Sunday 17th April
Sunday 17th April
Friendly Match - 40 overs per side
New Ash Green 158-9 (40 overs)
Farningham 161-2 (38.4 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 8 wickets
Despite gloomy weather forecasts earlier in the week the spring sun continued to shine, and, traffic roar apart, Farningham provided an idyllic setting for a game that looked more mid-summer than early season as the dust blew off the wicket at every impact. John Harley won the toss and optimistically chose to bat first, sending out Matt Clark and Joe Elisak to open the season for New Ash Green. The bowling looked gentle enough, but on a low slow pitch accuracy was key, and it proved difficult to score rapidly throughout the match. Matt Clark got the scoring under way with a smash down the ground for four, and Elisak followed up with a boundary of his own before becoming the first casualty of the season when being very plumb LBW. Mark Chapelhow made 10 before frustration got the better of him and he got under one in an attempt to lift the scoring rate. Andy Mayers, fresh from a century guesting for Sam McNeil’s team the previous day found timing more difficult on this wicket, but he and Matt Clark took the score forward steadily enough. Clark benefited from some early season luck, chancing his arm a bit and mostly managing to find empty spaces in the field when he mistimed his shots, but there were some decent drives in there as well, showing promise for the season ahead when he gets on quicker wickets. Mayers and Clark took the total to 80-2 at the half way stage, but not long afterwards Mayers was run out for 29 after a “Yes…No!” call from Clark. There followed a succession of New Ash Green debutants, with Derek Mole, Glen Freeman and Ross Mole all struggling somewhat to convert their net form into outdoor runs, though that will hopefully come with more opportunity. Martin Ives steadied the ship, but having passed his fifty and then upped the scoring rate with a four and a six in one over Clark finally perished for 69. The fourth debutant in the side, Suranjith Fernando, was promoted from his original number 10 position and in his first innings in England looked very classy as he used his feet to attack straight away. He moved on to 11 in quick time with some very stylish strokes before inevitably missing one, but showed a great deal of promise for when he is able to play a longer innings. John Harley swung at his first ball and nicked it behind, leaving Edward Quantrill to face a hat-trick ball that would also have given the bowler a fifth wicket. He survived that by safety ignoring it as it passed outside off stump, and competently blocked the remaining balls he faced as Martin Ives swung the bat at the other end and took the total to 158-9 at the end of the fortieth over, a reasonable score in the conditions but perhaps disappointing given the position at the half way stage.
John Harley and Fernando opened the bowling, Harley almost striking with his first ball when a full toss was spooned over square legs head. It wasn’t long before the breakthrough was made, with Fernando bowling Freedman at the end of the fourth over. After that, though, it was something of a toil for the bowlers. The batsmen never looked completely comfortable, and indeed scoring early on was very slow, but the New Ash Green bowlers generally slipped in a few too many loose balls, taking the pressure off the batsmen who didn’t have to take risks against the better balls. Both batsmen went on to make fifties, and never let the run rate get out of hand, gradually increasing the scoring rate as the end approached. Joe Elisak did get one further wicket, taking a return chance above his head, and despite the large margin of victory New Ash Green were not thrashed, but in the end Farningham were comfortable winners. As with the winter nets there was plenty of promise, but as the outdoor season gets going New Ash Green will have to cut out the careless mistakes if they are to fulfil that promise – too many wickets thrown away and loose balls and misfields taking pressure off opposing batsmen ultimately cost them any chance of victory. Hopefully those are all things that can be overcome with more practice and playing time as the season develops.