Cancelled - Waterlogged pitch.

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New Ash Green (6 points) 82 all out (26 overs)
Lower Halstow (20 points) 85-4 (26.5 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 6 wickets

It has taken a while to compose this match report, deliberately delayed in the hope that the anger felt about this game will subside, but it hasn't, so please forgive the bitter tone. Both sides having arrived at the ground a decision was taken to play in conditions that were really unfit for serious cricket in order to try and give people a game, and it is a great shame that a game started in such spirit should be marred by a controversial turning point. Batting first in very difficult conditions with a new ball that was doing all sorts New Ash Green were soon in trouble. Lee Saunders batted superbly, comfortable the best innings of the day in making 35, and useful hitting by John Clack with 16 from 13 balls helped New Ash Green to a total of 82, respectable enough in the conditions.

Not having a new ball was a huge disadvantage, especially as the old one by now resembled a bar of soap unlikely to do much in the air or off the pitch and difficult for the bowlers to grip. Nonetheless Keith Bushell (1-13 in 7 overs) and Paul Sumner (1-10 in 7) did a superb job of putting the ball in the right place and keeping Lower Halstow way behind the modest run rate they required. The turning point came, though, towards the end of Sumner's spell. Graham Nuttall, who had made a big score at New Ash Green, was bowled by Sumner when on 3. The ball clipped the off stump and then rebounded form the keeper's pads back on to the stumps, but as the batsman was departing the square leg umpire, who could not possibly have had any view of whether the ball hit the stumps on its way through, told him he was not out because the ball had bounced off the pads onto the stumps. The bowler's end umpire initially confirmed it was out, but the square leg, one of the Lower Halstow batsmen who was already out, insisted that it wasn't and was adamant enough that the other umpire eventually had to feel that there was some doubt and give the batsman not out. There was no doubt in the eyes of those with the best view, wicket keeper, slip and bowler, who had all seen and heard the ball hit the stumps, and noted that the bail had fallen backwards, and while poor umpiring decisions are part of the everyday life of cricket to have a decision made by an umpire who couldn't have had any view of whether the crucial event had happened or not was especially galling, the more so as Nuttall, Lower Halstow's most attacking batsman, got them back into the game taking advantage of some wayward balls from Matt Dehaney who struggled with grip and footing in the conditions. Though it is possible Lower Halstow may have won anyway none of the other batsmen looked to have the ability to have scored at the rate they needed to get them back into the game as Nuttall did, and there was a distinct feeling that New Ash Green had been robbed if not actually cheated of a fifth successive win.

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