Anyway I had a decent day. Rocked up at the start and walked out to look at the pitch. Announced to everyone within earshot that I was 'taking a 5-fer on this'. Confident indeed considering I'm 37 and had never taken a league 5-fer ever.
Reader, I took 6. Featuring a middle-order hat-trick. And maybe a little help from our new Collingwood impressionist at long-on
Congratulations my friend. It was a wondrous spectacle (mainly observed from my vantage point of silly mid-on) and richly deserved after lots of hard work and perseverance over the last couple of years.
Meanwhile, I was suffering a “cricket is a great leveller” day. After showing some fluency and timing last week, I might as well have been batting with a stick of rhubarb yesterday. And when I did finally got hold of one, pulling a short ball for 6 over square leg, I discovered I had somehow dislodged the off bail in the process. First ever “hit wicket” in 50 years of playing cricket!
We set 239 in our 35 overs at North Enfield which has a huge tree a few yards inside the boundary, square of the wicket up the slope, which is ‘play on’ when hit but you can’t catch off it , quite a slope on the track left to right from pavilion end I bowled the second over and id already mentioned how in cricket every (player umpire) says going down leg with the hand pointing down leg when you hit the pad even if outside off stump, to a few of their players before the match as we talked a load of guff . Second ball I have one of their openers plumber than plumb shock horror not given and I sarcastically say to the umpire raising my hand going down leg and he responded ‘yep you know it as you said before’ . Two balls later with a nice slower one the batsmen played all round it and I bowled the same fella out hitting middle and off and I said to the umpire sarcastically again ‘was it going down leg’ to which he took offence fair enough and said ‘if you want to carry on being a cock about it carry on ‘ i said ‘well I thought it was plumb but I shouldn’t have said that sorry ‘ but he sulked . i felt part bad and it’s only a Sunday friendly and I’m bored of nobody giving anyone out my son was given out , lbw rightfully so in our innings . Enfield chased the target down reasonably comfortably in 32 overs for the loss of 8 wickets and we got to see the second half onwards of the England match . i got slapped around 5 overs 2 for 43 Our fielding was more appalling than usual my son threw one crap throw for 4 over throws to give them 5 when they pushed for a single off my bowling but it got worse we managed 3 crap throws including the bowler to give them an all run 6 , comical .
I hate Batters who run down the middle of the pitch and warn them at the first instance. I normally give them two friendly chats then a first and final official warning, then it's five penalty runs every time after that. Important to let your colleague know so you don't double up on friendly warnings. Also it's a team warning so you have to let every new batter know where the warnings are at.
Double bouncers before the popping crease should be called and signalled as no balls.
Don't have my laws to hand so cannot quote them here.
Have you given 5 penalty runs many times for running down the middle of the track
Twice. Once about ten years ago against Offham. A batter who got a hundred had been warned numerous times and he glanced the ball to third man and again set off down the middle of the pitch. I'd had enough so disallowed the boundary four and gave the fielding side five penalty runs.
The other time was last year in a junior cup final. Again plenty of last chances were given and my colleague eventually called it. That also went for a four, which didn't count. The coach was very annoyed. If he had taught his team not to run down the pitch it might have helped!
All the other games where I've given final warnings have been obeyed thereafter.
Dartford played OD Cuaco away at Park Langley yesterday - nice ground, good pavilion and nice friendly people as well - quite a few Charlton supporters in their group, and I had some good Charlton chat with them - weather was good, Guinness was going down a treat - Dartford batted first, and started strongly, assisted by some woeful bowling, with far too many wides - however after one of the openers was bowled by a good ball that came out of nowhere (he was motoring along at 55 off 48 balls), a collapse of sorts began, and Dartford ended up 228 for 8 - Cuaco innings started average, and then a collapse, and I thought Dartford were nailed on to win, however Cuaco middle order steadied the ship, and they cantered to 230 for 7 with an over left
Nice tight match, with no histrionics, played in the right spirit - highly enjoyable, with added bonus I wasn’t watching England play (could hear the moaning from the pavilion, so I stayed sat watching the cricket and drinking)
Anyway I had a decent day. Rocked up at the start and walked out to look at the pitch. Announced to everyone within earshot that I was 'taking a 5-fer on this'. Confident indeed considering I'm 37 and had never taken a league 5-fer ever.
