Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th June
Saturday 27th & Sunday 28th June
East Kent Feeder League - 46 Overs per side
New Ash Green (10 pts) 255-5 (46overs)
Borstal (10 pts) 93-8 (26 overs)
Match Abandoned!
Not quite at full strength, but probably closer to it than they have been all season New Ash Green had a new experience this season when Borstal asked them to bat first. This was a bonus not just for its novelty, but also because three of their players, including both opening bowlers, were not at the ground for the start. The wicket had been described as a 'death trap' by one opposition captain, and it certainly had some mixed bounce, more up than down, but not consistent enough to safely play for bounce. Four byes of a shooter first ball set New Ash green on their way, and when martin Pickering drove his first ball confidently for four they appeared to be well on their way. However they stumbled when Pickering edged behind and Darren Phillips was cleared up soon afterwards. Marc Klus steadied the ship and put on 47 with Matthew Quantrill before getting a leading edge to one that lifted a little. Ian Davies was still oozing confidence and positivity, but he soon scooped one up for mid off, and at 77-4 it was looking a familiar story. However the later arrivals were all still to come, and Andy Harrington looked confident from the start, driving two fours through the covers in the first over. He and Quantrill played steadily through the middle of the innings, then began to up the tempo, undaunted by a brief break for rain. They had put on 90 before Quantrill top edged one, but the situation was perfectly set for Andy Mayers to carry on the acceleration, and he smashed his way to 46 not out in just 31 balls, including a huge straight six and several other brutal blows. Harrington was less brutal, but also kept the pace up, ending with 72 not out at better than a run a ball, and with 56 added in the last 6 overs the total reached a more than respectable 255-5, undreamt of riches compared to the rest of the season.
The wicket had got easier as the ball had got softer, and the perils of a hard ball were brought back into focus when Andy Mayers second ball lifted viciously to balloon up of the openers gloves, the first of three easy catches behind for Quantrill. None of the batsmen seemed keen to get in line with either Mayers, and runs came mostly through slashes at the ball from well out of line. Inevitably that brought wickets, and when the Mayers retired from the attack for a well deserved rest in the humid conditions Andy had 3-17 and Vic 1-23. With Keith Bushell quickly amongst the wickets as well, and a run out picked up by good fielding from Andy Harrington the game was over as a contest. Far more worrying from New Ash Green's point of view were the increasingly dark clouds, laced with plenty of thunder and lightning. The game continued in an increasingly surreal atmosphere, with Bushell picking up another wicket through a superb catch by Marc Klus diving full length at backward point, and Olly Cooper joined in with a smart stumping by Quantrill, while the thunder rolled and lightning flickered all round the ground. The batsmen had now given up any attempt to chase but were simply trying to hold out and hope for rain, and in the end their efforts proved fruitful as the light rain got heavier and heavier. New Ash Green weren't convinced it was the right time to go off when the umpire eventually took them – at a point when the worst of the clouds seemed to have passed by – but a few minutes later the heavens really opened, and there was no question of any further play – the bigger problem being getting back to cars marooned in a flooded car park! A very frustrating end to the day, not least because New Ash Green were already guaranteed more points if they had lost the game than they got for the abandonment, but even against a side not at full strength themselves this was a hugely encouraging performance.
This picture by Ollie Cooper, taken half an hour after the teams left the field, shows there was little chance of a resumption. The stumps are just visible in the middle of the lake.
Scorecard
Current League Table
East Kent Feeder League - 46 Overs per side
New Ash Green (0 pts) 98 all out (39.3 overs)
Borstal (20 pts) 99-0 (20.5 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 10 wickets
The second team also had their first chance of the season to bat first, but didn't take quite as much advantage as the first team had done. Simon Freeman, unexpectedly promoted to open, anchored the innings with a patient 10 before being sixth out, and Karl Bartlett top scored with 21, at last discovering some batting form, but no one else could make double figures.
Borstal seemed to have no problems in reply, making the runs without loss at a rate of nearly five an over. Freeman capped a good day by being the most economical and bowling the only maiden of the innings, but no one else had much to write home about.
Scorecard
Current League Table
Friendly
Locksbottom 157-8 (35 overs)
New Ash Green 161-3 (29.2 overs)
New Ash Green won by 7 wickets
In what seems to have been a 35 over game John Harley and Dan Lewsey made up for going wicketless the previous day with an early wicket each. Lee Saunders and Adam Reeves took one each, Saunders also chipping in with a run out. Andy Harrington picked up 3-7 at the end, including a catch for debutant George Kleanthous from a huge skyer.
Harrington carried on the good work with fifty opening the innings, and although he lost John Harding, retired, and Sam Plummer, he got support from Matt Bushe, before Kleanthous and Dan Lewsey took over and polished off the win with an unbeaten partnership of 86, Kleanthous making a useful 45* on debut.