Nurstead 210-6 dec. (36 overs)
New Ash Green 158-9 (41 overs)
Match Drawn

Another local ground which New Ash Green haven’t visited for many years was added to the list with the visit to Nurstead. New Ash Green again got off tro s decent start, with John Harley picking up another three wickets. Olly Cooper, Joe Elisak and Dan Lewsey had solid enough spells, but from 121-6 Nurstead raced away without losing another wicket as a variety of bowlers were give a go.

Fresh from making his maiden 50 for New Ash Green Dan Lewsey opened the batting and top scored again with 31 in an unusually consistent New Ash Green display, with 7 batsmen making double figures, though none could go on to really dominate and set up a real chase for the total. In the end they found the temptation of James Beadle’s slow bowling too much, as he picked up 7 wickets, but John Harley coming in at 11 survived one ball and Ryan Marsh managed to see off the last over and secure a draw.

Scorecard

Betsham 249-8 dec. (38 overs)
New Ash Green 190-5 (41 overs)
Match Drawn

Betsham again looked to play aggressively from the start and were quickly picking up runs, but Adam Reeves removed both openers and John Harley took two wickets in an over, benefiting from a generous LBW decision and a very poor batsman. Reeves also hit Betsham wicket keeper Stickels on the head first ball, leaving him with a wound which continued to bleed throughout the match despite increasing amounts of bandaging. Stickels, though, stayed at the crease and played some powerful shots until he was out to Matt Lemon for 39 for the second week in a row, this time hitting into the safe hands of Matt Clark. New Ash Green had already dropped a few, though, Ryan Marsh being unlucky enough to see the classy looking Jason Hardy dropped three times in his first over. Hardy did hole out in the deep soon after, but the big mistake for New Ash Green came when Steve Whitfield was dropped before he had scored. He responded with a six soon afterwards, and carried on in much the same vein, swatting huge blows to all corners of the ground. Even when Andy Mayers came on to bowl the run rate was merely slowed, from one end. It was perhaps unfortunate that he was scoring quickly enough to be approaching a century, as this perhaps persuaded Betsham to bat on longer than they really needed to, though the fact that they continued even when he was out advancing down the track and missing of the returning Dan Lewsey suggests that they were going to carry on till the appointed tea time come what may, although the match would have been much better had they declared when they reached about 220.

So yet again New Ash Green set off in chase of a mountainous target. The newly confident Dan Lewsey joined Matthew Quantrill in opening, and after a quiet first couple of overs they started upping the rate, Quantrill in particular putting away the loose balls, and both taking advantage of the weakness in the field of one particular Betsham player. The fact that he was nicknamed ‘Porky’ by his team probably explains how Lewsey got away with a simple hit straight to him and Quantrill with running a second to him when he the ball was at his feet and he was only a few yards from the stumps. Having seen off two sets of bowlers and reached the start of the 20 overs with all ten wickets intact New Ash Green were almost in a position to dream of an improbable tilt at victory when Betsham captain De Souza brought himself on. His first ball was short and wide outside off stump, and with no one further away than slip and a tempting downhill boundary Quantrill went for the reverse sweep, but gloved it to slip ending a partnership of 95 with his score on 59. The temporary loss of momentum, especially when Matt Clark was out soon afterwards ended any fleeting thoughts of victory, but Matt Lemon, promoted to number 4, played an enterprising innings, including a magnificent on drive off Whitfield, who had been held back after his batting but had now come on as Betsham became desperate for wickets. Lemon was run out shortly afterwards, unfortunate in that he ducked a throw from the deep and in doing so failed to ground his bat as the ball hit the stumps. Matt Bushe and Jasper Holliday failed to trouble the scorers, but Ryan Marsh kept Lewsey company to the end. Lewsey had by now started throwing the bat at everything himself, and mixed some tremendous shots off all the bowlers with a little bit of fortune in finding gaps in the field – though to be fair they were gaps he had created for himself by forcing the fielders back. Although it was by now too late for any chance of victory it gave the score a much more respectable gloss, and in the end just four days after his maiden 50 for the club he entered the last over within sight of a maiden career century. A counting error in the book meant he actually needed more than he was told, and also that the final over was the 21st over of the final 20, so it is perhaps as well that he finished on 93 not out and couldn’t make either target, or the scorer may have had some explaining to do….

Scorecard