High Halstow (20points) 190-7 dec. (50 overs)
New Ash Green (4 points) 133 all out (39.2 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 57 runs

Against a strong High Halstow batting line up New Ash Green bowled well with little luck, Micky Sumner in particular deserving better. In the end it was James Hewitt (3-40) and Arif Sheikh (3-16) who made the breakthroughs, Arif in particuar perhaps having the luck that earlier bowlers had not had. Andy Mayers also picked up a wicket and High Halstow were restricted to 190 in the full 50 overs.

Unfortunately the batsmen didn't have any luck, the pace bowling of Tom Hanman causing them particular problems as they folded to 27-6, with Andy Mayers making 15 of those. James Hewitt and Simon Duke then offered some resistance with a stand of 67 for the seventh wicket, and Pete Burke offered further support to Duke, who made 48, to allow the score to be carried to a more respectable 133 before the inevitable defeat was wrapped up by Dave Coyle after Hanman had taken 6-43.

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Upchurch (6 points) 147-9 (46 overs)
New Ash Green (19 points) 151-4 (41.5 overs)
New Ash Green won by 4 wickets

In a reverse from the first encounter earlier in the season a weakened Upchurch side took on a New Ash Green XI fairly near to full strength. Put in to bat Upchurch struggled with the contrasting opening attack of Lee Saunders, bowling his fastest spell of the season, and Keith Bushell probably bowling his most accurate spell. Saunders conceded most of the runs, mostly balls outside off that were run down to third man, but made the initial breakthrough with an edge behind. After that, though, it was Bushell who tore through the top order, his inswinger completely baffling the batsmen as he took 4-16, all bowled, in his 12 over spell. Two youngsters, Tom Moore (48) and Mark Burch (27) took advantage of poorer bowling in the middle order, putting on 76 for the sixth wicket before a dangerous run to Matt Dehaney ended their partnership. With Dan Lewsey bowling tidily at one end and Saunders back to finish at the other Upchurch weren't able to accelerate, but New Ash Green struggled to take wickets. Lewsey took 2-19 in 7 overs, but Saunders couldn't get the wicket his bowling deserved and the last wicket pair, both aged about 13 held out bravely till the end.

On what was a good batting track the target seemed comfortable within New Ash Green's range, but the opening attack of Danny Crump and Alex Hales were very tidy from the start, making run scoring difficult. John Howland was bowled early on and when the tenth over was reached with the score still only on 10 some on the sidelines were getting worried. Matthew Quantrill and Andy Harrington, the two batsmen, used all their experience, though, to build an innings and get their eye in, knowing they had plenty of time and that the change bowling was likely to be less difficult, and they steadily increased the pace. By the half way stage they had more runs than Upchurch at the same stage for only 1 wicket and continued to up the pace as they reached a century partnership. Harrington brought up his fifty first, but almost immediately pulled a ball into the hands of Hales at square leg. Quantrill brought up his own fifty shortly afterwards and continued to score steadily, which was lucky as a rather hung over Matt Dehaney was uncharacteristically all at sea with the bat. They saw off the remaining overs of the returning opening bowlers and seemed to be guiding New Ash Green safely home when Dehaney was bowled by the very gentle bowling of Dave Tyler. Almost immediately afterwards with victory just two runs away Quantrill tamely pulled a long hop into the hands of mid wicket for 74, but David Baker and Lee Saunders made no mistake in finishing the game off for a useful 6 wicket victory that restored New Ash Green's clear second place in the table.

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