TOP WEEKEND FOR THE CLUB WITH YOUTH POLICY PAYING DIVIDENDS

SUNNUCKS BROTHERS MAKE HAY AT MILSTEAD TO WIN BY 9 WICKETS

MAGNIFICANT MARDEN MAUL TOP OF THE LEAGUE MEOPHAM IN NAILBITING

SECOND LEAGUE GAME

1st XI Milstead vs Marden – Marden win by 9 wickets

The skipper managed to win the toss on a ground where he had not personally been part of a winning eleven before. The Milstead team was considerably stronger than the team we had played at home earlier in the season. We elected to field on a greenish track and Sam Courtly bowling downhill at pace began to ask all sorts of questions of the opening batsmen, both edging wide and over the slip cordon.

Tooke dismissed for 5 caught and bowled and Chick dismissed clean bowled by Courtly were well deserved rewards for his efforts. Ward and Blythin came on as first change and Blythin trapped Annand for 67 after many early scares. Mick Sellar was bowled by Ward for 23. Nick Burdge took a fine low catch to give Ward his second wicket. Courtly came back after Sunnucks T had bowled 6 tidy overs. He bowled Pook for 17. Blythin took the final wicket in his last over Fenton bowled for 19. Paul Nicholls played a solid innings of 70 on what looked a good pitch setting us a total of 226 to win.

Courtly 11 overs 1 maiden 3 for 42 a fine performance
Blythin 6 overs 1 maiden 2 for 28
Ward 10 overs 0 maidens 2 for 53

Our reply began with Brewer and Tony opening the innings. We lost Richard to a good low catch with the score on 24. That was the last wicket we lost as a quite brilliant second wicket stand of 202 runs by the Sunnucks brothers brought us home to magnificent victory with 10 balls to spare!! Tony hit 94 not out 14 fours and one 6. Paul hit 112 not out including 16 fours and 4 sixes, one of which almost knocked out some chap on the boundary seating that was listening to the football!!

Skippers thanks go to:
Julian Boucher for stepping up to the fists and doing a fine job with the gloves
Sam Courtly well bowled well fielded
Angus Boucher for driving and supportingThe Chairman / Arun for retrieving the non swinging match ball from various gardens the Sunnucks bullies had despatched it too
Rich Brewer for finding an umpire
Wardy for some great leg spin
The team for not taking too much P*** out of the skipper for his shocking fielding at deep long off
Sunnucks Brothers top batting

Selection for Lenham home, 1.30pm on Saturday 30th:
HUNTER (CPT)
BLYTHIN
STILEMAN
SUNNUCKS P
TAPLIN
BREWER
BURDGE
WITHERS GREEN
COURTLY
BRANDRETH (WKT)
SAMUEL

Marden 2nd XI V’s Meopham – Marden win by 2 wickets

Chris Watts writes:

After last weeks superb win over Headcorn the 2nds were looking for a repeat performance against the division 2 leaders. It didn’t start well when we lost Charlie Sloan to a hamstring strain and he had to pull out at 8.30 that morning, but in Stepped Alex Newport to bolster the side.

The skipper lost the toss and Meopham took the plunge and elected to bat. A tight opening spell from Nav and Ben Tomkinson never let the Meopham openers get going and resulted in the prize wicket of Deeks for 11 after nicking Nav to the captain at 1st slip.

The next pair set about trying to push on but another good performance by all the fielders help restrict the scoring and frustrate the Meopham batsman. The first change pair of Jones and Karim took over the bowling duties and didn’t let their team mates down. Harry dropped a difficult skier from Saunders off JJ but he was soon back in the Hutch as JJ got revenge and re-arranged his furniture.

Harry continued to toil away and started to get some good away swing before enticing one of the batsman to smash a wide leg side ball at Ben who held on superbly. JJ won an LBW the other end and we were right in it. Young Alex replaced Harry at the Pavilion end and was rewarded straight away as Clark (who was starting to get set) chipped one straight at the skipper stood at short mid-wicket. Alex finished with figures of 4 overs, 1 for 13 an outstanding effort for a young bowler called in at the last minute.

JJ continued to bowl a very tight line and ended his 12 over spell with 3 for 36. The skipper then played his trump card and badgered Sam Andrews to bowl 5 overs at the end, even though we could all hear the hamstrings creaking every-time he ran to the crease. Sam bowled beautifully and ended with figures if 1 for 7 from his 5 overs with 3 maidens. Ben Tomkinson picked up 2 wickets in his return spell and again bowled nice and tight to help us restrict Meopham to 162 for 9.

The reply started well with the skipper and Sam Andrews going along nicely at 4 an over, then a mini collapse ensued as the skipper played an appalling shot and was quickly followed by Rupert chopping on to his stumps, Harry was bowled and Ben Tomkinson was LBW. Sam continued to toil away one end and the rate never got away as JJ joined him at the crease. It wasn’t long before the 5 overs and singles caught up with Sam’s hamstrings and a runner called again for Andrews. After a short reprieve Sam was finally caught for 45 at very good strike rate.

RDH joined JJ and held up one end whilst John kept the scored board ticking RDH concentrated on not losing his wicket. A thumping pull for 4 from RDH soon resulted in a rush of blood and he holed out very next ball. This brought Sam Tomkinson to the wicket, cool calm and most importantly for the side a player who wasn’t swinging across the line!! JJ went to the left arm spinner who had started to extract some turn from the wicket and Aiden was bowled without scoring. Up stepped Alex and with a coolness and maturity to belie both their years Sam and Alex set about picking off the last 15 or so runs to bring Marden home. Alex scampered up and down the wicket turning 1’s into 2’s and Sam played some classic one day shots, one shot in particular stepping across his stumps to chip the left arm spinner over square leg for 2.

Down to the final over and 4 needed to win. The Meopham skipper tried to talk Sam into the loss of his wicket but he just ignored him. 2 balls into the last over Sam steps down the track to push the bowler back over his head for 2, Now only 2 needed off 3 balls. Calm as you like he dances down the wicket to thump the next ball into the sight screen and Marden win by 2 wickets. A magnificent team effort where everybody contributed to the result.

Wow what a game!!

Thank you Chris, a very impressive end to the season. I said two weeks ago that we had the players available to beat Headcorn and Meopham and that is exactly what has happened. A great season (top of the league for batting points with 52) which I hope everybody has enjoyed as much as me. Quite how we let victory slip to defeat against West Farleigh I will never know but to beat five of the sides that will probably end above us in the league was a top effort.

Please support the first team in their last two matches and thank you to everybody who has contributed to the second team campaign this season.

The Future

Sam Andrews reports that the under 9’s side WON the St Laurence and Highland Court six aside tournament on Monday and the under 11’s were also victorious at the same venue.