Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th July
Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th July
Kent Regional Cricket League - 46 Overs per side
Sevenoaks Vine (20pts) 298-5 (46 overs)
New Ash Green (2 pts) 124 all out (41.4 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 174 runs
Sevenoaks Vine III were bottom of the league by a distance and without a win before this game, but returning school and university players made them far stronger than the league table suggested, and it was not a good week for New Ash Green to return to the availability crises of early season. Two teams of ten were reduced by one by illness on the morning, and although the first team took one from the seconds to make themselves back up to 10 they were mostly reduced to 9 again by roadworks in the Blackwall tunnel, which kept the unfortunate Vic Mayers and family broiling in their car until nearly tea time. Vine very generously agreed to waive the rule against players arriving late joining the game, and even more generously loaned New Ash Green a fielder for most of the innings. On the usual flat pitch at Otford, and on a baking hot day, it was still extremely hard work for the under strength attack, forced to field first by the need for the umpire to play. Dan Lewsey struggled from the start, but Adam Reeves flourished under the pressure of opening and produced his best spell for the first team, being the only bowler to get movement out of the wicket. He was rewarded with the first wicket, when a slightly short ball moved in off the seam and cramped the batsman for space. Keith Bushell also picked up two wickets, LBW and caught when the batsman managed to lob the ball very gently in the air, and Karl Bartlett hit the stumps direct from point to pick up another, but two chances, not easy, were missed to get the other opener and Vine were set for a big attack in the final 15 overs or so. Their skipper, Sebastian Walker, warmed to the task immediately, swinging with confidence and although he got away with a couple which only just evaded fielders he hit far more with great confidence in racing to 100 in just 56 balls. Opener Andy Akerman was less free scoring but also made it to 100 before being bowled from the final ball of the innings as Joe Elisak's good final over kept the score below 300.
With a full strength batting side the target might not have been beyond New Ash Green, but this was far from being such a side. The opening partnership was steady, with a few good shots for 4, but even though the bowling was not always on the spot they were soon struggling to keep up the necessary run rate. James Gegg holed out trying an ambitious hit over the top, and soon afterwards Matthew Quantrill was given out LBW well forward. He may have been a little unlucky, but was more annoyed by the time the umpire took to give the decision, raising his finger only after appearing to shake his head. Karl Bartlett played a few good shots as well, and Matt Lemon played the longest innings, both in terms of balls faced and time in staying 47 balls against decent quality bowling, although in all that time he was in fact unable to get off the mark. Vic Mayers played some promising shots, including a good straight six, but if Quantrill's LBW was unlucky Mayers' was simply glaringly atrocious, looking obviously high and leg side. Joe Elisak took the attack to Vine in the last few overs before being last out stumped for the top score of 29, and showed what could be achieved, but for all the brave efforts of those stepping up to play there were simply too many missing players to make the side competitive.
Scorecard
Current League Table
Kent Regional Cricket League - 46 Overs per side
New Ash Green (0 pts) 26 all out (18.4 overs)
Mersham (20 pts) 29-0 (4 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 10 wickets
Meanwhile, back at Manor Field neither side had an umpire and John Howland won the toss. Looking at the weather he took the pragmatic decision that spending 46 overs in the heat, with only 9 men only 3 of whom were under 40, against a potentially strong batting side wasn't likely to be a lot of fun, and so went for batting first. He must have been hoping to do a little better than 26 all out, though. Mark Chapelhow was top scorer again, with 5, John Harding played the longest innings, 26 balls, and a couple of batsmen, Olly Cooper in particular, were unlucky to fall to brilliant catches.
It took Mersham just four overs to reach the target, despite Ashley Woodward's valiant effort in conceding just two runs from two overs. The other, longer haired, bowler was a little more expensive. And that was that. A beer match was discussed, but with at least one refusal it didn't happen, tea was taken and everyone went to the pub. Except Mersham, who thought they knew where it was and then failed to find it, thus avoiding paying for tea. This escape was only temporary, though – Bushey was on to them that very evening and a cheque is promised to be in the post.
Scorecard
Current League Table
Friendly Match - Proper Cricket
Pinewoods 166-8 (38 overs)
New Ash Green 169-1 (30.4 overs)
New Ash Green won by 9 wickets
Pinewoods professed to be weak, and it was another blazing hot day, but John Harley had had his fingers burned by successive games in which his side had batted first and made 37 and 26, and he was insistent that he would bowl first when he won the toss. An early wicket for Harley himself brought concerns that it might be another short game, the batsman not looking entirely confident about how to hold a bat, but the second wicket pair were a little more confident, and although not scoring quickly they saw off the opening attack of Harley and Ives comfortably enough. The change to Sam MacNeil brought more problems for the batsmen, though eventually it was a poor ball that got the wicket, a full toss being sliced hard and stunningly caught in the gully by Andy Harrington, leaving the batsman almost refusing to walk in disbelief. MacNeil and Ryan Harley couldn't make a further breakthrough, though, and at nearly 100 for 2 Pinewoods looked like they might post a very challenging total. New boy Sean Funnell came on to replace Ryan Harley and threw his first few balls all over the place, but by the end of the over regained his control enough to make the breakthrough, picking up another soon afterwards. At the other end Edward Quantrill struggled to adapt from playing on an Under 13's length of wicket midweek and threw in too many very short balls, but one of these also brought a wicket when Nick Dyson had a heave and the third bounce was on the base of off stump. His second wicket soon after was more deserving as Matthew Quantrill, observing that the batsman was hitting everything through mid-wicket moved himself round and caught a low hit to give the Quantrills a first father-son combination wicket. The batsmen continued to swing merrily to keep the score ticking over as time ran out, and Andy Harrington, bowling the final over before tea took a wicket and saw a suicidal second run on the final ball result in an 8th wicket and a final score of 166.
Not a massive target, but by the standard of recent Sunday performances a very challenging one. However Pinewoods opening bowling attack was as gentle as New Ash Green's, and Matthew Quantrill put the bad balls away soundly enough. Sean Funnell wasn't timing the ball as well, but with the score moving on nicely had no need to panic, and 54 were added before the opening bowlers were seen off. The first ball from the change bowlers brought the breakthrough, with Funnell swinging and missing, bowled for 4. Andy Harrington joined Quantrill at the crease, and together they comfortably cruised to victory. Although Pinewoods muttered about the number of lives they had in truth Quantrill had a couple just brushing fielder's fingertips, and Harrington was dropped twice, but once from a full blooded low drive to extra cover which would have been a superb catch, and the other even less culpable, a well struck short which thudded straight into the silly mid-off's chest, and was never likely to be caught other than by a freakish rebound. With the rate accelerating enough towards the end that victory was secure it became a question of whether they could divide the runs such as to get a 50 and a 100 between them. Quantrill reached his century first and stopped trying to score, with no effort being made to run the byes. The pair knew it was a close run thing, but didn't know how close till, with 6 needed to win, a leg side ball went for 4 byes and Harrington was told by the scorer that he now needed a six to reach 50. In fact a single and a 4 in the next over would have done it, but he went for 6 over the long boundary and came within a few feet of making it, ending up on 49* in an unbeaten partnership of 115.