Reader, I took 6. Featuring a middle-order hat-trick. And maybe a little help from our new Collingwood impressionist at long-on
Congratulations my friend. It was a wondrous spectacle (mainly observed from my vantage point of silly mid-on) and richly deserved after lots of hard work and perseverance over the last couple of years.
Meanwhile, I was suffering a “cricket is a great leveller” day. After showing some fluency and timing last week, I might as well have been batting with a stick of rhubarb yesterday. And when I did finally got hold of one, pulling a short ball for 6 over square leg, I discovered I had somehow dislodged the off bail in the process. First ever “hit wicket” in 50 years of playing cricket!
You and Roy Fredericks
Ah yes, very good. Most people on Saturday were citing Ian Botham at me, presumably for the Aggers on comms "couldn't quite get his leg over" incident.
Anyway I had a decent day. Rocked up at the start and walked out to look at the pitch. Announced to everyone within earshot that I was 'taking a 5-fer on this'. Confident indeed considering I'm 37 and had never taken a league 5-fer ever.
Reader, I took 6. Featuring a middle-order hat-trick. And maybe a little help from our new Collingwood impressionist at long-on
Congratulations my friend. It was a wondrous spectacle (mainly observed from my vantage point of silly mid-on) and richly deserved after lots of hard work and perseverance over the last couple of years.
Meanwhile, I was suffering a “cricket is a great leveller” day. After showing some fluency and timing last week, I might as well have been batting with a stick of rhubarb yesterday. And when I did finally got hold of one, pulling a short ball for 6 over square leg, I discovered I had somehow dislodged the off bail in the process. First ever “hit wicket” in 50 years of playing cricket!
You and Roy Fredericks
Ah yes, very good. Most people on Saturday were citing Ian Botham at me, presumably for the Aggers on comms "couldn't quite get his leg over" incident.
I hate Batters who run down the middle of the pitch and warn them at the first instance. I normally give them two friendly chats then a first and final official warning, then it's five penalty runs every time after that. Important to let your colleague know so you don't double up on friendly warnings. Also it's a team warning so you have to let every new batter know where the warnings are at.
Double bouncers before the popping crease should be called and signalled as no balls.
Don't have my laws to hand so cannot quote them here.
Have you given 5 penalty runs many times for running down the middle of the track
Twice. Once about ten years ago against Offham. A batter who got a hundred had been warned numerous times and he glanced the ball to third man and again set off down the middle of the pitch. I'd had enough so disallowed the boundary four and gave the fielding side five penalty runs.
The other time was last year in a junior cup final. Again plenty of last chances were given and my colleague eventually called it. That also went for a four, which didn't count. The coach was very annoyed. If he had taught his team not to run down the pitch it might have helped!
All the other games where I've given final warnings have been obeyed thereafter.
So is the disallowing of runs part of the law regarding running down the middle of the track or that’s just you using discretion
I hate Batters who run down the middle of the pitch and warn them at the first instance. I normally give them two friendly chats then a first and final official warning, then it's five penalty runs every time after that. Important to let your colleague know so you don't double up on friendly warnings. Also it's a team warning so you have to let every new batter know where the warnings are at.
Double bouncers before the popping crease should be called and signalled as no balls.
Don't have my laws to hand so cannot quote them here.
Have you given 5 penalty runs many times for running down the middle of the track
Twice. Once about ten years ago against Offham. A batter who got a hundred had been warned numerous times and he glanced the ball to third man and again set off down the middle of the pitch. I'd had enough so disallowed the boundary four and gave the fielding side five penalty runs.
The other time was last year in a junior cup final. Again plenty of last chances were given and my colleague eventually called it. That also went for a four, which didn't count. The coach was very annoyed. If he had taught his team not to run down the pitch it might have helped!
All the other games where I've given final warnings have been obeyed thereafter.
So is the disallowing of runs part of the law regarding running down the middle of the track or that’s just you using discretion
I see that the Kent League have issued a directive with regards to Saturday's quarter final. The top three divisions will be allowed to start at 10.00am but, unlike the other divisions, will not be allowed to reduce the number of overs played. This earlier start has to be agreed by both sides but Canterbury would probably have to be on the road by about 7.45am at the latest as they are playing at Bickley Park. Hope they don't intend to have a "lock in" on Friday night!
I see that the Kent League have issued a directive with regards to Saturday's quarter final. The top three divisions will be allowed to start at 10.00am but, unlike the other divisions, will not be allowed to reduce the number of overs played. This earlier start has to be agreed by both sides but Canterbury would probably have to be on the road by about 7.45am at the latest as they are playing at Bickley Park. Hope they don't intend to have a "lock in" on Friday night!
