Gravesend RFC (20 points) 231 all out (48.4 overs)
New Ash Green (4 points) 111 all out (45.4 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 120 runss

New Ash Green had the misfortune to put out their strongest side this season against one of the their strongest opponents. Once again there were promising signs, but not enough could be put together to make a complete performance. Bowling first they reduced what has been a rampant batting side to 53-4, but were then stymied by a partnership of 108 for the fifth wicket, with Gravesend captain Meguel Dee prominent in making 97. After that the tail offered little resistance, Pete Burke being the star bowler with 4-74, three run outs also helping the cause.

Nonetheless the total was beyond anything New Ash Green had achieved this season and Gravesend also offered up a potent bowling attack. Again there were small chinks of light, Marc Klus making 26 in his first game of the season, Simon Duke 22, Pete Burke a late order 20 and Vaughan John continuing his recent good form with the bat with 17*, but again it was nowhere near enough to prevent another comprehensive defeat.

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New Ash Green (20 points) 209-8 (46 overs)
Lower Halstow (11 points) 188 all out (44.3 overs)
New Ash Green won by 21 runs

With the firsts at full strength it also meant that the second XI were finally able to put out something close to their strongest XI, and this against the side propping up the league table. It gave them something of a dilemma in conditions favouring bowling first, the pitch still being damp, but with the confidence that they had the stronger side and should get a better game batting first. In the end the decision was taken out of their hands by the lack of an umpire and Lower Halstow choosing to field first. Matthew Quantrill and Ian Martin started steadily, but Martin was quick to pick up on anything outside off stump and was soon playing the dominant role. They kept things steady to the drinks break, taken at 84-0, then took 26 off the next two overs before Quantrill was bowled for 39 to end a season leading partnership of 112. John Howland didn't last long but Charlie Cutting played a couple of powerful shots in his 16 and Martin continued well until being LBW within sight of his hundred, falling for 94. Lee Saunders played a steady innings to stay to the end for 29* while others fell in the cause of quick runs, taking the final score to 209-8.

With the bowling attack available to them it should have been more than enough runs, but with an old ball and the pitch conditions improving New Ash Green didn't have things all their own way. Matt Dehaney and Lee Saunders initialy kept the runs down, but couldn't make the breakthrough. However Paul Sumner made an immediate impact, bowling away swing with the occasional big cut back. He started with two wicket maidens, the first courtesy of a superb catch by Lee Saunders, and when he took another in his third he had 3-0. An edge broke the spell and he didn't have things quite as easy after that. With John Harley not quite at his best Lower Halstow fought back, but another change to Ian Martin brought another breakthrough, his gentle loosener being lobbed equally gently to cover. Martin also picked up the wicket of Davies, who had looked dangerous for a while with some big swings to leg, but holed out the moment a man was put back on the boundary, and with Sumner having picked up his fourth wicket just before and taking his fifth, to a smart leg side stumping, shortly afterwards the chase looked over at 113-7. However with Sumner tiring and dragging a few long hops down before finishing his spell with 5-55 Graham Nuttall set out on a one man quest to rescue Lower Halstow. Relying purely on blocking at the other end he struck the ball cleanly to all parts, making all the runs off the bat in an 8th wicket stand of 58. A further 12 were added for the 9th before Matt Dehaney struck, but the run rate was being maintained. Eventually, though, with no support at the other end and the firlders spread Nuttall couldn't quite do enough, eventually being caught on the long boundary for 68 when needing 22 from the last 10 balls.

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Frindsbury 242-4 (40 overs)
New Ash Green 83 all out (19.3 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 159 runs

With last week's boost of first team players having come against weak opposition it was back to the hard work for the Sunday XI this week in the league game against Frindsbury. Batting first Frindsbury knocked up 242 with reasonable ease, Simon Freeman being the most economical bowler with an opening six over spell of 1-24, Marc Klus taking two wickets and John Clack getting his first wicket for the club.

Barring some remarkable firworks from Klus New Ash Green were never going to get near that total. They had a respectable start with Klus and Matt Bushe putting on 37, Klus eventually being top scorer with 23, Elliot Harris also reached double figures and David Baker and James Porter both scored runs to leave their fight for the Duck Cup on hold for the week. However Paul Winchester swept through the tail with 6-9 leaving New Ash Green well short of their target.

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