Friendly Match - 40 overs per side

New Ash Green 170-9 (40 overs)
Farningham 159-8 (40 overs)
New Ash Green won by 11 runs

After a very miserable few weeks it was a pleasant surprise to find a warm sunny day for the start of the season, which allowed most of the players to take to the field without the usual barrage of sweaters that greets the new season. Another surprise followed shortly when John Harley won the toss and chose to bat first, expressing confidence in his batting line up. For a few overs that seemed well placed as Scott McKechnie and Matthew Quantrill started soundly against tidy but not overly threatening bowling, but soon the first wicket of the season fell, and with it came the first controversy as Quantrill was given out LBW when well forward to one that seemed to be cutting sharply to leg. The fact that the keeper and close fielders looked embarrassed rather than celebrating probably told its own story. They were less reticent a few overs later when Dan Lewsey uncharacteristically lost patience and was comprehensively bowled swinging across the line, but more controversy followed when Andy Mayers was also given out LBW, to his first ball, thinking he had got some bat on it. With much of the supposed strong batting line up back in the pavilion and just 28 runs on the board John Harley's confidence looked misplaced, but Karl Bartlett played the hat trick ball with assurance and looked in much better touch than he had done for most of last year. With the slow pitch and grassy outfield some of his better shots got little reward, but McKechnie was playing with greater power and together they added 88 for the 4th wicket before Bartlett was eventually bowled. John Howland stayed for a little while, but when McKechnie top edged young Ryan England's full toss and was caught for 117 when trying to accelerate the innings might have subsided. Ben Cooke played a few nice chips just over fielders, though, and Joe Elisak and John Harley had a mini-flurry at the end to take the total to a very respectable 170-9 at the end of the innings.

With Farningham having several first team batsmen in their ranks that should have been within their reach, but they lost a wicket early when stand in opening bowler Elisak profited from bowling short and wide by getting the opener to slap the ball straight to point. That was a relatively simple catch, but a few moments later jaws dropped around the ground when Ryan Short smashed a straight drive back at the bowler, John Harley, who put up his hands and caught it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Unkind suggestions that his instincts had made the catch before his brain had had the chance to get involved were not much comfort to the departing batsman. Ben Cooke took over from Harley and bowled a decent spell, and when Dan Lewsey also started very soundly Farningham were under some pressure. That resulted in the quick fall of two more wickets, one for each bowler, and slowed the rate again. When star batsman Hadleigh Wiles tried to up the rate and was pinned right in front trying to pull Dan Lewsey (no controversy about this LBW) the score was 77-5 with half the overs gone. New Ash Green's only problem was where to find a 5th bowler, with a limit of 8 overs each. Andy Mayers was the obvious choice, but was trying to rest his sore back. Watching a few overs of Scott McKechnie obviously persuaded him he should have a go, and he quickly picked up two more wickets, reducing Farningham to 89-7, whereupon he took a break after 3 overs, thinking perhaps that the job was safely done. Indeed it seemed the game was going to peter out tamely, but “Jit” had other ideas. Swinging aggressively at a lot he missed as often as he hit, but rode his luck to start upping the scoring rate. With captain Martyn England also inspired and upping the rate the game suddenly came alive again. More than 60 were needed form the final 6 overs, but with a few lusty blows that came down to 45 from the last 4. John Harley's final over went for 9, then Ben Cooke spoiled excellent figures with 2 no balls in his final over and conceded 14 runs, reducing the target to 22 off two. With all the main bowlers bowled out Mayers returned to the fray and immediately made an impact by bowling England to end an 8th wicket stand of 60. However if New Ash Green though the job was done they were soon disabused of the notion when the number 10 Hucker picked up a 4 and a 2 in his first 3 balls. Mayers kept calm, though, and kept it tight, leaving 16 required from the final over, with the aggressive “Jit” on strike. What a time for a new bowler to come on, and with the evening decidedly chillier than the afternoon and fingers beginning to freeze up, what a time to try the first spin bowling of the match. What a time to turn to a (very) occasional bowler. The bowler in question, though, may have been an occasional in bowling terms, but lacked nothing in cricketing experience, and as chairman of the club was determined not to give away an early season victory. Keeping the ball very straight and defending the long leg side boundary he was able to restrict the batsmen to 4 singles, and an excellent game did in fact peter out slightly in the last few balls, but it was a very encouraging performance from New Ash Green and an excellent start to the season.

Scorecard