Bidborough 1st XI (H)
13th May 2023
Versus Bidborough we forfeited the toss after a week of heavy rain, and unsurprisingly BCC stuck us in to bat. With some strong and consistent Bidborough bowling, as well as a tough pitch to bat on, they picked up regular wickets. Aside from a 50 run partnership from yours truly and a certain B Spokes, we weren’t able to gather a foothold in the match, and were swiftly dismissed for 90.
However all was not lost and with some dangerous bowling from Harry Dunmall, we had Bid two down in the opening overs, with a very very close lbw shout not going our way to get Dan Page out first ball. After the initial barrage their rebuilt well and with some loose bowling from us, managed to race their way to the total with only 1 more wicket lost.
Bearsted 1st XI (A)
20th May 2023
The next week we travelled to the idyllic Bearsted on a glorious summer day, and having won the toss took great delight in batting first on a good looking pitch. After some lusty early blows from Crees, wickets tumbled again and we soon found ourselves 5 down, with Andy Eames and Adam Nash at the crease. They dug deep, battled well and moved the scoreboard along, posting a 60 run partnership to push us just over double figures. A great knock from the pair of them and saving us from what looked like a potential humiliation.
Alas it wasnt to be, and we were eventually all out for 102, an improvement on last week at least! Opening up the bowling with charlie barkhan seemed to pay dividends, as he struck in his first over to a good catch from muddy. Siraj also owned up bowling well and economically but sadly no breakthrough. With one more wicket falling throughout their innings, well bowled by andy eames, through a mixture of large sixes and sensible batting bearsted cruised home to win by 8 wickets.
Not the start we had hoped for this year, but it was a beautiful day in a great setting, and the only way is up, so things aren’t too bad!
Farningham 1st XI (H)
27th May 2023
Some good news to report this week, with the 1s getting their campaign off the ground with a hefty victory vs newly promoted Farningham.
With a strong looking team, a glorious day and a good looking pitch, I fortunately won the toss and elected to bat. Crees and green got us off to a rapid start, aggression mixed with good shot selection meant we were 90 odd for 0 after the first 10 or so overs. However Pat’s tactic of charging each new bowler he faced finally came back to haunt him, being stumped off the handy off-spinner’s second ball for a well made 40 odd. This brought myself to the crease and sadly soon also back to the pavilion being bowled by their first change, with Roche similarly following me back to the pavilion leaving us 110 odd for 3.
Fitzgerald joined Crees at the creeaaaeese, and rebuilt well with patience but sweetly timed shots, with Olly reaching a well made 50 but sadly falling when well- set. This brought Muddy to the middle, and with Fitz they put on a very quick and important partnership, with Muddy eventually falling just short of 40 and the score in excess of 200. Fitz had batted superbly and after some incredibly clean hitting, including two large sixes over the pavilion and one which may have landed on the roof of a house at the bottom of the Rec, fell agonising short of a fabulous ton, on 94, caught on the boundary trying to clear it.
Beetle on debut made a quick 30 odd, and supported by the lower order, we managed to amass a very imposing total of 292, more than both our previous totals combined!
Opening our bowling with Dunmall and Fitz, it wasn’t quite the start we had hoped for and they had raced to 85-1 off the first 9 overs, with one calamitous run out being the only wicket to fall. This brought Beetle to the pavilion end, and producing one of the best spells of bowling on debut we have ever seen. In a game where 500 runs were scored, he ended up with figured of 9 overs, 1 maiden, 5 wickets, 24 runs.
Aside from one stubborn Farningham batter, who made a well made 50 with some clean striking, wickets did fall at regular intervals, though the rapid start Farningham got off to meant they were always in touch with the rate. We were never quite safe, but a good spell from Pat Green, the aforementioned Beetle, and wickets picked up by Utting, and the tail finished off by Dunmall, left their number three stranded on a well made 75 not out and Speldhurst the victor by 86 runs.
Hopefully one of many to come, and a top day all around
Speldhurst Cricket Club 