Kent League Match - 100 Overs

Catford Wanderers (20 points) 249-4 dec. (47 overs)
New Ash Green (2 points) 128 all out (36.2 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 121 runs.

The full scorecard is not up on the KCL site yet, so I can only report from post match gossip! Kevin, if you are reading this, I think they missed you, but at least all your hard work on the wickets all season has finally paid dividends - I gather Catford thought it was a great batting track!

As far as I know the only real distinction in the first innings goes to Andy Payne for cutting his eye open while diving for a skyer, leaving Pete Burke (yes, Pete Burke) to keep wicket for the rest of the innings. Batting wise it seems that Cox, Klus and John made a modest stab at a decent start and Burke top scored again (I have to mention that to make up for my jibe at his keeping). Obviously no one got many though, and the defeat was comfortable in both time and runs.

Catford Wanderers II v New Ash Green II
Saturday 23rd August 2003

Kent League Match - 100 Overs

New Ash Green (5 points) 171-9 (50 overs)
Catford Wanderers (16 points) 172-7 (40.1 overs)
New Ash Green lost by 45 runs.

Shorn of several regulars by the demands of the bank holiday weekend the value of running a regular third XI was proved once again as a number of 3rd team regulars stepped into the breach and performed manfully. But where to start the report? This was a game of two opening batsmen, both dropped on 0 and twice more, who went on to make big scores, a game of moments of high controversy, and a surprisingly tight game in the end.

The first unusual incident came at the toss. Without an umpire again New Ash Green were ready to concede the toss when it was confirmed that Catford did have an umpire. However after retiring to consult his team on what to do Catford skipper Percy Drummond returned to inform his opposite number that the umpire had not yet arrived, so he could not claim the toss. Unlike Micky Sumner last week Matthew Quantrill took advantage of the reprieve by winning the toss and choosing to bat, just as the Catford umpire arrived!

The umpire was quickly into the action as Dan Lewsey was out LBW in the 2nd over. In fact it was probably a perfectly good decision, though lacking 'hawkeye' it was only by reference to the red mark on the wicket that the umpire's view that the ball had not pitched outside leg could be verified! However such an early decision against his team mate left Dominic Adolphe full of suspicion, and he was quick to express his views every time an appeal was made against him. Fortunately for him the umpire initially agreed with his views. With Quantrill surviving a straightforward edge to first slip, seeing the keeper distract the slip after driving loosely, the 2nd wicket pair built a solid foundation for the innings. However consistently tight bowling made runs hard to come by for two batsmen not in their prime and their 50 run partnership took the best part of 20 overs. It ended in more controversy as Adolphe played what looked like an open faced bat at a full length ball outside off stump, which flew up and was caught by second slip. No one behind the stumps either appealed or celebrated, the slip later saying that he had thought it might be a bump ball, a view shared by Matthew Quantrill at the non-striker's end. The bowler, however, did appeal and the umpire gave Adolphe out. Adolphe protested that the ball had come off his toe and not his bat at all, and was very reluctant to leave the field, trying his best to get the decision reversed.

Following Adolphe's dismissal Alan Carter kept Quantrill company past the mid-innings drink's break, at which point the score had barely crept past 60. Shortly afterwards he was bowled by one that just touched the outside of off stump. Steve Hurst joined Quantrill and the scoring rate slowly began to pick up as both batsmen began to work the ball around a little more and ran well between the wickets. Just as it looked as if a substantial partnership, and a big total, might be forthcoming Hurst was unfortunate to drag one back onto his stumps and be out for 14. This brought in Lewis 'Blair' Cooper, one of many promising younger players who with no cricket background at all have been learning the basics in the 3rd team this season. Blair showed how much he has learned with an excellent innings. Though sometimes still lacking in technique he defended successfully if not always gracefully, hit loose balls powerfully and ran well between the wickets at Quantrill's urging. With Quantrill now playing more and more positively as the overs ran out and New Ash Green still having wickets in hand the 5th wicket pair made it seem once again as if 200 might be within reach. When they had put on 50, however, Quantrill timed one a bit too well and was caught on the long off boundary for 80. Blair continued to go for his shots before eventually miscuing and being caught for 25, the 2nd highest score of the innings, but the rest of the batting crumbled and in the end Sharad Bawdekar and Jasper Holiday could not muster 5 runs off the last over to bring up an additional bonus point.

171 was a decent effort for a side short of regular batsmen, but there was always the feeling that on an excellent wicket and with a lightening fast outfield it was some way short of par. The consistent line and length bowling of all the Catford bowlers was largely responsible, with New Ash Green lacking the aggressive batting necessary to take advantage of the good wicket against that sort of bowling.

New Ash Green were given early hope by some indecisive running between the wickets and good fielding from Matthew Quantrill and Paul Sumner which brought two early run outs. Initially tight bowling from Sumner and Keith Bushell kept the run rate down, but a few loose deliveries began to creep in and in Mans Udin Catford had the batsman to take advantage. Hitting his shots with great power he moved rapidly to 45, surviving one drop in the deep, before yet another moment of controversy brought his innings to an end. Going back to a ball from Dan Lewsey he played the ball down and it bounced up towards his stumps. It seems he then flicked the ball away with his hand when it may well have been about to hit the stumps. That it was a clear case of handling the ball can be seen from the fact that Steve Hurst behind the stumps appealed loudly, always a good indicator that the batsman was probably out. The batsman however seemed mystified by the appeal, and the bowlers end umpire said he had not seen anything. New Ash Green turned to the square leg umpire, one of the batting side. He was reluctant to get involved, but did seem to think the batsman had knocked the ball away with his hand. It seems that the non-striker had also seen this and he was involved as well as the umpires consulted. The full time umpire then asked the batsman if he had touched the ball with his hand, to which he replied that he had. The umpire told him that in that case he was out, which again seemed to surprise the batsman, who retired to the pavilion with almost as much bad grace as had Adolphe earlier! It appears that he simply was not aware of the laws on handling the ball and genuinely did not realise that he had done anything wrong.