I remember starting a Sunday (KVL) game at 8am a few years back, when we lost to Germany, when Lampard 'goal'. Was cracking and really hot, both teams then sat in the local pub (Ferry Inn, in Stone), which was a great local watching the game..
Hugely disappointing afternoon for Bickley Park. In a rain reduced game, they managed to restrict Canterbury to 125-9 (Michael Ridley 5-26) off 23 overs which, after DLS was applied, meant that Bickley needed to score 130. At 44-1 off 5 overs it rained again. Game over which was gutting for them with just 86 needed off 18 overs with 9 wickets in hand. So, at the half way stage, Bickley remain rooted to the bottom albeit they are just 19 points off Blackheath in 4th place so still all to play for.
At the other end of the table, Minster look somewhat invincible - they beat St Lawrence today, making it 8 wins from 9 and are 27 points clear of 2nd.
Anyway I had a decent day. Rocked up at the start and walked out to look at the pitch. Announced to everyone within earshot that I was 'taking a 5-fer on this'. Confident indeed considering I'm 37 and had never taken a league 5-fer ever.
Reader, I took 6. Featuring a middle-order hat-trick. And maybe a little help from our new Collingwood impressionist at long-on
Congratulations my friend. It was a wondrous spectacle (mainly observed from my vantage point of silly mid-on) and richly deserved after lots of hard work and perseverance over the last couple of years.
Meanwhile, I was suffering a “cricket is a great leveller” day. After showing some fluency and timing last week, I might as well have been batting with a stick of rhubarb yesterday. And when I did finally got hold of one, pulling a short ball for 6 over square leg, I discovered I had somehow dislodged the off bail in the process. First ever “hit wicket” in 50 years of playing cricket!
All our guff rained off , so went to wife’s nieces 3 year old party in Surrey , where 6 pints of lager meant I’m fucked and have just woken up on the sofa at home our ground too wet so trying to move Sunday friendly away to Theydon Bois
Lolwray had the dubious honour of skippering Sidley 2s against high flying little common Wanderers down in Sussex League division 12 ( South East) .
We made 182 from our 40 overs ,the author made a fortuitous 51 as an emergency opener. At the halfway stage we suspected this wouldn't be enough and so it proved as the opposition got the runs with 5 down after 34 overs .Match played in a good spirit.
A few things of note ..match played on an artificial strip,the fiercest wind I have ever played in ,and 4 of our bowlers sustained muscle injuries .We fielded terribly.
I sacrificed my self by bowling into the gale 2 - 45 from 9 on a better day 4-30
Whisper it but all is not lost for Bickley Park. Following last week's probably moral victory against Canterbury when rain intervened, they took on St Lawrence & HC yesterday and comprehensively beat them.
Asked to bat, Bickley once again had a good start with an opening stand of 52 between Elliot Hooper (23) and Ranjit Singh (37). Useful contributions from Cam Hawkins (37) and Dan Magin (55) in particular got them to 201 all out off 47.2 overs. With two power houses in their side in the shape of the Aussie Jason Sangha (top run scorer at the time in the KPL) and the veteran Darren Stevens (114* in the reverse fixture) St Lawrence had to be favourites but Jason Benn put paid to that by getting the wickets of both of them in the same over - firstly getting Sangha to miscue a hook that went straight up in the air for 14 and then in the same over having Stevens caught in the slips. Benn finished with figures of 10-3-22-4 and Singh mopped up the tail for 7.4-0-17-4. St Lawrence were eventually all out for 143 off 44.4 overs with Bickley winning by 58 runs.
Minster won again for the 9th time in 10 games and are now 26 points clear of Hayes in 2nd. Of far more interest is the rest of the table, with St Lawrence in 3rd 22 points ahead of bottom placed Bickley. You could throw a blanket over those eight sides and the fact that every single won of them have lost at least half of their 10 matches to date, demonstrates just how all those sides are beating each other. Next stop Lordswood for Bickley and if they can win that they will be out of the relegation zone. If.
