Team Sheets 29/30th August

by Peter Smith | Aug 25, 2020 | Archives

Weekend Summary 22nd/23rd

by Peter Smith | Aug 24, 2020 | Archives

The first team welcomed Bearsted to the KG field and in that spirit of welcome the skipper lost the toss allowing Bearstead to invite us to bat first on a track that could only be identified from the rest of the square by the stumps at each end. Run scoring proved tough as the wicket popped and stopped meaning driving was more or less impossible. Will Freeman (34) and Fred Smith (27) battled hard but the frustration got to Will as he was run out attempting a second run to get the board moving. The skipper joined the fray and managed to have a front row seat for a quite remarkable piece of cricket as Fred left one thinking it was missing the off stump, which it did. Unfortunately it didn’t miss middle and leg! A few leg side blows from the skipper tried to get the board ticking but when he fell for 40 it was very difficult for the new batsman to pick up the pace on the sluggish track and we posted a disappointing 142 from out allocation of 36 overs.

It was still a tricky track to score runs on and we struck twice in the opening overs with Bilal and Goose extracting extra bounce to surprise the batsman and provide easy chances to the fielders, at 2-2 we looked on top. Nathan Staines, you probably think this song is about you, then persuaded the oppo skipper to play on and despite runs coming from the other batsman we looked to have a foothold in the game. However at this point a partnership developed with some strong blows and two dropped chances cost us dear. Masters removed the dangerous number 5 but a patient knock from the number 6 complimented an excellent knock of 65* from Luxton and despite two further breakthroughs Bearstead strolled home with 6 over to spare. Lessons to be learned about taking chances and also bowling a good length and line on a pitch that offers something for the bowler.

The second team took another short trip this week, to Kilndown and Lamberhurst with a slightly younger team this time round. Stand in Skipper Phil Buckingham (Palace) proved to be useful at the toss and inserted the home team. Tom the tearaway Woolgar returned to Saturday cricket and took two early wickets in an exemplary spell of bowling (5-1-8-2) and the home batsman largely struggled to impose themselves as Tony (DIY SOS) Reader wheeled away and took regular wickets, his four for should have been 5 as chances went down. The home skipper however managed to get a start and with a heavy bat and a mighty swing he contributed a match defining 78. Henry Parton once again impressed with the ball picking up 2 wickets. the total was set as 142.

A good start was essential and was achieved as the batting was opened by a partnership that spanned the age demographic of the club, Phil Buckingham (45, his score not his age) and Henry Parton (27, his score not his age) played well on a tricky surface and gave a good platform. Unfortunately when wickets fell the powerhouse middle order contributed 0,0,2 and 8 and the chase was considerably dented. Arthur Elliott, unimpressed with his father’s duck, came to the rescue with an excellent 23 but when he was run out hope was extinguished and the team fell 9 runs short of the total. A noble effort was made and the youngsters, and Phil and Tony, continue to impress. Onwards!

Sunday to follow

We beat the rain, just not the Oppo!

by Peter Smith | Aug 17, 2020 | Archives

With rain falling all over Kent the righteous cricketers of Sissinghurst were spared any heavy downpours and much to the oppositions surprise we managed to complete both of our fixtures.

The first team welcomed Eynsford to the King George Field, a team that we had not faced off against for some time. The oppo skipper arriving late won the toss and opted to take first knock on what looked like a good deck lovingly prepared by our enigmatic groundsman (please see instagram to view some of the most remarkable curtain fixing). It was the skipper himself who took the attack to us early pouncing on anything short to strike some early boundaries until Karl slipped one through his defences and knocking back his off pole. Arthur Elliott replaced Bilal from the far end and bowled his 6 overs very nicely making it hard for the batsman to get the ball away. After an excellent 6 over spell Karl was replaced by the skipper himself who somehow sneaked a wicket before getting himself off before he could go for too many runs. this change saw Peter “jackanory” Masters come into the attack for the first time this season, and it was like he was never away as opposition batsman were baffled by the lack of any spin imparted on the ball as he bowled out finishing with 3-24. Tom Elliott bounced out a couple and then a great moment happened as Tom Dyas bounced back after being hit for a couple of boundaries to take his maiden first team wicket with a genuine edge through to the keeper. All in all keeping them down to 152 on a good deck seemed like a good effort.

Karl and Fred got us off to a solid start against some tight seam bowling to start but everything crumbled to dust when Eynsford removed pace from teh ball as our top order fell over themselves to surrender their wickets with lofted shots gone wrong. Percy Christopherson managed to survive this madness and when the skipper joined him some clam broke out. However this didn’t last long as the captain decided to toe a half tracker straight down the throat of the one boundary fielder on the leg side, what a clown. When Christopherson fell to an outstanding catch, the situation seemed desperate and despite a few heavy blows from Jamie Rix the wickets kept falling and the runs didn’t come as we were all out for 112. A poor effort with the bat should not detract from some excellent work with the ball and in the field but lessons must be learned on taking responsibility and seeing the team home.

Micky Winner took an “experienced” second team on the short trip to Horsmonden and on winning the toss invited the home side to bat first amongst the gloom, with the game reduced to 30 overs. Horsmonden got off to a quick start and we struggled to drag them back amid some excellent running between the wicket s and a strong knock from Cunningham who scored a fine undefeated century. Only two wickets fell throughout the innings and whilst the bowlers stuck to their task well the bowling lacked penetration and a total of 195 was going to be hard to haul in from just 30 overs available.

Wickets fell early and consistently as Horsmonden continued to tighten their stranglehold on the game and at 53-6 the chase looked hopeless. This however brought together Nick Hinves with the ever consistent AK and they managed to add some respectability to the scoreboard as they remained unbeaten squeaking the score up to 130 with Hinves 37* and AK 38*. The 100 % record of the seconds fell by the wayside and a few of the members of the team returned to their posts with the Home Guard in Walmington-on-Sea.

Weekend Team Sheets 15th August

by Peter Smith | Aug 11, 2020 | Archives