Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st July
Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st July
Kent Regional League Match - 46 overs per side
New Ash Green (20 pts) 268-8 (46 overs)
Petts Wood (4 pts) 174 all out (37.1 overs)
New Ash Green won by 94 runs
New Ash Green paid their first ever visit to Petts Wood and found a surprisingly parched looking ground and a hard, even looking wicket. With the sun burning down the absence of an umpire and the presence of one for the opposition left them expecting to be spending a few hard hours in the field, but for the second week running the opposition captain surprised them, this time presumably believing it would be easier to chase a target than defend one. Of the opening pairs of batsmen and bowlers only Matthew Quantrill had played in the return fixture earlier in the season, and in Nick Kirby and Andy Howard Petts Wood had a rather pacier attack than on that day. Howard was the quicker, but Kirby was distinctly the better bowler, having more control and doing more with the ball. Quantrill and Mayers had to work hard initially, but were picking up ones and twos from the start, and after a few overs Quantrill in particular started to find the boundaries and push more positively into the gap. Just as they seemed to be taking control, though, Quantrill tried to withdraw his bat, but wasn't quite quick enough as the ball bounced up, caught an edge and ricocheted onto the stumps. He had, though, done his job as one opener was off, and David Baker took an immediate liking to the gentler pace of the first change bowler, Gez Morgan, who had had a torrid time at Manor Field as well and will probably be glad to see the back of New Ash Green. Baker and Mayers carried on scoring freely off pretty much all the bowlers, seeing Kirby into a break and having little trouble with various alternatives, as both scored at more than a run a ball in adding 118 in 18 overs. Eventually Baker was bowled for 50 by Saj Hussain, who had gone for 14 in his first over, but recovered with a wicket maiden in his next. His recovery was short lived, though, his fourth over going for 20 before he was removed permanently from the firing line. Glen Freeman could afford to take his time getting his eye in as Mayers continued to score freely, hitting 12 fours and three big sixes, the last of which brought up a well deserved hundred. Playing with out and out aggression now he top edged one soon afterwards and was caught for 104. Desperate to try and stem the flow of runs Petts Wood played their trump card early, bring back Nick Kirby for his final four over spell, and he had immediate success in getting Dean Freeman to edge behind on his second ball. Glen Freeman and Karl Bartlett saw him off, though, and both played some aggressive shots of their own. With eight overs remaining New Ash Green seemed to be set for a final surge towards 300 at 244-4, facing a mix of the pacey but otherwise innocuous Howard and the spin of Dave Rutter. In the first of those eight overs Freeman nicked Rutter to the keeper for 30, but that shouldn't have put the brakes on with Fernando and Paul Sumner to come in next. What followed in the next few overs was a rather sorry story, with Fernando hitting a powerful shot first ball, only just stopped on the boundary, but then being bowled third ball, and two overs later Bartlett, having made 27 at better than a run a ball, was bowled by Howard. Hopes for a final onslaught lay with Paul Sumner, but soon afterwards he hit a ball straight to a fielder and Joe Elisak at the bowler's end called a suicidal run. Sumner, being far too nice to ruthlessly run Elisak out, set off half heartedly, and despite the spectators urgings Elisak managed to get to the safe end and leave Sumner stranded. With their attacking edge blunted, and Elisak somewhat subdued, New Ash Green failed to pile on the runs, and ended up making only 24 runs in total in the final eight overs, though they did at least avoid losing any more wickets. It cost them some momentum and gave Petts Wood some hope, having believed they would be chasing 280 or more, so Joe Elisak needed to do something to make up for his role in this poor finish to the innings….
Mick Sumner might well have enjoyed the pace and bounce of the wicket, but he was missing and in his absence Fernando opened, and started with a good over. At the other end Dan Lewsey was in his accustomed position, and started in his accustomed way, getting a batsman to prod him in the air into the covers, where Joe Elisak accepted a simple catch. New Ash Green were buoyed by the early success, especially as the victim, Petts Wood skipper Chris Nuttall, was one of their highest scoring batsmen. It did, though, bring in the other danger man, Nick Kirby, and he immediately looked a class above most of the batting in the league. He and Saj Hussain set about the task of chasing the huge total with good effect, mixing up solid defence with attacking shots. There were some risks involved, some miscues and shots in the air, but for a while New Ash Green were under pressure. Petts Wood were never ahead of the rate, but they weren't losing touch either, and as long as they had wickets in hand they were in danger of spoiling the New Ash Green party. Nonetheless they had a long way to go, and there was always the feeling that their batting didn't have huge depth and that they couldn't get away with the way they were attacking for the whole 46 overs. Fernando came off after nine overs, from which he conceded just 38 runs despite a couple of expensive overs, and Andy Mayers had a go in his place. A poor first over was followed by a much better second one, and he eventually made the breakthrough, ending the second century partnership for the second wicket in the match when he tempted Hussain to play across the line towards the short downhill boundary once too often and bowled him. He immediately took himself off, though, to give Joe Elisak a go at his preferred end and see if this was a wicket for spin. The first ball gave the answer, turning and bouncing extravagantly, and Elisak soon had his first wicket as Morgan prodded it back to him for what seems like his hundredth caught and bowled of the season. His second over was even better, a quicker flatter ball pinning the danger man Kirby bang in front of the stumps and as plumb LBW as you will ever see, and two balls later more turn and bounce completely flummoxing the new batsman, who could only convert his planned cut into a gentle parry to gully, where Matt Bushe juggled with it several times before clutching it to his great joy. Elisak had 3-3 and Petts Wood were pretty much on the ropes. Andy Howard attempted a brief counter attack, but although lucky to escape what appeared to be a clear stumping when he placed his bat on but not over the line from Mayers' bowling he didn't last much longer before another attempted pull took a bottom edge and crashed onto the stumps to give Mayers his second wicket. With the game pretty much won Mayers retired from the attack after a second two over spell, and with Paul Sumner swinging the ball nicely and Elisak's turn the remaining batsmen certainly never looked in danger of making the total - the more significant target for them now was to get to 179 for a bonus point. Elisak was crashed for a couple of fours when he dropped short, but picked up three more wickets, a catch for Dean Freeman at silly point, one for Paul Sumner at mid on and yet another caught and bowled, giving him final figures of 6-25, his first ever five wicket haul, as well as three more catches to add to his phenomenal collection this season - and perhaps doing enough to make up for the fiasco he had caused at the end of the first innings! Paul Sumner deservedly wrapped things up when he induced an edge behind, and New Ash Green completed a 94 run victory, preventing Petts Wood from picking up any losing bonus points and probably reducing the promotion race, and certainly the title race, to a three horse one.
