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

New Ash Green (20 pts) 200-9
Sevenoaks Vine (4 pts) 97 all out
New Ash Green won by 103 runs.

NAG won the toss and batted. The opening pair made a steady start with Andy Mayers possibly interpreting the Captain's instructions to "play straight" a little too literally. Progress was stately with only 59 on the board at the half way stage. Thereafter Steve Hurst (39) and Andy Cox (63 off 63 balls) upped the tempo and, helped by a cameo from Simon Duke (17) a total of 200 for 9 was posted off the final ball of the innings.

The Vine started positively with the openers looking to attack whenever possible. The partnership was broken when Rob Newmarch hung onto a catch diving full-length to the right. The batsmen continued to keep up with the asking rate and at 67 for 2 at the end of the 17th over The Vine were well place. Ian Shambrook (9-2-20-5) then got the crucial wicket of Bourne (33) and thereafter the innings disintegrated to 97 all out. James Hewitt (7.5-2-16-3) took the final wicket as the batsman sought to hit a boundary to gain at least one batting bonus point.

New Ash Green II v The Mote IV
Saturday 25th August 2001

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

New Ash Green (20 pts) 200-8
The Mote IV (4 pts) 78 all out
New Ash Green won by 122 runs.

The hottest day of the summer should have meant an easy choice for New Ash Green on winning the toss, but the thunder shower which had soaked the pitch late in the morning and the humid conditions meant that there was likely to be a lot of help for the bowlers early on. In the end, much to the disgust of opening bowler Mick Sumner, who was keen to get his hands on a new ball, the fear of the heat won out and the rest of the team opted to bat first. The pitch was indeed inconsistent, and both openers had some occasional difficulty, but the Mote bowlers failed to fully exploit the conditions, and Neil Howick was soon smashing anything slightly loose to the boundary. Matthew Quantrill was steadier, but kept the runs ticking and it wasn't until the sixth bowler, Mick Back, came on that the breakthrough was finally made, with Howick taking one swing too many and being bowled for 57 to end a partnership of 97.

With that sort of base less than half way through their innings New Ash Green should have flourished, but the slow bowlers Biggadike and Back were not easy to get away, and when Andy Harrington and Dominic Adolphe fell in successive balls (Adolphe getting what he claimed was his first ever Golden Duck) New Ash Green had to re-group somewhat. Christian Hoddinott added 40 with Quantrill before being unluckily given out when his bat only seemed to hit the ground. Quantrill also went shortly afterwards, when having run three 3's and a 2 in one Highstead over he aimed a tired slog at the last ball and was bowled for 78. The New Ash Green lower order were unable to accelerate, but Darren Phillips with 24 not out did enough to steer them to 200.

There was much debate as to whether New Ash Green had sufficient runs on the board, but the earlier rain had done enough to make the wicket inconsistent and never easy to bat on, and the ball was still doing enough in the air and off the pitch that the Mote batsmen could not get on top of Micky Sumner and Andy Harrington. Both bowlers were unlucky, but they went for only 20 runs each in their eight over spells, and got one wicket each, to leave the Mote well behind the rate.

On a slow bowlers wicket Dave Harrington and Graham Hobbs were also difficult to get away, Harrington having conceded only slightly more than two runs an over throughout the league season. With the pressure on the batsmen went for their shots, but almost without fail did not connect. Three stumpings and a run out was testament to the desperation of the batsmen, and only two boundaries scored from Hobbs and none from Harrington was testament to the bowlers accuracy. The end came with 12 overs to spare, Hobbs taking the last wicket to finish with 3-23 while Dave Harrington produced yet another superb set of figures - 4-11 in 9 overs!

Another big win against a side who were near the top of the table inched New Ash Green closer to the league title - another win next week should allow Dave Harrington to finally get a bat in the last game of the season!

Old Gravesendians II v New Ash Green III
Saturday 25th August 2001

Friendly Match

Old Gravesendians 241-3 declared
New Ash Green 140 all out
Old Gravesendians won by 101 runs.

Before reading Graham Hampsheir's report it should be noted that the 3rd team were not helped by three players dropping out on the morning of the game, two of them so late that they could not be replaced so that the team had to play with 9 men.

After losing the toss, New Ash Greens bowlers had a torrid time in the field. An opening stand of 190 between P.Foreman (104) and S.Mahon (68) was eventually broken by colt Chris Reid 6-0-29-2. The following over from Shane Hampsheir 5-2-30-1 accounted for Mahon. This after Matthew Payne opened with 11 overs of seam up bowling. Payne 11-0-79-0, Graham Hampsheir 6-0-46-0, Matthew Pennell 3-0-37-0 and Mike Wederell 4-0-15-0 accounted for the remaining bowling which contributed to Gravesend's 241 for 3 declared.

Ash Greens reply started with three consecutive boundaries from Mike Wederell (8) but he along with Charles Duguid (1) rapidly departed the crease bringing in Matt Payne (24) and Tom strong (12) who did not last much longer. An unbeaten knock of 70* by skipper Graham Hampsheir added some respectability to the total after a partnership of 44 with Shane Hampsheir (7). However being two players short meant that the innings was cut short with the demise of Pennell (0) leaving the team 101 shy of the target.

New Ash Green v President's XI (aka Carpe Diem CC)
Sunday 26th August

Friendly Match

Cancelled - Rain.

I haven't actually been positively told that this match was cancelled, but as I have had no report and the weather across the whole of southern England was abysmal I assume it did not take place!