Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th June
Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th June
Kent Regional League Match - 46 overs per side
Dartford (7 pts) 98 all out (41.5 overs)
New Ash Green (20 pts) 102-5 (25 overs)
New Ash Green won by 5 wickets
The weather finally relented during the week to provide the best track of the season so far at Manor Field, hard and even, and despite having a few absentees New Ash Green had a strong squad out after a dash to register newcomer Max Redmill during the week managed to get him transferred from Bexleyheath before the deadline. Dartford had an umpire, so there was a toss, and in beautiful batting conditions New Ash Green stuck to Plan A and opted to bowl first. Plan A was, though, slightly disrupted by the absence this week of Dan Lewsey, so it was Ian Mellor who had the chance to open, with Micky Sumner, against his old club. Dartford's openers looked far from secure against either bowler, both on top form, with George Reynolds in particular riding his luck with at least 4 shots going in the air and falling just short of fielders, including one attempted hook that ballooned up and landed at short cover, a position that was soon to be filled by Andy Mayers arriving 4 overs into the game. It took a while, but the breakthrough felt inevitable, and when it came it came in a rush. One moment it was 17-0, six balls later it was 19-3 and neither batsman had faced a ball. Mellor started things with a nick behind, and followed by getting one to rear and take the shoulder of the bat before being well held above his head by Micky Sumner in the slips. Sumner joined in himself next ball, with another edge behind and there might have been a fourth wicket, timed out, had the umpires been strict and had their watches on the batsman, as the tumble of wickets seemed to catch Dartford unprepared and it took an age for the number 5 to arrive at the crease. When he did arrive the batsman, Saad Saimon, was able to join his skipper Richard Irving, in the best partnership of the innings as they almost saw off the opening bowlers. They had to play with caution, and the scoring rate was distinctly pedestrian in such good batting conditions. However Irving must have felt they had done their jobs when they saw off Sumner without further loss and had reached Mellor's last ball, so he was understandably annoyed with himself and his luck when he went to drive the final ball and edged it onto his stumps, leaving Mellor to collapse on the ground exhausted after completing a 12 over spell with figures of 3-39. Whether Irving could have done better against the change bowlers than his lower order did will remain an unanswered question, but with both Joe Elisak and Paul Sumner bowling at their most consistent the batsmen that were there could not lift the scoring rate, and often perished when they tried to. Micky Sumner took comfortable catches off each bowler, and Max Redmill was brought into the game with a fairly straightforward catch that he took comfortably, to ease any nerves he may have still been feeling. Craig Partridge, at number 9, did manage a few big hits, but interspersed with a few big misses as well, and a further catch behind off Elisak, a simple catch at mid wicket for Mellor (his first for the club, well into his second season!) and a final catch behind to give Paul Sumner his 4th wicket wrapped up the full set of bonus points in the 42nd over, with the total still not yet in triple figures.
The four additional overs meant that New Ash Green had to score 99 runs in 50 overs, a run rate almost exactly double the one an over they needed the previous week. With far better batting conditions that should not have been difficult, but they were up against the division's leading bowler so far in Christopher Pathmarajah. He proved to be a decent bowler, bowling accurately at a brisk pace, but not doing much with the ball. The opening batsmen looked to get in line with him, and with plenty of time waited for loose balls at either end. Matthew Quantrill had put away a couple before Dean Freeman got impatient and tried to work Pathmarajah to leg, playing round a straight ball. In the same over Karl Bartlett, perhaps unnerved by a bouncer that whistled past his nose, failed to get in line and was bowled by another quick yorker. This may not have seemed like the best time for Max Redmill to come to the crease and face his first ball in nearly 8 years, but it did give him the opportunity to show his calibre immediately – he flicked another good fast yorker off his legs to the short boundary for 4. From here on none of the bowlers could tie him down. Inevitably he didn't always play the right shot, and had a little luck, but his timing was extraordinary as he scored at a run a ball. Quantrill contributed nothing to a 21 run partnership before carelessly getting out to a leading edge. Glen Freeman, recovered from the back problems that have kept him out for a couple of weeks looked in as good form as he has been in, mixing solid defence with the occasional powerful straight drive, and he and Redmill virtually made the game safe, seeing off Pathamarajah for his worst figures of the season as they put on 40. It was spin that did for Redmill in the end, bowled for a superb run a ball 41, but that only brought in Andy Mayers, in no mood this season to hang about. He actually accelerated the scoring, bring the scores level with a magnificent straight 4 down the ground, but then deciding to tease his father, who was next in and was just taking his pads off, by top edging one and being caught. After a hasty re-application of pads Vic played out 5 balls before driving another straight four down the ground to secure a five wicket win and 20 points for the second week in a row. With defeats for front runners Cobham and New Ifield the division is now incredibly close with the top four all within 7 points and both Wilmington and Leybourne capable of joining that group if they win their games in hand. With a game against Cobham to come next week New Ash Green could put themselves in a very strong position with a repeat of this week's performance.
