2nd August v Ightham (H)
Well that wasn’t ideal. A strong 1st team vs bottom of the league, winning the toss and still getting comfortably beaten. Stop me if you’ve heard that story (or something very similar before)…
Putting them into bat, the returning wizard himself, Señor Michael Jeffreys opened up like he had never left. A superb testing opening spell that was rather unlucky to only pick up the one wicket despite beating the bat countless times, hitting their batsmen countless times and generally being rather good at bowling. Unfortunately Andy struggled to control the hooping he was getting, so I turned to Nash and after an initial wayward period, settled into a beautiful spell of bowling: taking 2 wickets, bowling 9 on the bounce and looking more and more threatening throughout. After MJ’s spell I turned to the other returning stalwart, Jo Price, coming off the short run (just inside the boundary rope), who also took a little adjustment period but then bowled pretty dangerously, fast and rather well for absolutely no luck whatsoever. Yours truly dropped a very catchable chance away to my right at slip, multiple edges over the slips and mistimed shots not landing near fielders left him looking rather disgruntled. Hanson then replaced him from the pavilion end, and after 2 overs of half trackers, bowled a very tasty spell, picking up 3 wickets and finding a very good rhythm. Alas throughout this, the run rate had sky rocketed due to some wayward bowling, appalling ground fielding, hefty blows from their batters, and some genuine bad luck. All of which meant they went from 81-3 off 20 to 229-8 off their 40, a pretty decent target on a pitch that offered a fair bit for the bowlers but was largely consistent.
Unfortunately for us, that was the better half in terms of performance, and the usual Speldhurst batting performance when we have a good side came to bear. The left handers of Hanson and Flemington providing the bulk of our resistance up top, along with Creef who smashed a few crushing boundaries early on, with the rest of us struggling to stay in for any period of time and almost to a man getting out to rather silly shots or decisions. Its quite telling yours truly was the only one not out caught, having stupidly missed a ball that jagged back in and being struck on the pads. The run rate was pretty good throughout the inninings, but we kept losing wickets and only a last wicket partnership of 32 between Siraj and Amir Deane saved us from an absolute massacre, losing by 50 runs in the end.
It was nice to see such a talented team watching from the sidelines too, at one point we had 9 previous 1st teamers watching us which always makes the captain feel warm and happy inside! Alas, onto this week where Cudham away waits for us, a crucial game for the rest of the season. Onwards and Upwards!
Scorecard: https://speldhurst.play-cricket.com/website/results/6698082
9th August v Cudham Wyse (A)
Well, we sure know how to collapse… another game at cudham, another game of questionable umpiring decisions and rapid scoring from them.
Having lost the toss we were delighted to be out into bat on a warm day. It was all going rather well with Happy slapping the ball to all places and Creef going along steadily, before happy decided to chop one onto his own stumps. Having joined creef at the crease, I was surprised to see him decide Happy had set a great example, proceeding to late cut a ball outside his leg stump onto leg stump… Ali Wood joined me at the crease, visions of his last innings (the brilliant unbeaten ton) flowing through his brain, and then promptly left having been bowled off his pads. Myself and Muddy tried to rebuild, with their umpire denying one very good lbw shout to Muddy as he attempted to showcase he was outside the line, by shuffling his feet across to outside the wide line… he was given not out thankfully, to the shock of most, including Muddy whose eyebrows shot upwards when the umpire revealed he thought it was going down leg, the only person on the ground who thought that.
Unfortunately he made up for that decision by giving me out LBW two overs later, to a ball that pitched half-way down the wicket, outside leg, hit me outside leg and was going over, but I’m not bitter about it at all. I’m especially not bitter about their captain, wicketkeeper slip and mid-off all coming up to me at the drinks break telling me that was a howler of a decision, then repeating that at tea too. Not bitter one bit… This collapse continued with Nash falling first ball, Blake also falling for a duck, and Muddy falling soon after, leaving us 86-7. Luckily the return of the Black Prince (named for his Bat) and our very own Bard put on a superb 97 run partnership steering us towards a competitive total. Ben fell for a very well made, beautiful 64, posing the eternal question: how can someone bat once a year in the league and average over 50… Benjamin Spokes, you cannot do that! Jo Price fell for a well made 38, adding a quickfire 20 run partnership with Omar, taking us to 203-7, maximum batting points and a truly sensational recovery.
The bowling started very very badly. They were 81-0 off 6… Taking the run rate from 5.1 to 3.6 in just 6 overs, with their opener making 55 off 27 deliveries, and the other opening positively dawdling at a paltry 27 off 15. Thankfully the introduction of speedster Shakespeare himself in a fiery spell lead to the breakthrough, a shortball fended off to yours truly at slip, that came faster than I’d ideally like but managed to cling onto it. In combination with the sometimes wily, sometimes not, spin of Ali Wood, Cudham preceded to do Cudham things, collapsing from 81-0 to 104-5 in the space of about 7 overs. Ali picking up 3 quick wickets, Jo with one more and the match swung back into our favour for the first time. However despite our best efforts, a stubborn partnership between their skipper and belligerent number 7 took the game away from us, with Happy finally tempting their skipper one too many times and slicing a lofted drive to Siraj, who held the catch!
Try as we might we couldn’t prize another wicket, and some lofty blows from their number 8 put the game to bed, and probably a fair result given the whole match. Frustrating batting performance from a great platform, questionable umpiring decisions and some incredibly aggressive clean batting from their openers was the difference. Loss by 4 wickets in the end, but a great fightback from the team at multiple points during the match.
Onwards and upwards, huge game vs Plaxtoll this week, likely very consequential for the relegation battle.
