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

New Ash Green (10 pts) Approximately 140 all out
Sevenoaks Vine (10 pts) 70ish -2
Match Abandoned - Rain.

Weakened by injuries, holidays, football watching and golf playing New Ash Green could only muster 140 odd all out, and with only two fit regular first team bowlers they looked in trouble as Vine were cruising at 70-2 when the rain came. I haven't received a detailed match report, but what I was told was that the rain very much saved them and only Andy Cox, scoring 40, made any sort of impact.

Sevenoaks Vine IV v New Ash Green II
Saturday 18th August 2001

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

New Ash Green (10 pts) 209-7
Sevenoaks Vine IV (10 pts) 50-0
Match Abandoned - Rain.

With a weather forecast for heavy rain later in the afternoon New Ash Green were hoping to bowl first and try and win the game quickly. Unfortunately they lost the toss and were asked to bat, and on what should have been a good batting wicket were soon making heavy weather of getting a big total. Matthew Quantrill was dropped twice in the first four overs at first slip, and just as Neil Howick was starting to hit the ball he top edged a pull and was caught. Andy Harrington was out shortly afterwards, LBW for 4, not without some controversy as comments were passed on both sides.

Quantrill and Dominic Adolphe had to work hard to prevent a total collapse, and against some tight bowling, particularly from Pope and Morrison, runs were not easy to come by. When drinks were taken half way through the innings New Ash Green were 69-2, scoring at exactly 3 an over, and a winning total still looked a long way away. With the foundations laid both batsmen now began to play a few more shots, and a further 41 runs were added in the next 6 overs before Quantrill went for 46. There was a brief slowdown, but Darren Phillips was soon stroking the ball around very smoothly, and he and Adolphe added 73 for the 4th wicket in the next ten overs, and although they were both out (for 33 and 70 respectively) when Pope returned Graham Hampsheir and Paul Sumner kept the board ticking over to a final score of 209-7.

By the time tea had been taken the clouds, which had been present throughout, were looking thicker and greyer, and rain could be seen on the hills in the distance. Mick Sumner and Andy Harrington gained some movement and beat the bat, and a few hard chances were missed. Vine were under pressure from the run rate until the last few overs, as the rain became harder and the bowlers lost control of a few balls in the rain and allowed the batsmen to increase their rate so that the game looked fairly evenly balanced. However the rain had now set in solidly and it didn't look like stopping after the players left the field with Vine at 50-0. Having spent three quarters of an hour watching the steady downpour with no sign of a break the game was called off and both sides had to settle for 10 points.

New Ash Green III
Saturday 18th August 2001

Far too many players were injured, on holiday, watching football (can you believe that!) or playing golf for there to have been any prospect of raising a third XI this week. Strangely we are more hopeful for the bank holiday weekend next week.

New Ash Green v Newington
Sunday 19th August

Friendly Match

Cancelled - Rain.

Steady rain all morning meant this game was called off by 11 a.m., whereupon the sun decided to put in an appearance!