Saturday 29th, Sunday 30th & Monday 31st May
Saturday 29th, Sunday 30th & Monday 31st May
Kent Regional Cricket League - 46 Overs per side
Horton Kirby (10 pts)
New Ash Green (10pts)
Match Abandoned without a ball being bowled
This had the makings of a reasonable game. A reasonably strong New Ash Green side arrived to take on a Horton Kirby side looking young and in some cases hung over. Neither side had an umpire, so there was a toss and New Ash Green had the unusual opportunity of choosing what to do. They decided to insert Horton Kirby, but as the players were getting changed the rain returned with a vengeance, and after a frustrating hour and a half of watching grey skies the game was abandoned when it became obvious that a start was not going to be possible before the latest time allowed in the league rules, 3.30.
Kent Regional Cricket League - 46 Overs per side
New Ash Green (10 pts) 6-0 (4 overs)
Wilmington (10 pts) did not bat
Match Abandoned
The second team were luckier, or perhaps less so depending on your perspective, in that they did actually manage to make a start. They lost the toss and were inserted, and in the four overs possible John Harding managed to make 5 runs and Adam Brown was unbeaten. The rain then arrrived, and early tea was taken but it was soon obvious that it would be impossible to complete the match and an abandonment was inevitable.
Scorecard
Current League Table
Friendly Match - Proper Cricket
Sheppey 176 all out (37 overs)
New Ash Green 135 all out (31.4 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 41 runs
Despite not having Scott McKechnie in the side to play his traditional role of knocking off Sheppey's score largely unaided John Harley elected to bowl first on winning the toss. He justified that decision to some degree with two early wickets himself, but despite a few edges, difficult drops and balls not quite going to hand (Dan Lewsey being particularly unfortunate in his spell) it was some time before the next breakthrough. That eventually came when Dave Green took a comfortable catch off Adam Brown, and after that wickets fell steadily, aided by some rather adventurous running. Harley returned to mop up the tail and finish with five wickets, though the key wicket was picked up by Joe Elisak courtesy of a fine slip catch by Mark Chapelhow, who unfortunately injured himself in the process, joining a long list of walking, or limping, wounded in the side.
Chasing 177 to win looked a piece of cake as Matthew Quantrill and Karl Bartlett survived early drops (one easy, one very difficut) to make light work of the bowling. They looked at ease as they took the score to 98 at the start of the twenty overs, but then the wheels came off in a big way. Quantrill started to try and push things on and was caught at mid-off for 58, and in the same over David Green and Bradley Lonergan were back in the pavilion for 0. The end of the over, then a single from Bartlett saved Andy Noakes from having to face a hat trick ball on his debut in match cricket, but although Bartlett got another four he was then bowled himself for 37, and Noakes and Tim Cooper completed a run of four ducks in the middle order. 98-0 had become 105-6 in the space of three overs, but there should still have been a reasonable amount of batting to come. Dan Lewsey was impatient and holed out quickly, but Mark Chapelhow, batting with a runner, recovered from his first baller on his debut to play some nice shots in making 11 before he too found a fielder. Adam Brown was unlucky to be stumped from a rebound off the keeper's pads, and Joe Elisak played on after a few good blows in trying to keep chasing the target. 10 wickets had fallen for 37 runs, and a seeming cruise to victory had been converted rapidly into defeat by a substantial margin, but given the number of injuries the side was carrying between them it wasn't a bad effort.
Friendly Match - Proper Cricket
Sidcup 217-8 dec. (38 overs)
New Ash Green 135 all out (36.1 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 82 runs
With no report available from anyone at the game this is based purely from looking at the scorecard, but it appears that John Howland, captain for the day, chose to bowl first. All the bowlers seem to have gone for a few runs, with Christian Stent, who has also played for Sidup under 14s this year, making 67. However he has made 136 not out in a third team game this year, so it would appear that he is quite a talented under 14. The wickets were evenly spread around, and aside form Scott McKechnie taking 2-6 in one over at the end no one bowler appears to have shone.
The batting line up should have been strong enough to have a good go at chasing even a total over 200, but after a good opening partnership the total fell away again. Scott McKechnie top scored, but made only 55, and other then him only John Harding (19) opening with him, Joe Elisak (20) in the middle order and John Harley (23) at the end made double figures. Andy Noakes seems to have survived some time for his 0 not out, and indeed he and John Harley equalled the season's leading 9th wicket partnership, but other than the coincidence of the final score bieng the same as Sunday's, following a similar collapse from a good start, there seems little else to report.