Blue Bell Hill (20 pts) 284-4 (46overs)
New Ash Green (2 pts) 101 all out (33.4 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 183 runs

When you're down, you're down, and with poor form often tends to come poor luck. This was very much the case for New Ash Green as Blue Bell Hill ran up a big total, thanks almost entirely to Jack Attridge, a quality bat, but again one who hit a few in the air early on but just evaded fielder's grasping fingers. There was early success thanks to a great throw from the boundary from Arron Ward, and none of the other batsmen ever looked likely to dominate the attack, but although Micky Sumner beat the bat once or twice Attridge was very strong on anything slightly loose, and having escaped a clear stumping just after reaching his century he launched a ferocious assault in the closing overs before finally being caught by Ward off Sumner's bowling for 178. There were some minor successes, with Keith Bushell picking up a wicket, as did Ian Davies, and Olly Cooper marked his first team debut with two maidens in the middle of the innings, but there was little else to shout about for a hot and frustrated New Ash Green side.

On a low, slow and even wicket chasing 284 was clearly a mammoth task, but making a decent score should not have been beyond New Ash Green, and with the aid of a fast outfield the opening pair of Matthew Quantrill and Martin Pickering made a flying start, looking solid and quick to pounce on anything less than perfect. With 37 runs coming in the first 5 overs, even after a maiden in the first, they were ahead of the required rate and off to a considerably quicker start than their opponents, and they forced an early bowling change. From there on, though, it was all down hill. The bowling tightened up, and Pickering was beaten by one that stopped sharply and popped up past his defensive shot. The next six batsmen then proceeded, through a mixture of poor form, poor judgement and poor luck, to find ways of getting themselves out for ducks, and with the sun setting behind the bowler's arm at one end scoring was becoming increasingly difficult. Quantrill kept plugging away, and Olly Cooper and Keith Bushell showed that batting wasn't as difficult as the scorecard made it seem, each making 5 before Cooper misjudged one coming out of the sun from the spinner and Bushell was beaten by one that turned phenomenally sharply. Quantrill had time to complete a half century and ended up carrying his bat for 56 as Matt Bushe became the 7th duck of the innings when calling for an optimistic second bye and being run out.

Scorecard
Current League Table

Yalding (20 pts) 157-9 (46 overs)
New Ash Green (8 pts) 103 all out (37.4 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 54 runs

Before the game had even started there was a New Ash Green colts special moment when a particular Colt got smashed on the head with a Cricket ball - what a Lemon. Anyway New Ash Green lost the toss and were asked to bowl. New Ash Green knew they had a chance of beating Yalding and when the skipper ripped off his bandage and opened the bowling the energy levels raised that bit more. Dan cleaned up their century maker from the week before and there was a real buzz. John Harley kept it tight as did Dan. Then Baker and Joe came on and Joe bowled a fantastic spell with Baker keeping it tight from the other end. Joe bagged himself 3 wickets. Dan also got 3 wickets and 157 to chase down looked at lot better to chase than anything the 2's had to chase before. The fielding wasn't quite at the standard it was in previous week's but still acceptable, this was compiled when Baker dropped a Dolly.

Baker sacrificed Tea so that he could focus for the run chase and him and John Harding took to the crease feeling confident. John and Baker Batted sensibly with strong defence, punishing the bad ball and quick singles gave New Ash Green a solid base at drinks. However John got a ball that shot low and was trapped LBW and from that point on New Ash Green Crumbled. Howland and Baker found scoring hard and when Baker went for 33 off a some what Boycott style innings New Ash Green's hope's were left with Elisak. Elisak's innings was like a ride at Euro Disney - a few highs then a big low when he played a nothing shot and the ball went straight up. New Ash Green continued to collapse giving Johnathon Fenn as many wickets as Star Wars films in the process. New Ash Green were 63-0 and collapsed like a broken wheelbarrow to 103, highlighting the lack of batting and training which is required. There is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow but depends if people are willing to turn up at training and learn and come back fighting week after week then the 2's will win a game.

Just like to thank Mrs Harley for scoring and doing that drinks and other such things.

Scorecard
Current League Table

Sheppey 224-9 (35 overs)
New Ash Green 228-2 (33 overs)
New Ash Green won by 8 wickets

Despite having lost by ten wickets to the Scott McKechnie show last year Sheppey chose to bat first on winning the toss, perhaps tempted by knowing that New Ash Green were a little short of regular bowlers following the withdrawal of Dan Lewsey with a rib injury. Within minutes both openers were back in the pavilion for ducks, with a wicket apiece for John Harley and his stand in opening partner Ryan Marsh. After this, though, wickets were harder to come by. Marsh got a second towards the end of his spell, but Saqib Choudrey dominated the batting and only a slow over rate kept the scoring rate in check. There was a big flurry of wickets at the end of the innings as Sheppey went for all out attack before tea, leaving David Baker with the remarkable figures of 3-12 in just two overs, one of which was a maiden, and enabling John Harley to also pick up three wickets. Choudrey failed to reach his hundred, but his innings and the late order slogging took the final total at tea to 224-9 off a fairly dismal 35 overs.

A tall order to chase, but with McKechnie in sparkling form on Sundays this year it was certainly a makeable total. Initially thoughts of a victory were far from his mind as Choudrey, opening the bowling after his marathon innings, got some very unpredictable bounce. However the pace was slow enough to allow the batsmen to adjust and McKechnie was soon picking up runs, well supported by Karl Bartlett who played some very strong shots of his own. The pair added 79 for the first wicket before Bartlett was bowled by Choudrey for 20, but Matt Clark looked equally sound, and played some aggressive shots of his own. McKechnie now had his eye in and hit some huge sixes to the leg side, as well as rasping drives, and the flow of runs became a flood. 123 runs were added for the second wicket before Clark was LBW to the returning Choudrey, making victory a formality and the only remaining question being whether McKechnie could beat the club record individual score of 163. In the end Clark's batting ensured that the win was reached before he could get there, Phil Markham inducing 4 byes when the scores were level, but with 159* McKechnie made the club's fourth ever score over 150 and added to the bizarre statistic that all have been made bating second. Sheppey must be sick of the sight of him.

Scorecard