Blue Bell Hill (10 points) 85-5 (21 overs)
New Ash Green (10 points) did not bat
Match Abandoned

The weather forecast firmly threatened rain, and after a bright morning the clouds thickened up as match time approached. With both teams eager to gain points in the fight against relegation there was a determination to play, and the game started in light drizzle. With Blue Bell Hill lacking an umpire they were inserted, and with Matt Dehaney stuck in traffic Andy Mayers joined Micky Sumner in opening the bowling, with immediate effect, getting two nicks to the keeper in his first over. Soon afterwards he also bowled the Blue Bell Hill skipper, to leave them struggling on 19-3. In the meantime the surface was for some reason proving to be lightning fast, and Sumner built up an extraordinary pace, forcing the keeper and slips back almost a full pitch length. The batsmen were clear uncomfortable, especially the talented young opener Jack Attridge, but the only chance came from an edge which stung first slip's hands on its way through them, forcing a further retreat. The rain got heavier and eventually forced the sides from the field, but then stopped and the game resumed. Attridge was still looking unhappy against short stuff, but very assured against the rest, and eventually fell run out when trying to take a single that was never on – possibly to get away from the strike against Sumner. Matt Dehaney weighed in with a wicket, but if New Ash Green thought they were on top at 70-5 they received a sharp reminder that the game was still on when Ian Hayward smashed 12 runs, including a huge pulled six, from his first four balls. That, though, was the last of the action as the rain got heavier again and this time looked set in. An early tea was taken, and with the rain still persistent it was all over by 4.30, and the team set off for a drink and an attempt to eat the excess of ham sandwiches caused by a miscommunication amongst the sandwich makers.

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New Ash Green (10 points) 66-4 (28 overs)
Sherwood (10 points) did not bat
Match Abandoned

The second team game was also an on, off, on again and definitely off affair. Losing the toss and being asked to bat New Ash Green quickly, and rather carelessly, found themselves 0-2, Joe Elisak being bowled by a second bounce Yorker and Karl Bartlett hitting tamely to point. Matt Bushe and Martin Fry also perished cheaply, but Martin Pickering and Dan Lewsey added 53 solid runs before the rain finally brought things to a conclusion.

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The Mote 267-5 (40 overs)
New Ash Green 49 all out (23.5 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 218 runs

This game always looked like a mis-match, and when the fixture secretary (J. Harley Esq.) was questioned about this he said that The Mote had assured him they were weak on a Sunday. There was a suspicion that their version of “weak” and the New Ash Green version might not be the same thing, and this seems to have proved to be the case. However it did give the New Ash Green side the chance to play on a first class ground, even if they didn't cover themselves in glory. In the absence of a detailed eye witness report it appears that the highlights of the bowling performance came from Kieran “Golden Arm” Poole with 2-75, and especially from Adam Reeves who not only took 2-35 in six overs including both openers, but bowled a maiden in the middle of the innings and took a catch. The other highlight was another catch from James Porter, who having finally broken his duck by taking one on the boundary on tour added another at the first opportunity.

In what were presumably excellent batting conditions the score didn't entirely get away from New Ash Green, the final total being 267, but they were never in the hunt with their batting. Probably best to draw a veil over most of it, the highest partnership of the innings being 14 for the 9th wicket between Phil Markham (8) and John Harley who top scored with 10 – quite possibly the first time he has been top scorer for New Ash Green. It ended with a defeat by over 200 runs, and it may be that the chance to play on The Mote may not come along again for a while, at least not on the main ground! (As a small P.S. it may not be reassuring to know that the last result shown on their website for The Mote's Sunday XI has them losing to Blue Bell Hill's Sunday 2nd XI. It has to be said, though, that it does appear to have been a completely different eleven from that that took on New Ash Green.)

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