Saturday 14th May & Sunday 15th
May 2005
New Ash Green v Wye
Saturday 14th May 2005
Kent League
Match - 100 Overs
New Ash Green
(20 points) 142-9 (50 overs)
Wye (4 points) 110 all out (44.3 overs)
New Ash Green won by 32 runs.
What forecasters predicted to be a wet and drab day turned out to
be one full of sunshine for New Ash and Hartley CC and James Hewitt in particular.
Although temporarily denied the services of his opening and most consistent, reliable batsman, Andy Cox having
been embroiled in a car accident on the way to the match, New Ash Green skipper
Andy Stuart elected to bat having won the toss. Stuart had called for his team
to build an innings, value their wickets highly and bat for 50 overs. A feat managed only 7 times the previous season.
Vaughan John and league debutants Dave Craddock and Andy Pitts
were early casualities of the superb opening bowling
partnership of Brown and Hoyle. Both Wye openers found their line, length and
hostility easy to come by with the hard new ball on the early season pitch. As
the ball got older and softer, so did survival. Simon Duke and another
debutant, Hafiz Shah both worked tirelessly to rebuild the slightly faltering
innings. With Shah looking extremely solid in defence he was undone by a ball
that jagged back and stayed a little low from Wye new Australian import Sam
Parker.
With Andy Cox still a few miles away James Hewitt wandered to the
crease finally being given the opportunity to bat in the top six. Hewitt’s philosophy
has always been - If you don't ask to bat in the top 6 you won't; he had asked,
constantly, he had not batted up the order. This time his wish came true and he
and the Duke put on a solid 36 for the 5th wicket at an increasing tempo. 36
may not sound too many, but in the context of what were marginally bowler
friendly conditions and ultimately a low scoring match they were vital runs.
Hewitt was then joined by Cox who looked his solid self and none the worse for
the journey problems, however Cox was undone by a low
full toss from Lovedale that he mis-timed
to mid on. Had he been granted the opportunity to open the innings as usual it
is extremely likely that Cox would have been able to play himself in properly
and not have to try and force the ball unnecessarily - women drivers have a lot
to answer for!!!!
Hewitt was then joined by Vic Mayers
who would remain at the crease until the last ball of the innings to score 38
priceless runs. Mayers innings
was timed to perfection as he defended, nudged and hit out at each ball on its merits,
his experience playing as big a role as his eye for the ball.
James and Vic decided to start pressuring the Wye fielders,
however, on a glance of recognition to take a single Hewitt was caught about 10
feet short of his ground and was run out by Aussie Parker for 36, the second
highest score in the match.
Andy Stuart then joined Mayers for an
onslaught on the bowling adding another invaluable partnership of 36 to take
NAG&HCC to a total of 142 and a solitary batting bonus point. The Wye
wicket keeper had constantly made it known that he thought New Ash Green were
some 60 runs short of a decent total for the wicket.
After another masterly display of Cookeing
for tea, Wye's batsmen strode to the crease with the look of players wanting to
get on with the job of scoring 143 in quick time and when Parker drove Cox's
first ball through square leg for four it looked as if their wish may be
granted and the wise words of the wicket keeper were
true. However, as the home captain had said it is important to value your
wicket highly, so when Parker flashed a rising ball from Cox an over or two
later straight to the hands of the ever reliable John behind the stumps his first
match for Wye was over for just 12.
Parker's opening partner Tom Richardson looked strong on the on
side and scored freely reaching 20 but then his strength was his ultimate
downfall as Stuart placed his best fielder on the mid wicket boundary for
Hewitt’s first over. A couple of Hewitt teasers outside the off stump were
complemented by
a slightly slower ball on middle and leg that
Mick Sumner's (15-5-27-0) hostility was the perfect foil for
Hewitt’s guile and swing from the Longfield end that
kept on picking up wickets. A further catch, this time from Pitts, two LBWs, two bowled and a stumping from John completed Hewitt’s
career best bowling figures of 15-5-35-8 and proved the match winning
performance. As Andy Stuart returned Wye's last pair were
at the wicket. Matthew Brown had spent the afternoon with his mate Stella (
New Ash Green and Hartley deserved their victory and Captain
Stuart said after the game "I have tried to install more discipline and
personal pride into the team. 142 in 50 overs is
better than being bowled out for 120 in 35 overs like
we would have been last year. I am proud of today’s performance. I am
particularly pleased for James (Hewitt) who proved influential with both bat
and ball, I would drop him down the order again next week, but I couldn't stand
his whinging!!!”
