Friendly Match

Horton Kirby 198 all out
New Ash Green 199-8
New Ash Green won by 2 wickets.

A combined New Ash Green 1st & 3rd XI picked up a bureau fixture with Horton Kirby, apparently a mixture of their 1st & 2nd XI, but with more 1st than 2nd. Full report yet again is late, but Ian Shambrook apparently scored 85 not out to win the match, making up for the fact that he ran out half his partners, and was ably supported by Mark Klus.

New Ash Green II v Blue Bell Hill II
Saturday 30th June 2001

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

New Ash Green (20 pts) 254-4
Yalding (2 pts) 101 all out
New Ash Green Won by 153 runs.

With no first XI league game New Ash Green resisted the temptation to do as many sides have done already this season and slip a few 'guests' into the 2nd XI, but were still far too strong for Blue Bell Hill. Only a few dark clouds and a brief sprinkling of rain threatened a second successive victory by over 150 runs as NAG II's head into two weeks without a game comfortably top of the table.

New Ash Green won the toss and batted again, and Matthew Quantrill and Darren Phillips made an unspectacular start, but nonetheless laid the solid foundations needed for another big score. When Quantrill played on for 40 in the 20th over 82 were on the board. There followed a brief collapse with Andy Harrington, Dominic Adolphe and Matthew Payne all going cheaply, Adolphe involved in yet another spectacular running misjudgement having to be sent on his way by the umpire as he and Phillips both ended up at the same end staring at each other. The depth of New Ash Green's batting this year is such that the fall of wickets was no worry, and Rob Newmarch, looking in excellent touch, joined Phillips for an unbeaten stand of 127 in the last 16 overs. Newmarch reached his 50 in just 46 balls, ending on 56*, while Phillips needing 8 from the last over to reach his maiden century nearly blew it when refusing to run a second off the penultimate ball, a decision that would have left him stranded on 99*, but a poor throw and worse backing up gifted him the necessary runs and he finished on 103*.

If there were any doubts as to whether the total was big enough they were ended by the opening spells of Mick Sumner, who took 2-7 in 7 overs and Pete Burke with 1-16 in 10. Matthew Payne belied the reputation of his family by taking a slip catch, and he and Mick Sumner also took sharp chances at silly mid-on and silly mid-off respectively from Dave Harrington, who took 4-37. Graham Hobbs also bowled well with 3-17 to finish off the tail as Blue Bell Hill continued to try and attack in a vain attempt to get some bonus points.

New Ash Green III
Saturday 30th June 2001

With no first team league game this week the thirds combined with those of the first team who weren't taking the weekend off for a good result against Horton Kirby, who had most of their first XI out. See report above.

New Ash Green v Belvedere
Sunday 1st July 2001

Friendly Match - 40 overs

Belvedere 248-9
New Ash Green 158-9
Belvedere won by 90 runs

With some frantic last minute phone calls and a lot of pleading NAG managed to turn 8 men into 11 and take the field against a strong Belvedere side with a full complement. Belvedere won the toss and batted and were restricted at the start by some tidy bowling from Hewitt and 15 year old John Luck on his debut. Hewitt grabbed the first wicket as Belvedere went along at 4 an over. As the visitors started to pick up the run rate Mike Wedderell kept them in check with three wickets, with Oliver Harding keeping the pressure on with a tight spell of 9 overs picking up the wicket of the opener in the process.

Belvedere, despite losing regular wickets, looked set to score in excess of 200 in their 40 overs, though Darren Phillips' off-spin accounted for a further three Belvedere batsman. It was left to James Hewitt and John Luck to bowl at the death to the heavy hitting last wicket pair and had Phillips not mis-judged a regulation long-on catch from Luck's bowling the innings would have been wrapped up for under 200, but he didn't and runs were plentiful as Belvedere posted 248, which was always going to be too much for a weak NAG side.

Andy Stuart and Rob Newmarch opened for the home side against a lively opening attack and Newmarch was unfortunate to be adjudged caught behind for 0. Stuart and John Harding went on to post 69 for the second wicket before Stuart was given run out for 48 after some big hitting threatened an unlikely result. The middle order of Glover, Duguid, Phillips and Hewitt offered little resistance to the strong Belvedere attack and it was left to John Harding to hold things together with an impressive 62. A late flurry from Mike Wederell and some strong resistance from Oliver Harding left the home side some 90 runs adrift with 9 wickets down at the end of the 40 overs.

All in all a weak NAG side put up as good as fight as could be expected against a strong Belvedere side who played the match as if it were the Benson and Hedges Cup Final! (NB Editor's Note - see the report for the earlier match against Belvedere - there are certain similarities....)