Nonington (20 points) 222-4 (46 overs)
New Ash Green (2 points) 95 all out (37.5 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 127 runs

Due to varying reasons including holidays, weddings and new children being born (congratulations to Vic Mayers and family), New Ash Green could only field 9 men. With only 9 men, New Ash Green always had an uphill task on their hands against the 11 of Nonington. After taking the scenic route to get to the ground, things improved with the knowledge that Nonington didn't have an umpire meaning the toss was contested rather than being forfeited. New Ash Green were put into field under Vaughn Johns stewardship. A bright start from the opening bowlers enabled New Ash Green to restrict Nonington to pushing one's and two's only. Matt Dehaney bowled exceptionally, returning figures of 30 runs of 12 overs, sadly not getting the wicket he deserved despite Ian Davies dropping a low diving catch in the slips. Mark Klus bowled well and removed one of the openers with a great delivery to rearrange Sadlers stumps. David Baker and Paul Sumner bowled well with a tiring field having to make up the two man difference, before Andy Mayers returned to finish his allocation taking two wickets. After being at 60-odd at 20 overs, Nonington finished up on 222, partly due to them finally finding the gaps in a 9 man field and their last batsmen slogging some mighty blows with a bat taped up with what looked like brown parcel tape!

New Ash Green were facing 223 to win and Vaughn John and Matthew Quantrill got away to a positive start, VJ blocking extremely well and Quantrill punishing the bad balls. Rather uncharacteristically, Quantrill got out to a bad ball for 14, offering a catch up to square leg. This brought Ian Davies to the crease, who didn't fancy sticking around long having his middle stump removed first ball. Andy Mayers was in next and took few runs before suffering a hamstring injury, which must have been severe as Ian Davies was called upon to be his runner. As Davies got his kit out of his bag, Mayers was bowled. This brought Baker to the crease, who fell to the same fate as Davies. The wickets continued to tumble with Dehaney and Paul Sumner adding 2 and 1 respectively. Mark Klus was next in, batting down the order after suffering a knee injury in the field. Klus managed two exquisite cover drives before being caught and bowled by a good diving catch, finishing on 11. Martin Pickering then joined VJ at the crease, before VJ was finally bowled for a very determined 41. Without this innings New Ash Green would have posted and even more an embarrassing total, and have a lot to be grateful for to their skipper. New Ash Green finished up on 95 all out, losing by the 127 runs. Although this was a large defeat, New Ash Green can take pride in their effort with 9 men. With a full 11 I believe this game would have been a much closer run affair.

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New Ash Green (1 points) 60all out (37.5overs)
Borstal (20 points) 61-1 (19.4 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 9 wickets

Another difficult game for the seconds, with 10 players this week, and again asked to bat first. Matt Bushe batted half the innings for 4, Olly Cooper played a starring role with the bat in making 19, and Graeme Poole reached double figures. The rest mainly concentrated on campaigning for the Duck Cup, though they managed to extend the innings to nearly 38 overs. In response Borstal didn't exactly romp home, scoring at only three an over, but they only lost one wicket (to Keith Bushell) and ran out comfortable winners.

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The family fun day saw a more serious game of cricket than in recent years, and consequently a greater degree of participation by playing members, though perhaps at the cost of the family element. There were some outstanding performances with the bat from Ian Davies and Matt Scanlan, who set up the win for their side, and runs and wickets for Dave Baker, with Lee Saunders also adding wickets. Micky Sumner slapped a few runs to make a close finish of the game which seems to have been enjoyed by most of those who played in it. The traditional egg throwing was lead for most of the day by the surprise combination of Porter and Poole (K.), but they were finally overtaken at the death by the possibly even less likely combination of Quantrill and Freeman. There was a spirited mixed doubles contest which was hotly contested but eventually won by the chairman and his good lady. Compliments also to the chairman for his catering skills, and thanks to all those who helped out including Gill Bushell scoring and John Harding and Keith Bushell umpiring.

New Ifield 174-6 dec. (38 overs)
New Ash Green 175-4 (35.3 overs)
New Ash Green won by 6 wickets

With a respectably strong side for this fixture New Ash Green were tempted to bat on winning the toss, but elected for the more cautious option of bowling first against the usually aggressive New Ifield batting line up, this year including Marc Klus guesting for the hosts. John Harley was steady at the start, but it was Andy Mayers who lead the way, removing the dangerous Rob Walker for 7 when John Harding stood up and cramped Walker's normally aggressive style, causing him to cut tamely for Ian Martin to take an excellent catch. Mayers followed up with two more top order wickets, one of which was Klus bowled middle stump, and chipped in with a catch off Harley's bowling to reduce New Ifield to 40-4. Mayers ended with 3-11 in 7 overs. From here on the Whiskin brothers and Tom Brand all played positively and rescued New Ifield, being hard on anything loose. Adam Reeves and Matt Bushe picked up a wicket each, Bushe with the aid of another James Porter catch, but all the bowlers were expensive and at tea New Ifield had made 174-6.

John Harding and Ian Martin opened the reply, and Martin was soon carrying on from where he had left off on this ground in the spring, smacking the ball all over the place. When he eventually miscued one and was caught he had made 49 out of an opening 66 and given New Ash Green a very sound base from which to attack the total. John Harding's supporting role came to an end soon afterwards, but Martin Fry carried on the aggression in making 14 while Matthew Quantrill played himself in, and Quantrill and Matt Bushe then accelerated steadily through the twenty overs, putting on a season leading 67 for the 4th wicket, including a drop by Klus at mid-wicket. When Quantrill was eventually out for 56 the game was all but over, and Bushe and Andy Mayers saw it through with some ease and three balls to spare.

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