Click HERE for full scorecard from
KCL site
Click HERE for latest league table.
The Mote IV v New Ash Green II
Saturday 14th May 2005
Mid-Kent
League Match - 92 Overs
New Ash Green
(20 points) 221-7 (46 overs)
The Mote (7 points) 168 all out (45.3 overs)
New Ash Green won by 53 runs.
Grey skies and a forecast of rain later wasn’t the most promising
of starts, and team and umpire juggling on the morning of the match didn’t help
either. Once the cricket got under way, though, the clouds lifted both
literally and metaphorically for New Ash Green. Against a side mixing the old
and steady with the very young and talented they won the toss and elected to
bat. The Mote’s opener, Dane Smith, had to take the 2nd over having
arrived late on the field due to the late arrival of his trousers, but once he
had them on he bowled a very steady opening spell with the occasional almost
unplayable one, but in the end failed to take a wicket in his 12 overs, going for just 18 runs. Andy Payne had gone early in
his first innings of the season, and Dan Walton had seemed nicely settled until
he mishit the first ball of Mote skipper Dave Damen’s loopy slow bowling straight to square leg. Dominic Adolphe then joined Matthew Quantrill
and the pair patiently built a base from which an attack could be launched in
the last few overs. The pace gradually picked up as
the pair added 115 for the 3rd wicket before Adolphe
had a huge swing at the next loopy slow bowler, Richard Daking,
and was bowled as he fell on the ground. Daking
continued to take wickets, but at a cost of more than 10 an over New Ash Green
could now afford to pay the price. Quantrill was
caught at deep square leg for 76 but Pete Burke with 26* and Matt Scanlan with 22 both played aggressive cameos to keep the
runs flowing and New Ash Green eventually added 96 runs in the last 10 overs, reaching 221-7.
It always looked a comfortable score, and though the Mote started
slightly more positively than New Ash Green they always looked in danger
against Burke and Paul Sumner. Some chances went begging, notably a spectacular
parry at gully by Matt Bushe which was the dropped on
the rebound by a diving Matt Scanlan, but Burke,
needing to leave early, bowled through his 12 overs
taking 2-18, and added two slip catches off Sumner and Matt Bushe.
Bushe produced his best spell of league bowling to
date with 1-19 in 6 overs, and returned the
compliment to Burke with a sensational catch diving forward in the gully to
scoop the ball off the ground one handed. With Dan Lewsey
also bowling steadily the Mote didn’t look capable of matching New Ash Green’s
acceleration, and New Ash Green were able to give
spells to Arron Dodson and Matt Scanlan,
both in need of finding some rhythm. Dodson bowled some superb balls, mixed in
with too many wides, but looked to have the potential
to develop into a useful bowler when he can find his line consistently, but Scanlan was still unable to replicate the line and length
he produced in winter nets despite starting with a wicket maiden. At 125-7 the
Mote were effectively out of the match, but there were a few nerves still
jangling in the New Ash Green side when Dane Smith hit Scanlan
for 2 sixes in his 3rd over and Andy Payne then had to retire
injured, which left New Ash Green with 9 men, Burke having already left.
Despite the required rate still being 12 an over Dominic Adolphe
was full of woe, but the recall of Paul Sumner soon calmed even his nerves, as
Smith, now looking to swing hard at everything, was unable to make contact and
was eventually stumped. With Dan Lewsey back on at
the other end it was now only a question of the margin of victory, and bonus
points. By the last over New Ash Green were able to place 2 slips, even with 2
men missing, but Paul Sumner didn’t need them, bowling the Mote’s captain, Damen, with the third ball of the final over to ensure
maximum points.
Click HERE for latest league table.
High Halstow v New
Ash Green
Sunday 15th May 2005
Disappointingly, and alarmingly, New Ash Green could not raise a
side for this match despite the best efforts of the selectors. With no Saturday
3rd team not everyone will get regular games on Saturday, and it is crucial
that as many as possible make themselves available on Sunday as well so that
hopefully everyone who wants a game can get a game each weekend.