Friendly Match - 40 overs per side
Cudham Wyse 172-9 (40 overs)
New Ash Green 159-8 (40 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 13 runs
With a league bye weekend it was a big step forward for New Ash Green after last season that they were still able to raise a second eleven even with tour looming. What was even more useful was that the game was against a team in the KCVL, a league New Ash Green have applied to join, giving an opportunity to make an impression and size up the state of the league opposition. It looks as if the objectives may have been achieved in what seems to have been a good game. New Ash Green's attack was led by Olly Cooper, who produced the superb figures of 8-5-7-3 in two spells, but the surprise package was Mark Chapelhow, who took 4-20 in five overs, and also picked up three catches. With Kieran Poole also picking up a deserved first wicket of the season it seems to have been a good performance all round, rounded off by an allegedly stunning catch in the gully by John Harley - whether stunning because John Harley caught it, because he was in the gully or because he dived full length to snatch it one handed inches from the turf we cannot say, not having been at the game, but no doubt Mr. Harley will fill in the details for all those who want to know! The total was kept down to a moderate 172-9, and it not been for the one blot on the copybook, a half century by extras, it would have been, crucially, considerably lower.
In response New Ash Green had a slow start, with Michael Gallagher out for a duck, and Bradley Lonergan shown as retired out - possibly because of having to leave early? They rallied though, with James Turner making 16, Chris Bartram 11 and then the real powerhouse in the lower middle order, Olly Cooper 27, Mark Chapelhow 45 and Sam NacNeil 31. It was the highest second team score of the season by some distance, but with time running out even a few desperate runs, leading to run outs, couldn't quite get them close enough and they ended up losing by 13 runs, not a bad result against a team who are third in the division they would hope to be in next year if the application to the KCVL is successful. Another defeat, but one that appears to have been a very worthwhile exercise for all involved, and will offer encouragement for the serious stuff when it restarts next week.
Friendly Match - Forty overs per side
Meopham 153 all out (32 overs)
New Ash Green 73 all out (25 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 80 runs
A further sign of the improved playing depth of New Ash Green this year came on Sunday. With a tour party of sixteen players there were still enough people remaining at home to put out an eleven on Sunday, and a fixture was found against Meopham 3rd XI. Originally listed for the tiny ground at Longfield Hill it was switched to the ancient one at Meopham Green. Kieran Poole, no doubt excited by taking his first wicket of the season on Saturday struck early, the catch taken again by John Harley, something of a surprising habit that he is developing. It appears Matt Bushe might be under pressure for the coveted specialist gully position in the first team. Fernando took another early wicket, and Poole now really starting to get the idea took two more to give himself 3-31 before John Harley scythed through the middle order with 3-21. The Meopham tail wagged gently, but wickets for Simon Freeman and Keir Wilson, making a welcome return after several years without a game, and a run out from Ross Mole eventually saw Meopham all out for 153 in 32 overs, though the total might have been quite a bit lower if it weren't for another major contribution from extras.
The New Ash Green reply never really got going, three wickets going down before they had passed 10, before a brief flurry from Fernando was ended by a controversial LBW decision from his own side. Keir Wilson was the only other person to make it into double figures, batting through to the end for an unbeaten 18, and Simon Freeman made 9, but otherwise it was a sorry tale as both in Kent and in the West Country the campaign for the 2011 Duck Cup, seemingly dormant for several weeks, took a big step up in intensity. New Ash Green were all out for 73, but it was the first time for a few years that they have put out two sides on a Sunday, and in the performance of Keir Wilson and the wicket taking of Kieran Poole there were certainly at least a couple of positives to come out of it, and if John Harley really has found a position where he can snap up regular catches there may be a third!