For those that didn't see yesterday's scorecard of the game, Holmesdale smashed an incredible 454-2 off their 50 overs (including two maidens) against Bromley in the Championship. You've sort of got to feel a bit sorry for one of their openers, Max Lindsay who made just 4 (11) with the other the other contributions of Dom May 108 (89), Leo Carter 170* (124) and Will Harby 160* (77) although not as much as their number 5 who had to be taken to hospital with a bad case of pad rash having had to have them on for 47.3 overs without actually getting to the wicket. The fact that Marcus Lilley managed to return very commendable figures, in the circumstances, of 10-0-40-0 tells all there need to be told of how most of the other bowlers were taken apart by those three.
Bromley did manage themselves to get 248-7 off their revised number of overs (31) in chasing a "reduced" DLS total of just 359, thereby demonstrating that the wicket and dimensions of the ground were, in all probability somewhat "bat friendly" especially when one takes into account that 702-9 was scored off 81 overs on the day.
When all is said and done though, some of those bowlers, from both sides, are the ones to feel for as they will, no doubt, be waking up this morning hoping that the game was all a bad dream!
Was called up to the ones (we had a lack of availability and cars and I have a minibus 😂 and a few had declined , so offering the carrot of playing with my son who had been promoted back was the skippers approach but I knew the real reason) bizarrely this was my first appearance for the ones since 3 years ago the day before England’s last Euro final !! A small boundary and fast outfield was what greeted our batsmen , asked to bat by Broomfield , my son was promoted up to 4 and he got 46 off 44 (still not got a league 50) but he was dropped on 4 over the boundary for 6 ! skipper top scored as he did 3 years previously , 65 (73) I was in at 8 with 5 overs left and holed out to their best fielder on the boundary at cow corner for a pathetic 1 off 2 balls , the fella ended up taking 5 catches as we finished 295 all out in the last over 44.1
oppo tumbled to 15/4 including a couple of drops , they then got to 142/5 and it was a bit squeaky bum time but the drinks break affect came in and a couple of brilliant running diving catches from my son brought the game back to get rid of their two strongest bats . then my calf pinged trying to stop a ball with my foot (use your hands you old git) and my season is as good as over aaaaah son took some slap but got last 2 wickets to get the win the first an appalling full toss lobbed up by their number 10 as I heckled from the sideline saying call him back that’s a disgrace .
mrs then had to drive 45 mins in sons car to get to us she took The minibus home and dropped 3 players off son took me to close family friends we know made up of doctor, GP’s , physio and anaesthetist ! who diagnosed me and that’s it season done probably and foot up so can get to watch Wimbledon and England with no stress but miss out on playing an away game today at cockfosters with my son which is what I’d rather be doing
Incredibly weird vibe around OCs yesterday. A jubilant and merry 3s (which I was in) and a baleful, fractious, regretful, bitter and generally end-of-rope 2s. Unfortunately I got a bit loud with my opinions afterwards (all given with a smile, tbf) and the 2s skipper gave me a soul-shaking bollocking in front of everyone. The Leuth Vibe was Not What Was Wanted after an absolute throwaway of a game
Sidley 2s were up against Crowhurst Park 4s this week in the bucolic setting of the 2nd pitch at Claremont School. Only problem being that you have lug your kit almost half a mile from car to pavilion.
On a strip that hadn't seen a roller since the days of the black and white television we cobbled together a total of 178 from 40 overs.A decent effort bearing in mind the conditions. I got a spirited 20 batting at 7.Extras our top scorer
The author was required to open the bowling uphill into the wind ( thats 2 weeks running I ask you ) 6 overs 0-4 until struck down by a calf tear/cramp ( maybe both)
We kept them behind the rate and I returned pain free to bowl at the death ending up with 1-21 from 9 ( the 7th injury influenced over spoiling my figures)
We won by 30 odd runs .A good competitive game played in a good spirit.
Grudge match today - Dartford vs Bexley at Hesketh Park - 1pm k/o - I will be there rooting for Dartford - my mate’s son is playing having hit 50 odd yesterday for Dartford away at Beckenham (whom Dartford beat easily, and now have a healthy lead and sit top of their division 😃)
Grudge match today - Dartford vs Bexley at Hesketh Park - 1pm k/o - I will be there rooting for Dartford - my mate’s son is playing having hit 50 odd yesterday for Dartford away at Beckenham (whom Dartford beat easily, and now have a healthy lead and sit top of their division 😃)
I see all 5 Dartford sides won yesterday including a massive win for their 1s which has taken them out of the relegation zone.
