Buckhurst 169-9 (40 overs)
New Ash Green 171-5 (37.1 overs)
New Ash Green won by 5 wickets

The first home game for this season brought Buckhurst CC to Manor Field. NAG welcomed back Michael Sumner and Matthew Quantrill with the hope of improving on last Saturdays game. Mick won the toss and iinserted Buckhurst to bat first.

Good starts from Mick and Dan Lewsey ensured that the initial scoring rate was kept low, their eight over spells returning figures of 0-18 and 0-19 respectivley. The bowling change then forced the first wickets, Quantrill stumping Drown with a well placed/lucky deflection of his pads to give John Harley his first wicket of the season. John Clack then removed the second opener, Ian Martin holding onto a simple catch at slip. Clack and Harley both took another wicket to end up with 2 wickets each. Just when it looked like NAG might rip through the Buckhurst line up, Fuller and Scott increased the scoring rate, despite Elisak adding to last weeks haul by taking 2-31 off his 5 overs. In the end Fuller scored 59 and Scott 31, Fuller finally beaten by NAG's new death bowler, Ian "Freddie Flintoff" Davies. Buckhurst ended up with 169-9 off their 40 overs, setting NAG 170 to win.

With last weeks collapse still fresh in the memory, a good start was essential. Quantrill and Ian Martin opened up, Quantrill playing on with the score at 18-1. Davies then came to the middle hoping not to score his 4th duck in a row. At this point Martin took control, playing some lovely shots for four, taking 13 and 11 off consecutive overs. With Martin on 42, he was then forced off the field with a hamstring injury. Karl Bartlett then played what turned out to be a very crucial and patient innings, supporting Davies and later Sumner with some very steady defensive strokes. Davies started to score a few runs, moving to 26 before giving his wicket away cheaply. NAG at this point were 89-3 off 18 overs. Sumner then played a captains innings, scoring 47, conveniantly 3 short of buying the team a jug! Bartlett was then bowled for 11, leaving Dan Lewsey to score the winning runs with 17 balls to spare.

In all a very good game, and a second win in a row for NAG. Looks like Rainham was just a one off!

Scorecard

New Ash Green 131-9 dec. (41 overs)
New Ifield 118-8 (36 overs)
Match Drawn

Match report written by someone who watched the last hour and a half of the match – watch for the sudden increase in detail/accuracy.

New Ash Green batted first, and on a good wicket, but with a big outfield, struggled to get the ball away. Dave Higson in particular was tight, conceding just 11 runs in 8 overs and picking up both openers. Dan Lewsey was in limpet mode, taking something in the region of 60 balls for his 3 runs, but the Mayers twins, Andy and Vic, picked up the scoring rates, with Andy making 40 and Vic 23. There was then something of a collapse against the occasional bowling of Ricky Gunn, who took 5-19, but there was time for David Baker to make double figures and for a father and son partnership between Olly and Tim Cooper, with Tim hitting two late fours in what may well be a career best 9*. The final total of 131-9 at tea still seemed somewhat short of par though.

New Ifield set off with an initial burst, but then slowed down against John Harley and Andy Mayers, and even more when Vic Mayers replaced Harley. There was no breakthrough however, and although the run rate was slowly climbing with ten wickets in hand New Ifield looked comfortable favourites. On the sidelines, though, they viewed things rather differently, and were feeling that the Mayers pace twins were killing the game, and muttering darkly about not being too sure yet that they had avoided defeat. In the end it took the removal of Andy Mayers (0-19 in 9 overs) to bring the breakthrough, with Olly Cooper bowling Rob Walker with his first ball. Already inside the last twenty overs and with the required rate now just over 4 the game suddenly started to wake up a bit. Stuart Schulver was taking a battering from Vic Mayers, but at the other end he started to swing at Olly Cooper, with some success, but was eventually stumped having one swing too many. Young Matthew Stearn and Tom Brand continued to try and chase the runs, and New Ash Green declined their own chance to get back in the game by missing a series of simple (some staggeringly simple) catches. With the run rate going over five the final throw of the dice was the combination of Dan Lewsey and David Baker for the last 7 overs, and with the batsmen finally finding a fielder who could catch (Andy Mayers) the game suddenly became very lively. Some big swings produced enough success to keep the run rate in reach, but also produced wickets, with Baker taking 4-11. Perhaps fatally for the game New Ifield slipped too far behind the run rate, and they entered the final over needing 22 to win with three wickets remaining. Ricky Gunn is a big enough hitter for that to remain possible, but when he fell to the third ball of the over the game was effectively over as a contest and despite some confusion in the running on the last two balls the batsmen survived to the end for a probably deserved draw.

Scorecard