Kent Regional League Match - 40 overs per side
Burgess Park (6 pts) 111 all out (30.2 overs)
New Ash Green (20 pts) 112-4 (18 overs)
New Ash Green won by 6 wickets
The 2nd XI made the long trip into (nearly) central London for the game at Burgess Park filled with gloom at stories of the poor facilities awaiting them heard from other league sides. As so often expecting the worst can bring welcome surprises, as apparently the ground was actually quite pleasant, as were the opposition, and the game seems to have been much more enjoyable than anticipated. The wicket was not, apparently, of the highest quality, and deteriorated during the game. This might explain why the home side, on winning the toss, chose to bat first. Their best partnership came for the first wicket, with Luke Shaw being economical during ten overs, but unable to take a wicket. At the other end Kieran Poole had his first unsuccessful spell of the season, and blessed with a depth of bowling options turned first to Ashley Woodward. He was more economical, but still could not get a wicket, and so at the half way stage there was a double change to Ollie Cooper and Matt Bushe. This immediately brought about a change in fortunes, and wickets started to tumble. The opening bowlers did contribute, with run outs at the top and bottom of the order, but this was mainly the Ollie Cooper show. Bushe bowled one and got one LBW, while Cooper picked up 6-23, evenly split between caught, LBW and bowled. No Burgess Park batsman after the openers could make it to double figures and the whole side was out in just 62 balls after the change of bowlers. The fact that the pitch was starting to play games, with many balls keeping low, would have contributed to the turn around and meant that New Ash Green were by no means confident that they could chase 112 to win, even with 9 extra overs.
Their doubts may not have been assuaged by the pace of Burgess Park's opening bowlers, said to be the quickest seen in the division so far by the NAG batsmen. They accounted for both Martin Ives and Dillon Pike for ducks, in a pattern remarkably reminiscent of the first team batting at home, although by then both Luke Shaw and extras were already starting to contribute. Man of the day Ollie Cooper joined Shaw and stopped the immediate rot, and the opening bowlers proved that pace alone is not enough, even on a difficult wicket (or perhaps especially on a difficult wicket) as the runs came freely from poor balls. Shaw became a third victim for the opening bowlers when he was caught for 24, but the runs were flowing fast enough to force a change of bowling at both ends. The change bowlers couldn't change this, though – they got Bradley Lonergan bowled for 4, but Ollie Cooper (who had said in a text message to his father at tea that he wasn't looking forward to batting on the wicket) was by now picking all the bowlers off with complete freedom. Michael Gallagher was hardly slow in making his 8 runs, but didn't have time to make any more as Cooper dashed to an unbeaten fifty with fours all round the ground, the win coming up in just 18 overs. It keeps New Ash Green in second place in a tight division, with big games coming up in the next two weeks against the unbeaten leaders Sidcup IV and then Old Elthamians. Win or get decent points in those games and keep up the current momentum, and promotion will be a very real prospect indeed.
Second XI Current League Table
Friendly Match - Proper Cricket
New Ash Green 131-9 dec (44 overs)
Cobham 132-2 (23.2 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 8 wickets
Health Warning: This report is taken from the scorecard and the fevered recollections of a teenage boy. The author does not vouch in any way for its accuracy.
It was unfortunate for New Ash Green that with a potentially fragile batting line up they lost the toss, and despite the good wicket were asked to bat first. Karl Bartlett at least partially overcame his loss of confidence in making double figures, and Dave Harley nearly joined him, but after a steady start both fell with the score on 23. Luke Shaw and Ian Mellor, fresh from lengthy bowling spells the previous day, then showed their all round abilities with the best partnership of the innings, adding 54 before Mellor fell for a fairly rapid 33. James Ives for once had the chance to bat without the pressure to score quickly, and played a good steady innings, making 11, while Shaw went for 23, Dillon Pike made 6 and Matt Bushe and Tim Cooper each made a very steady 4. With the scoring rate plummeting New Ash Green were able to see out their time, Andy Noakes making 1 not out, Edward Quantrill perishing for 1 having a swing at the end and Michael Gallagher getting a couple in the last over, but the score was probably never high enough.
So it proved, with Cobham's opening batsmen having a couple of overs to get their eyes in before putting their weight into their shots and piling on the runs. Edward Quantrill and Matt Bushe left the attack ignominiously before Tim Cooper and Michael Gallagher made the breakthroughs, getting both openers with the assistance of a stumping and a catch from Dave Harley. With the openers having scored at a run a ball the game was already virtually over, and even with the next pair batting more circumspectly there was barely time for Dillon Pike to be given his promised bowl, let alone turn to the Mellor/Shaw combination that was being held back for emergencies. Cobham cruised to a comfortable win barely into the twenty overs. In playing terms it was a setback, but there were good signs as well – having three reserves on a Sunday was a start, and although no one made a big score there were no batting failures, and several promising innings. Most importantly apparently the game was still played in good spirits, the opposition were friendly and the match seems to have been enjoyed despite the result.