Grudge match today - Dartford vs Bexley at Hesketh Park - 1pm k/o - I will be there rooting for Dartford - my mate’s son is playing having hit 50 odd yesterday for Dartford away at Beckenham (whom Dartford beat easily, and now have a healthy lead and sit top of their division 😃)
I see all 5 Dartford sides won yesterday including a massive win for their 1s which has taken them out of the relegation zone.
Indeed - the 1’s have had a poor season so far - I imagine it’s rather rare for all sides at a club to win on the same day, especially if they run 5 or more sides
Hopefully, all 3 Dartford sides win today, which will means all sides won from last Wednesday through to Sunday !!!!
I did the Hayes vs Bexley game yesterday. Bexley were without Stiddard, Singh, and Evans. A hundred for Gareth Severin, who has never really done it in Hayes games I've stood in previously. He hits the ball very hard when set! Will McVicar scored 49 before pulling a hammy, but batted on to 76 with a runner. A rare low score for Alex Blake but Hayes ended up on 299 in their 50 overs. It was the quietest Bexley team in the field I have ever umpired! Bexley started like a train, but then lost two wickets in two balls (captain Griggs out first ball), and were thereafter losing wickets and always behind the run rate. They made it past 200, but never threatened and were all out with about five overs remaining. While Blake may not have taken a wicket, and only scored one run, he did take two brilliant overhead catches, so influenced the game massively once more. McVicar did come on to bowl towards the end, despite his bad leg, and took the last four wickets!
Grudge match today - Dartford vs Bexley at Hesketh Park - 1pm k/o - I will be there rooting for Dartford - my mate’s son is playing having hit 50 odd yesterday for Dartford away at Beckenham (whom Dartford beat easily, and now have a healthy lead and sit top of their division 😃)
Well, what a fab day of cricket …….
Dartford vs Bexley at Hesketh Park - 40 over match - Bexley had the audacity to ask the league that their overseas player (some Aussie) play this match, and the league agreed 🤷
Not in the spirit of the competition IMO, but hey ho
Bexley batted first, played well, with the overseas slapping it around, but then he got out, and their innings faded - mind you I reckon Bexley had some first team players out there as well
They set Dartford 252 to win - a Dartford team with some under 15’s and under 17’s in it
Dartford cruised to the win with balls to spare
Since last Monday, every side Dartford put out won their match - a very rare thing I imagine
Grudge match today - Dartford vs Bexley at Hesketh Park - 1pm k/o - I will be there rooting for Dartford - my mate’s son is playing having hit 50 odd yesterday for Dartford away at Beckenham (whom Dartford beat easily, and now have a healthy lead and sit top of their division 😃)
Well, what a fab day of cricket …….
Dartford vs Bexley at Hesketh Park - 40 over match - Bexley had the audacity to ask the league that their overseas player (some Aussie) play this match, and the league agreed 🤷
Not in the spirit of the competition IMO, but hey ho
Bexley batted first, played well, with the overseas slapping it around, but then he got out, and their innings faded - mind you I reckon Bexley had some first team players out there as well
They set Dartford 252 to win - a Dartford team with some under 15’s and under 17’s in it
Dartford cruised to the win with balls to spare
Since last Monday, every side Dartford put out won their match - a very rare thing I imagine
Lovely stuff, back of the net 👌
Having looked at the scorecard and to be fair to Bexley, the overseas isn't their 1st XI player Aussie who has played in the Big Bash / Sheffield Shield but one that plays in their 2nd XI, an 18 year old from Hong Kong who averages just 22.30 this season for their 2s. The sides actually looked quite evenly matched with both teams containing just one player that turned out for their respective top sides the previous day - Bexley's first teamer is only 18 too and only three of them have ever played in the 1st XI (and not many games at that and one is a bowler that didn't bowl against Dartford) with the average age of all but one of their side no more than 19. I know that because I was Colts Secretary there up until five years ago and signed most of them up.
Still, looks like it was a very good game nevertheless and an excellent win for Dartford.
Grudge match today - Dartford vs Bexley at Hesketh Park - 1pm k/o - I will be there rooting for Dartford - my mate’s son is playing having hit 50 odd yesterday for Dartford away at Beckenham (whom Dartford beat easily, and now have a healthy lead and sit top of their division 😃)
Well, what a fab day of cricket …….
