Mid-Kent League Match - 46 Overs per side, Maximum 12 per bowler

High Halstow (6 pts) 126 all out
New Ash Green (20 pts) 127-4
New Ash Green Won by 6 wickets.

NAG won the toss and asked High Halstow to bat on a pitch that actually played much better than its appearance suggested. Andy Stuart soon made the breakthrough with one of his now trade mark yorkers breaching the batsman's defence. Despite bowling 3 maidens in his opening 4 overs Andy Cox seemed destined for a luckless day as he continued to go past the outside edge on numerous occasions. The opening bowlers gave nothing away conceding just 15 runs in the opening 9 overs before Stuart sent back the other opener with yet another yorker this time trapping the batsman LBW, to leave the home side reeling at 15-2 in the tenth over.

High Halstow Skipper Darren Brumbaugh played himself in patiently knowing he was the only real hope of posting a defendable score, his innings became even more crucial as Cox got in on the act finding the outside edge of his partner to give John Harding a sharp catch behind the wicket.

Brumbaugh came out of his shell as Ian Shambrook replaced Stuart, by hitting Shambrook's first 3 balls over the cover boundary to spell his intent. With Cox snapping up another caught behind, even more weight shifted onto Brumbaugh's shoulders. James Hewitt replaced Cox and wasted no time in sending Dockwray back to the pavilion as NAG continued to make inroads into the High Halstow batting and threatened to dismiss them for less than 100 on a relatively flat wicket. The big wicket finally came when Rob Newmarch snapped up a sharp chance at mid-wicket of the bowling of Hewitt to send Brumbaugh back to the pavilion for 41 and with him went High Halstow's last chance of posting a big score.

Hewitt grabbed another as he and Shambrook combined to tie down the High Halstow middle order, before Stuart returned to take two further wickets and Cox grabbed the last to end a dangerous 10th wicket partnership of 32, leaving High Halstow 126 all out.

NAG's response didn't get of to the best of starts with Cox pulling one into his own face only to be bowled two balls latter. Andy Mayers combined solid defence with some wafts outside off stump but managed to keep the scoreboard rolling as he and Steve Hurst started to build a threatening partnership. With Hurst looking in fine form, Mayers (19) departed, quickly followed by Graham Hobbs (7) and Newmarch as the NAG top order started to wobble. Simon Duke came to the crease in his first league game of the season and supported Hurst superbly as big Steve set about the High Halstow attack on his way to an unbeaten 64 with Duke still there at the end on 26 to complete another comfortable win by 6 wickets.

New Ash Green II v Gore Court III
Saturday 2nd June 2001

Mid-Kent League Match - 46 Overs per side, Maximum 12 per bowler

Gore Court (0 pts) 74 all out
New Ash Green (20 pts) 75-0
New Ash Green Won by 10 wickets.

New Ash Green went into this fixture undefeated in the league, and that's the way it stayed despite the absence of captain Matthew Quantrill. After losing the toss, and being put in the field, NAG made light work of dismissing Gore Court's inexperienced batting line up. As usual Mick Sumner and Richard Slatem opened the bowling, and after 14 overs Gore Court had struggled to 25 without loss after some very tight bowling by the opening pair.

Enter Pete Burke. After bowling 3 overs without a wicket and doubling Gore Court's total score it was beginning to look like NAG could be chasing a decent total. But In Burke's fourth over he took the wicket which was required removing Gore Court's captain for 21. Gore Court's batting then fell to pieces, as Burke improved with every ball he bowled. With Dave Harrington as solid as ever at the other end, (despite being hit for one of the biggest sixes our reporter has ever seen), Burke made sure the wickets kept on falling and ended up with figures of 8 for 45, which is expensive in anyone's book as Gore Court were bowled out for just 74.

New Ash Green v Cowdrey
Sunday 3rd June 2001

Friendly Match

New Ash Green 162-5 declared
Cowdrey 163-4
Cowdrey won by six wickets.

New Ash Green won the toss and elected to bat. After losing Mark Klus in the first over for a Duck, Domonic Adolphe's plans seemed to be going to pot. NAG's batting was left to Darren Phillips (72*) and Christian Hoddinott (56) to build a respectable score. Unfortunately the scoring rate was not to everyone's satisfaction, and led to some dissension from the boundary.

When NAG fielded everything went wrong, dropped catches must have nearly reached double figures. Paul Sumner was unlucky to have a number of catches go to ground in the slips, no names will be mentioned but you know who you are you jokers! Mark Klus bowled well picking up two wickets, Oliver Harding & John Brandling Harris picked up a wicket each. The less said about certain players bowling efforts the better!!! Amidst the chaos Cowdrey moved to a comfortable victory by 6 wickets.