7th August v Cudham Wyse CC
Match cancelled due to rain
14th August v Linton Park CC
Last weekend wasn’t quite what we had hoped for from our two teams as we were forced to concede our 2nd XI match due to lack of players and then our 1st XI succumbed quite spectacularly against Linton Park. Nonetheless there were moments to remember, none more so than the sight of club legend Howard Dunmall, excpecting a relaxing day with his pipe in the sunshine, donning the whites at the 11th hour to become our 11th man. Thank you H!
Linton Park chose to field first and got off to a swift start until a superb off cutter from Siraj Deane castled their captain. The masterstroke of bringing on our worst bowler (yours truly) as first change then confused the opposition into giving up two more wickets in an over and we managed to keep a reasonably firm grip on proceedings for the majority of the remaining overs. Ben Harrison bowled an excellent spell of nine tidy overs (1-33) and Adam Nash also bowled his full quota for three good wickets (3-51) – one bowled, one stumped and one caught behind. It took a stylish innings of 31 from their number 10, batting like a number 3, to get them up to a respectable total of 211. The last over was a double wicket maiden which on the plus side gained us full bowling points but on the downside prompted collective embarrassment at the number five in the wickets column beside the name Waters (5-40)!
Balance (but not normality!) was quickly restored when our innings began with the figure zero appearing in the runs column beside the name Waters – caught behind off the first ball of the innings! When Ed Wesson (who had earlier put in a fine performance behind the stumps) also fell to a superb slip catch for another duck, the writing was on the wall!. A further five ducks followed, taking the total to an impressive seven (!!!) and only a chanceless innings of 53 not out from James Hughes offered any threat to the run chase. We were 89 all out and we move on! The sun shone throughout and the ground looked a picture as always.
21st August v Shipbourne
As well as being short a player, at Shipbourne we were also without an umpire so had to forfeit the toss and although three players passed 20 (Ollie Crees (a belligerent 25), Ed Wesson (an elegant 29*) and new recruit Rob Stephen (a composed 25)) we were unable to muster more than 110 on a pitch that rewarded a good length.
Despite a very promising spell with the new ball from Adam Pinnell and some unrewarded early pressure from Harry Dunmall, Shipbourne had no problem knocking off the runs well before Final Score! Fortunately our early season form has meant we are safe in our mid-table position. Congratulations go to Bearsted who have already secured the title of Division One champions for the first time!
28th August v Sissinghurst
Speldhurst Rec returned to status of “Batsman’s Paradise” on the weekend after a lesser-spotted week of good weather, and we delivered by accumulating our second-highest team score of the season! Whilst the innings was bookended by Ollie Crees (31) and Mike Jeffreys (28*), the plaudits went to Skipper Brandt and Tom ‘The Cameo’ Danby, both hitting 74 in a total of 239-6.
Our bowling started with great promise as we dismissed the opening four batsmen for just 22 runs between them. Noteworthy was Adam Pinnell’s (3-65) fine dismissal of their accomplished number three for what is rumoured to be his first ever golden duck! The going was tough from there on in, with all bowlers struggling to contain two free-flowing middle-innings partnerships, anchored by a fine 78* from their number six. In the end they got there with three overs to spare.
Speldhurst Cricket Club 