Dartford vs Bexley at Hesketh Park - 40 over match - Bexley had the audacity to ask the league that their overseas player (some Aussie) play this match, and the league agreed 🤷
Not in the spirit of the competition IMO, but hey ho
Bexley batted first, played well, with the overseas slapping it around, but then he got out, and their innings faded - mind you I reckon Bexley had some first team players out there as well
They set Dartford 252 to win - a Dartford team with some under 15’s and under 17’s in it
Dartford cruised to the win with balls to spare
Since last Monday, every side Dartford put out won their match - a very rare thing I imagine
Lovely stuff, back of the net 👌
Having looked at the scorecard and to be fair to Bexley, the overseas isn't their 1st XI player Aussie who has played in the Big Bash / Sheffield Shield but one that plays in their 2nd XI, an 18 year old from Hong Kong who averages just 22.30 this season for their 2s. The sides actually looked quite evenly matched with both teams containing just one player that turned out for their respective top sides the previous day - Bexley's first teamer is only 18 too and only three of them have ever played in the 1st XI (and not many games at that and one is a bowler that didn't bowl against Dartford) with the average age of all but one of their side no more than 19. I know that because I was Colts Secretary there up until five years ago and signed most of them up.
Still, looks like it was a very good game nevertheless and an excellent win for Dartford.
Crank from our club played up there this weekend for HAC , said it was cold and wet but the game goes on , think it was 30 overs Rope for boundary , tea was amazing , 3 course dinner after , oppo provided free booze all day
Loved it when he was fielding inside the boundary, sitting on a chair! Still hits the ball bloody hard when he bats. Good day out for the Charities and great to see so many legends of the game . Doing it all again in the same place on Sunday for the club fundraiser (sans the Universe Boss).
Comments
We set 239 in our 35 overs at North Enfield which has a huge tree a few yards inside the boundary, square of the wicket up the slope, which is ‘play on’ when hit but you can’t catch off it , quite a slope on the track left to right from pavilion end
I bowled the second over and id already mentioned how in cricket every (player umpire) says going down leg with the hand pointing down leg when you hit the pad even if outside off stump, to a few of their players before the match as we talked a load of guff .
Second ball I have one of their openers plumber than plumb shock horror not given and I sarcastically say to the umpire raising my hand going down leg and he responded ‘yep you know it as you said before’ .
Two balls later with a nice slower one the batsmen played all round it and I bowled the same fella out hitting middle and off and I said to the umpire sarcastically again ‘was it going down leg’ to which he took offence fair enough and said ‘if you want to carry on being a cock about it carry on ‘
i said ‘well I thought it was plumb but I shouldn’t have said that sorry ‘ but he sulked .
i felt part bad and it’s only a Sunday friendly and I’m bored of nobody giving anyone out my son was given out , lbw rightfully so in our innings .
Enfield chased the target down reasonably comfortably in 32 overs for the loss of 8 wickets and we got to see the second half onwards of the England match .
i got slapped around 5 overs 2 for 43
Our fielding was more appalling than usual my son threw one crap throw for 4 over throws to give them 5 when they pushed for a single off my bowling but it got worse we managed 3 crap throws including the bowler to give them an all run 6 , comical .
The other time was last year in a junior cup final. Again plenty of last chances were given and my colleague eventually called it. That also went for a four, which didn't count. The coach was very annoyed. If he had taught his team not to run down the pitch it might have helped!
All the other games where I've given final warnings have been obeyed thereafter.
Nice tight match, with no histrionics, played in the right spirit - highly enjoyable, with added bonus I wasn’t watching England play (could hear the moaning from the pavilion, so I stayed sat watching the cricket and drinking)
At the other end of the table, Minster look somewhat invincible - they beat St Lawrence today, making it 8 wins from 9 and are 27 points clear of 2nd.
our ground too wet so trying to move Sunday friendly away to Theydon Bois
We made 182 from our 40 overs ,the author made a fortuitous 51 as an emergency opener. At the halfway stage we suspected this wouldn't be enough and so it proved as the opposition got the runs with 5 down after 34 overs .Match played in a good spirit.
A few things of note ..match played on an artificial strip,the fiercest wind I have ever played in ,and 4 of our bowlers sustained muscle injuries .We fielded terribly.
