Category: Cricket

Speldhurst 127 in 37.3 overs (Ben Harrison 46, Pieto Swart 9-0-29-2, Nolan Wilde 9-0-31-3, Tim Thirkell 9-0-24-2) lost to Linton Park 128-3 in 32.1 overs (Richard Piper 39, Henry Bourdillon 32*) by 7 wickets.

Put into bat on wicket that had been baked all week, but hit by the Friday mass downpour as mentioned by me in the Canterbury Kent post, we struggled to 127 all out with the main innings comming from skipper Ben Harrison 46, both Flemington, James and Mark made into the 20’s, but the slow outfield and accurate bowling restricted us.

In reply with no wicketkeeper, this reduced our bowling attack and the vistors Linton Park eased to victory by 7 wickets.

My cricket season seems to be going into a downward spiral as I get the only ball to spin and was bowled for a golden duck. I know how Ravi Bopara must have felt in test cricket. ?

Penshurst Park 201-9 in 40 overs (Simon Leegood 51, Nicholas Scott 51, Ben Harrison 9-2-33-4, Nick Coffin 8-1-28-2) beat Speldhurst 29 in 14 overs (Dave Smith 6-1-14-4, 6-2-6-3) by 172 runs.

10-man 2s were very much looking forward to their trip to sunny Penshurst on Saturday; unfortunately, the cricketing gods didn’t support their optimism. Winning the toss and bowling looked like a good decision when PPCC’s dangerous top four were sent packing for 40 runs between them wih Ben Harrison bowling a top spell and finishing with 4-33. The middle overs belonged to the home team however, and a couple of 50s put the bowlers on the back foot. In the end, tight spells from the returning Peter Colman, Nick Coffin and young Sam Harman stifled what could have got out of hand.

Needing 202 to win from 40 overs, we never looked comfortable in the face of two opening bowlers swinging the ball prodigiously both ways. In the end, we succumbed, and… quickly! As statisticians were scurrying to find our lowest ever score (we think it was 4 v Rusthall in 1902!), we subsided to 29 all out in just 14 overs, with Nick Fowler’s 12 making up a substantial portion!

I was bowled for an eight ball duck by one of the best balls I have recieved in 40 plus years of cricket that I have played.

I think this is one of the prettiest grounds that I have played on in Kent with Penshurst house in the back ground.

Week 62 – May 17th – Week 1 of lockdown easing phase 3 May 22nd 19:00

Speldhurst 136-7 in 30 overs (James Roche 69, Zeeshan Toor 7-0-42-2, Richard Dawes 7-3-9-2, Dinesh Patel 6-0-29-2) lost to Pembury 138-2 in 28.1 overs (Andrew Dawes 45, Neil Mobbs 68*) by 8 wickets.

In another match that was reduced to 30 overs, another fine knock by James Roche held Speldhurt together to post 136-7. with the only real support from James Flemington (22)

I got out to bat, but didn’t face a ball, so was 0 not out.

Just after Pembury chase started, there was a big shower, that made it not possible for the quick bowlers to bowl and through openers Andrew Dawes (45) and (Neil Mobbs 68*), Pembury eased to an 8 wicket victory.

Bearsted 206-7 in 35 overs (T Croom 56, L O’Brien 38, B Harrison 8-2-43-2, N Coffin 8-1-29-2) beat Speldhurst 188-8 in 35 overs (J Roche 80*, S Horrocks 8-2-18-3, D Latter 5-0-41-2) by 18 runs

Today I made my debut for Speldhurst cricket club and met up with Nick Coffin for the first time in many a year.

We won the toss and fielded in a 35 over reduced match. Overall we fielded and bowled well, but Bearsted got 206-7.

I have to admit I saw one of the best pieces of fielding by the skipper Ben Harrison, with an amazing stop on the boundary and then throwing for a direct run out. Ben and Nick picked up two wickets each.

In reply James Roche played a delightful innings of 80* and with a good knock by Nick Fowler (24), it looked like we might make it, but at the fall of his wicket, we couldn’t support James.

I was out for a duck caught in the covers, hopefully it will get better for me.