Scorecard: https://speldhurst.play-cricket.com/website/results/6698088
16th August v Plaxtol (H)
Well, we sure know how to collapse… no this isn’t a typo, copying the start from last week’s report. Speaking from personal experience this was genuinely the most stunning and impressive collapse I have ever seen. At least we keep finding new ways to amaze and impress!
Having been forfeited the toss, we chose to bowl on a dreary overcast and threatening day, and things went pretty well bowling first. The actual prodigal son had returned for his one game a year, and Booth bowler pretty solidly, finding his range early and looking dangerous without much reward. Hanson backing him up, also starting to find his rhythm, and despite much intent from their owners, the score crept along at only 3 and over before a break through from Hanson, knicked behind to Creef who had a very productive and good day behind the stumps.
We continued to pick up wickets at a steady rate, Nash getting into his rhythm and picking up 3 wickets in a solid spell of bowling, Omar picking up a much deserved wicket and consecutive weeks of solid spells, and Tom Plunkett bowling a superb spell of swing bowling to pick up 2 wickets for just 7 runs from his 5 overs. A well taken run out from Arthur Plunkett added to the stream of wickets, and had them shortly 85-8. Job done right? Unfortunately a 50 run 9th wicket partnership boosted Plaxtoll up to 130 odd, before Booth finally got his wicket LBW, shortly followed by Amir mopping up the innings. 135 all out, a great bowling performance.
Batting started well, whilst there was some tight bowling, anything loose Creef pounced on, including a big 6 over long on for the first runs off the bat. However, in attempting a repeat performance a few overs later, he ended up being caught at deep mid on by a fielder everyone was surprised had held onto the catch. Joining Hanson at the crease we made slow but steady progress, seeing off the openers who bowled 9 accurate but relatively unthreatening overs from each end and taking the score to 70 odd. I eventually fell missing a straight Yorker from the spinner, bringing flem to the crease who supported Hanson well. Some gorgeous cover and lifted off drives from the two lefties took us to within a sniff of victory,102 -2 and then it happened.
Hanson got a half tracker and smacked it straight to square leg, Arthur Plunkett joined Flem and then got somewhat BBQd by Flem on a run out. Nash came to the crease, fresh off a duck at Cudham Wyse, and promptly trudged back with another. Some murmurings of “surely not” crept through the Speldhurst benches. Booth joined Flem and after a (very) brief consolidation period, Flem got a rather good ball, inswinging Yorker bowling him after looking very very good out there. All of a sudden we are 7 down, but still 10 needed to win.
By now you can probably see where this is going, and yes it’s as tragic as you think it is. Unfortunately their young bowler produced the spell of the season, taking 5 wickets in under 5 overs for 10 runs, 4 of which were wides. Booth fell clothing a clip to midwicket, Amir got bowled by a good ball and young Tom Plunkett unfortunately was caught at cover, leaving him despondent and Plaxtoll were extremely kind to comfort him in his trudge off the field, falsely believing he had lost it for us. The fact it ever got to Tom, or any of the last 5 batters, was extremely poor from our batting line up and not a single one of them should ever feel like it was their job to finish their run chase, they had already done their job.
This left us with the most miraculous of wins/losses depending on what side you are on. Our last 7 wickets fell for 16 runs, but it should never have got to them in the first place. A huge credit to everyone in the field, a loss so bad you have to laugh or you’ll cry, and a real battle to stay up for the rest of the year with 3 matches to play, 2 of which against the top 2 in the league.
Whoops
Scorecard: https://speldhurst.play-cricket.com/website/results/6698091
23rd August v Kemsing (H)
The 1s arrived at the rec on Saturday with another strong-looking line up but fully aware that strength on paper had not counted for much in recent weeks. Our opponents Kemsing had trounced us by 10 wickets earlier in the season so we knew a really good performance would be needed.
Winning the toss it was an easy decision to bat first and, although nobody made 50, eight of the top nine made double figures. The most fluent innings came from Ben Spokes who timed the ball beautifully for 39 whilst the key partnership was probably that between Adam (27) and Blake (28) who added a patient 49 for the sixth wicket after we had lost three quick wickets mid innings. Blake hit the only six of the match – a huge sweep that went one bounce onto the bowling green – whilst Adam’s bat raise after avoiding three ducks in a row was much enjoyed. Some effective biffing in the last few overs from Muddy and Jo took us to 232-8 on a wicket that was offering assistance throughout so we were pleased with our score at tea.
Kemsing started brightly with a flurry of boundaries from their skipper but an (even) slower ball from Pat lured him into a top edge which went very high and was excellently pounced by Spokes at mid off despite the encroaching encouragement of Omar rushing from mid on.
Kemsing still managed to maintain a decent run rate for the first dozen overs but they needed to take risks and, after Mike Hanson, in another probing spell, had picked up their number three via an inside edge, the floodgates burst open. Tom Plunkett’s inswingers prised out three wickets in four balls – two caught at mid off by Pat and one smartly stumped by Ollie.
From then on we had the game under control and although their number five scored a handy 45 there was no real threat of them reaching their target. Adam picked up two wickets in a tidy seven-over spell which included a superb catch running in from deep square leg by Jo, inches from the turf in front of his own house. Jo also had the satisfaction of claiming the final wicket with a grunt slower ball, the fifth of the innings to be caught at mid on or off, after his opening spell had unluckily gone unrewarded.
Kemsing were all out for 174 and it had been a complete team performance with every player scoring double figures with the bat or picking up a wicket. The 20 points gained mean we need only nine more to ensure our place in the division. With the top two teams as our opponents however we can take nothing for granted.
Scorecard: https://speldhurst.play-cricket.com/website/results/6698095
Speldhurst Cricket Club 