This incident rejuvenated New Ash Green, who had looked out of the match at that point. Dan Lewsey soon struck with a 2nd wicket, well caught by Steve Hurst and was then unlucky to see Ian Woods dropped first ball off a poorly timed cut. Unfortunately he then lost his line and length a bit and Woods and Clinton Hibbert, who like Quantrill had been dropped on 0, played very positively in taking Catford to the brink of victory. With 30 or so runs needed New Ash Green turned to another 3rd teamer, Steve Ball, and brought back opening bowler Paul Sumner. Ball suffered slightly in his first over, but thereafter bowled an excellent line and length and gave away very few runs in a promising Kent League bowling debut. As he held tight at the other end Sumner was bringing fresh hope to New Ash Green by getting amongst the wickets. Woods was finally caught from his favoured cut by Dominic Adolphe at backward point and to the very next ball Percy Drummond, the 3rd highest run scorer in the league this year was very well held by 'Blair' Cooper at slip. Glen Scott-Thomas played patiently for a while, but as the established batsman, Hibbert, was now being tied down by Steve Ball he launched a big off drive at Sumner and was smartly caught by Dan Lewsey. With just 10 runs now needed it was really a case of too little too late for New Ash Green, but there was still time for Hibbert to be dropped for a third time, all off Sumner's bowling, when Matthew Quantrill couldn't quite cling on to a hard drive at short extra cover.

Hibbert took advantage to finish off the match on 86 not out, but this was a spirited performance from New Ash Green with the promise of more to come from the 3rd XI production line. The bonus points picked up (making New Ash Green rather surprisingly the league leaders in batting bonus points!) were enough to ensure that relegation has been avoided as once again the four teams immediately below failed to win. With Bapchild and Roan & Lambethans still to play each other next week at least one of them plus Old Elthamians must finish below New Ash Green, so Kent League cricket is assured again next year. Nonetheless it has been a much tougher season than last year, and greater consistency of availability from top players will be needed to ensure that next season is not a constant battle against relegation, despite the emerging talent on show today!

Luddesdown v New Ash Green III
Saturday 23rd August 2003

The demands of the bank holiday weekend eventually meant that despite the best efforts of the selection committee no game could take place.

 
Smarden v New Ash Green III
Sunday 24th August 2003

Sadly the Sunday side has become severely disrupted since tour and with the holiday weekend stretching availabilities on Saturday we were never anywhere near raising a Sunday side.

New Ifield v New Ash Green
Monday 25th August 2003

Friendly Match

New Ifield 210-6 dec. (44 overs)
New Ash Green 188-8 (39 overs)
Match drawn.

An overcast sky and drizzle slowly gave way throughout the match to an almost pleasant evening and a large crowd (at least 20) enjoyed the climax of New Ifield's cricket week with the match against New Ash Green. Batting first New Ifield started steadily despite the best efforts of Simon Duke, doing his best once again to make a name for himself as a seam bowler. Simon Ellis and Nick Bode never completely dominated and were both beaten occasionally, but put away bad balls and made a steady start. In the end it was the change bowling, a brief burst from Andy Stuart and the Hoddinott spin twins that made the breakthrough. New Ash Green went on to use a number of bowlers including a steady spell from young Keir Wilson, bowling very well under the pressure of declaration batting, and some leg spin from Andy Cox. No batsman made a huge score, and no bowler was exceptional, though Duke did come back to pick up a wicket at the end and eventually the declaration came at 210-6 after 40 overs.

Marc Klus made a century in this game last year, and he and Matthew Quantrill started their pursuit of a tough target very steadily. Klus was frustrated by his inability to time the ball, but his power still enabled him to make runs though he was initially outscored by Quantrill. That changed when Klus changed his bat and found much greater confidence with his new bat. Having been anxious to avoid the strike he now took singles from the last ball of overs happily and quickly overtook Quantrill. The opening pair put on 94 before Quantrill late cut his first ball from spinner Vic Outer straight to slip, out for 40. This left New Ash Green chasing less than a run a ball of the last 20, with 9 wickets in hand and Klus well set. Joined by James Oliver Klus added 68 for the 2nd wicket, and at one stage the equation was down to only 5 an over. However the New Ifield opening batsmen now turned up as bowlers and both tied the batsmen down, Oliver particularly struggling for a while before being out for 13. Klus tried to keep the momentum up, but was eventually bowled for 90 and New Ash Green were now left needing over 40 off the last 5 overs. All the batsmen kept trying for the runs right into the last over, but none could really get going and New Ash Green eventually ended up well short. Ellis finished with figures of 7-3-18-4, and Bodle 6-1-11-3. Although the score looks to be in New Ifield's favour the fact that New Ash Green lost so many wickets in the last few overs chasing the target in 5 less overs than New Ifield had suggests that honours were really pretty even in the end and a draw was a fair result. More importantly an enjoyable game was played in the best of spirits and was proof that non-league cricket can still be enjoyable and competitive.