I sacrificed my self by bowling into the gale 2 - 45 from 9 on a better day 4-30
Asked to bat, Bickley once again had a good start with an opening stand of 52 between Elliot Hooper (23) and Ranjit Singh (37). Useful contributions from Cam Hawkins (37) and Dan Magin (55) in particular got them to 201 all out off 47.2 overs. With two power houses in their side in the shape of the Aussie Jason Sangha (top run scorer at the time in the KPL) and the veteran Darren Stevens (114* in the reverse fixture) St Lawrence had to be favourites but Jason Benn put paid to that by getting the wickets of both of them in the same over - firstly getting Sangha to miscue a hook that went straight up in the air for 14 and then in the same over having Stevens caught in the slips. Benn finished with figures of 10-3-22-4 and Singh mopped up the tail for 7.4-0-17-4. St Lawrence were eventually all out for 143 off 44.4 overs with Bickley winning by 58 runs.
Minster won again for the 9th time in 10 games and are now 26 points clear of Hayes in 2nd. Of far more interest is the rest of the table, with St Lawrence in 3rd 22 points ahead of bottom placed Bickley. You could throw a blanket over those eight sides and the fact that every single won of them have lost at least half of their 10 matches to date, demonstrates just how all those sides are beating each other. Next stop Lordswood for Bickley and if they can win that they will be out of the relegation zone. If.
Bromley did manage themselves to get 248-7 off their revised number of overs (31) in chasing a "reduced" DLS total of just 359, thereby demonstrating that the wicket and dimensions of the ground were, in all probability somewhat "bat friendly" especially when one takes into account that 702-9 was scored off 81 overs on the day.
When all is said and done though, some of those bowlers, from both sides, are the ones to feel for as they will, no doubt, be waking up this morning hoping that the game was all a bad dream!
bizarrely this was my first appearance for the ones since 3 years ago the day before England’s last Euro final !!
A small boundary and fast outfield was what greeted our batsmen , asked to bat by Broomfield , my son was promoted up to 4 and he got 46 off 44 (still not got a league 50) but he was dropped on 4 over the boundary for 6 !
skipper top scored as he did 3 years previously , 65 (73)
I was in at 8 with 5 overs left and holed out to their best fielder on the boundary at cow corner for a pathetic 1 off 2 balls , the fella ended up taking 5 catches as we finished 295 all out in the last over 44.1
oppo tumbled to 15/4 including a couple of drops , they then got to 142/5 and it was a bit squeaky bum time but the drinks break affect came in and a couple of brilliant running diving catches from my son brought the game back to get rid of their two strongest bats .
then my calf pinged trying to stop a ball with my foot (use your hands you old git) and my season is as good as over aaaaah
son took some slap but got last 2 wickets to get the win the first an appalling full toss lobbed up by their number 10 as I heckled from the sideline saying call him back that’s a disgrace .
mrs then had to drive 45 mins in sons car to get to us she took The minibus home and dropped 3 players off
son took me to close family friends we know made up of doctor, GP’s , physio and anaesthetist ! who diagnosed me and that’s it season done probably and foot up
so can get to watch Wimbledon and England with no stress but miss out on playing an away game today at cockfosters with my son which is what I’d rather be doing
fuck getting old (54 this Friday coming )
On a strip that hadn't seen a roller since the days of the black and white television we cobbled together a total of 178 from 40 overs.A decent effort bearing in mind the conditions. I got a spirited 20 batting at 7.Extras our top scorer
The author was required to open the bowling uphill into the wind ( thats 2 weeks running I ask you ) 6 overs 0-4 until struck down by a calf tear/cramp ( maybe both)
We kept them behind the rate and I returned pain free to bowl at the death ending up with 1-21 from 9 ( the 7th injury influenced over spoiling my figures)
We won by 30 odd runs .A good competitive game played in a good spirit.
Hopefully, all 3 Dartford sides win today, which will means all sides won from last Wednesday through to Sunday !!!!
Dartford vs Bexley at Hesketh Park - 40 over match - Bexley had the audacity to ask the league that their overseas player (some Aussie) play this match, and the league agreed 🤷
Not in the spirit of the competition IMO, but hey ho
Bexley batted first, played well, with the overseas slapping it around, but then he got out, and their innings faded - mind you I reckon Bexley had some first team players out there as well
They set Dartford 252 to win - a Dartford team with some under 15’s and under 17’s in it
Dartford cruised to the win with balls to spare
Since last Monday, every side Dartford put out won their match - a very rare thing I imagine
Lovely stuff, back of the net 👌
Still, looks like it was a very good game nevertheless and an excellent win for Dartford.
Crank from our club played up there this weekend for HAC , said it was cold and wet but the game goes on , think it was 30 overs
Rope for boundary , tea was amazing , 3 course dinner after , oppo provided free booze all day
this is a must