A great day for the club saw both league elevens score victories in their respective “Corona” League matches.
Despite beautiful weather the First XI captain won the toss and chose to field, making himself even more unpopular with his team mates (if that is possible). After a relatively solid start by the Linton openers they were both undone by the limping assassin Bilal Omar (9-0-23-3) as he clean bowled one with a beauty and frustrated the other into a skied drive which Jack Greig expertly took, steadying himself at mid on. The Freeman brothers then took over with the ball with Will (6-1-10-3) particularly impressing while Gus was unlucky to finish with only one wicket. Linton couldn’t really develop any significant partnerships and with his Uncle and Cousin at the crease Angus “Vesuvius” Knowler (2-34) returned to nick off his Uncle and then clean up number 11 to close the Linton innings at 147. the team will have to tighten up their lines though as 51 of those runs were contributed by a Mr E.X.Tra.
The chase got off to an inauspicious start as Fred Smith and Jack Greig were dismissed before the score had reached 10 and there was a spring in the step of the Linton fielders. This brought the Freeman brothers together in an important partnership which first blunted the attack and then started to take control before Gus (20) was adjudged LBW. The skipper then ambled to the crease and managed to combine a little bit of early fumbling fortune with some more assured, lusty, blows as he settled in, taking the score to 120 before the excellent Freeman was trapped LBW for a match winning 58. There was still time for the skipper to also fail to finish the job “edging” the returning opener to the keeper. Another wicket was lost and a few finger nails began to be chewed. Luckily the returning Metcalf and the fired up Angus Knowler saw us home with overs to spare, Angus smiting the winning four to keep bragging rights in the Knowler wars.
The second team travelled to Judd school to take on Bidborough’s wily 4th eleven on a sporting track with a bumpy outfield. Despite winning the toss and batting first Bidborough struggled early on with Nathan Staines (7-2-26-3) ripping out the top order ably assisted by young Arthur Eliott keeping it tight (6-2-13-0). Mingard had survived the early onslaught and was building nicely on 22 when Jamie Rix (making his second debut for the club) induced a false shot and he was held at gully. The innings continued to lack momentum as the Sissinghurst bowlers, young and old, managed to keep the scoring rate down and Bidborough were thankful for all the patience and experience of Paul Eames (32*) that guided them through to their final total of 130/7 from their 36 overs. Wickets were shared around by the attack With 3 for Staines, 2 for Rix and one each for H.Elliott and Martin.
In these small run chases a good start can be essential in order to win so captain Micky Winner strode out to open the batting and give that good start… and was bowled for a duck. This brought in probably the best number 3 in the “Corona League Tier 4 Division B” Mr T.Elliot. He combined his swashbuckling style with the slightly more prosaic charms of Knowler senior to steady the ship and it came as a great surprise to all when he was dismissed by a sharp caught and bowled chance with his score on 20. This summoned young Anik Moore to the crease and he combined well with his senior partner to chip away at the total with a very decent 24 before he was part of a double strike from the aforementioned Eames. Steve “slugger” Brown entered the fray and he biffed a few boundaries to get us over the line after the end of the path finding and match defining innings of Knowler finally dismissed (potentially for the second time in his innings) LBW for 62 pivotal runs. A fine 0* from James Bligh (on debut) will live long in the memories of all involved.
Sunday report to follow…