was bowled. A huge mix up led to the run out of Andy Makonni shortly afterwards, but from there on two of New Ifield’s talented youngsters played with great confidence, Robert Walker making 43 and James Lawrence 46. They were helped by some poor bowling by New Ash Green, but on the hard wicket they swung the bat with great confidence and effectiveness and cruised to an easy victory. The match was scarred by one somewhat bizarre incident when Lawrence had a huge swing at Keith Bushell and missed. As he swung round he was momentarily out of his ground and his bat came down at around the same time as Matthew Quantrill whipped the bails off. Vic Outtar, New Ifield’s captain, appeared to raise his finger, and as New Ash Green celebrated and the batsman started to walk off, then called him back. He had not, he said, been raising his finger, but pointing to show the batsman was in his ground, which by now he obviously was. He then launched into a tirade about what a disgrace it was that New Ash Green had appealed for this as the batsman had clearly never left his ground, this despite the batsman’s admission that he had at least momentarily been out of his ground and he would not have argued had he been given out. A gentle suggestion that all the umpire needed to do was say ‘not out’ only seemed to stir things up further and New Ash Green were in no mood to apologise for what was clearly a perfectly legitimate appeal and it took a while for things to settle down. An incident which added to the somewhat murky atmosphere between the two sides, though in fairness the majority, especially the younger players, played the game in excellent spirit.

Click HERE for full Scorecard

Click HERE for latest league table.

Sunday 30th July 2006

With the first day of tour scheduled no Sunday match had been arranged.

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