23/05/2004 v Kent University

lost

A 40 over match was chosen and we were taking up fielding duties first. With a lack of a specialist wicketkeeper Richard took up the gloves and Ajay, Tim Mc’s friend taking up the opening bowling with support from Ant.

Things started slowly for us though with both Ajay and Ant struggling for line and length and Kent Uni’s openers were patient enough to wait for anything wide (that they could reach). Ant was unlucky when a dollied up c&b eluded him leaving the batsman counting his lucky stars.

After 10 overs the score had raced on to 60 but a changed of bowling saw Neal and Stuart take over and things tightened up a great deal. Neal struck first knocking out the opener’s middle stump. A little later the Cooper twins combined with Mark taking a fine catch round his knees after first smothering the ball with his chest off Stuarts bowling. With Neal following this up by taking the next lbw it was quite apparent that we had started now on KU’s tail!

Richard passed on the gloves to Tim Mc and he and Adam then took up the mantle and a flurry of wickets began to fall with Adam and Rich bowling one each, Adam finally got the other opener when Neal took a catch at a shortish mid off. Another chance was put down by Pete this time who missed an even easier one than Anthony’s despite having four or five attempts at hanging on. However two more fell quickly with Adam bowling another and Richard getting an lbw.

The last few batsmen though offered a little resistance putting on an extra 35 runs till Richard claimed another lb and the final one fell when he managed to get a hand to a straight drive and the Batsmen was left stranded for a run out. This left KU on 164 and left us rueing the input of one Mr Extras who chipped in with 42!

The turnaround saw Neal and Tim F open for us. And as it could have been predicted KU seemed to have a team of predominately bowlers. Including two very lively openers. One of which accounted for Neal in the Sixth over.

Ant joined Tim and both were playing well till Tim succumbed to a good ball losing his off stump. Tim Mc followed and it wasn’t long before the 50 was achieved and things were looking good.

However disaster struck with Ant chancing a quick single with a hefty drive to mid off which was gathered and thrown for a direct hit in one movement for an excellent piece of work.

Mark was the next in and looked to be seeing it well despite his reluctance but was left cursing himself (and his dickey tummy) when he top edged one down the leg side. This seemed to be the lay of the land as no one really got themselves settled and partnerships were non existent. Tim Mc was the next to go clipping one to the wickie - when asked what had happened Tim quite philosophically stated - ‘Sh*tness over took me and I became Sh*t’ which pretty much summed things up.

Stu and Pete had similar brief cameo’s Stu playing a bad shot and losing his middle stump and Pete falling lb to a ball going down leg (in his opinion) but to be fair the Umpiring at this point almost reached farcical proportions with Richard almost being given out to a ball that hit his back leg a mile away from the stumps and before anyone had appealed! It was inevitable that he would eventually be given out lb despite his enormous step forward.

This left Adam with the task of scoring 16 off the last three overs but with a lack of support with Ajay dancing down the wicket on his second ball to be stumped and Johnny S being given out inexplicably for a catch first - later changed to another lb it was never meant to be.