1st XI Broadstairs CC v Folkestone CC
Broadstairs lost the toss against Folkestone who elected to bowl in a match that had plenty of rain interruptions.
Fortune was not with the home side when Jack Wheeler was adjudged LBW early in the innings having scored a brisk 15. He was quickly followed by Chris Flint who was caught behind and the home team were 20-2. Jamie Dewell took the attack to Folkestone, finding a few boundaries but with the ball seaming around it was Alex Hogben who fell next to a second LBW, Jamie followed soon after, again LBW and Broadstairs were 55-4.
Chris Kidd joined Scott Narraway and they set about building a partnership, Kidd hitting the off spinner into the trees, but on reaching 21 he couldn’t decide which shot to play and ended up giving point an easy catch. Matt Hardy on his 1st team debut played well with Scott.
The bowlers were getting plenty out of the wicket so Scott went after anything wide. There were 2 or 3 rain interruptions and an early tea making it difficult for the batsmen to get into a rhythm, Scott managed to bring up his half century but was dismissed a few balls later to a good return catch by the bowler.
Harry Wise, Masoud Rangin and Ian Marshall were all dismissed quickly and a last wicket run out with Brad and Matt meant we had totalled 186 from 47.2 overs.
Because of the rain delays it meant we weren’t going to be able to bowl 50 overs, Folkestone had to go for it!
Andy Bray promoted to open the batting and get on with it, we knew we would get chances, we just had to bowl in the right areas. Unfortunately the bowling unit decided that length was the way to go, the only way it went was into and trees and nearby housing estates! Bray must have thought all his Christmases had come at once, he gave us a chance on 20 odd but the high catch was dropped and he went on to get 42 from 17 balls before finally offering another chance and Jack taking it.
61-1 inside 10 overs had got them off to a flyer, bowling changes didn’t work as we still bowled length and the batsmen were able to hit too many sixes. Chris Flint picked up the second wicket but at 84-2 and plenty of overs left we had to keep it tight.
Stuart Graham had other ideas and was enjoying the buffet, half volleys, full tosses, beamers, we bowled the lot! Graham saw them home with an unbeaten 53 with around 13 overs remaining, we picked up two more wickets but dropped a couple of catches that would have given us one more point.
Jamie came away with three wickets, the bowling unit knew they hadn’t done their job. Dropped catches, a missed stumping and poor fielding were the big difference between us and the opposition.
If we want to survive in this league we have to play to win, we need to be ruthless! The attitude within the team needs to change, from supporting the batsmen while they are in the middle, backing up the bowlers in the field, helping put stuff away after the game and then enjoying a beer.
If all 11 can come off that field at the end of the day knowing they have given 100% then we can take losing to a better side, but at the moment we’re only getting 50% and that will cost us!
2nd XI Folkestone CC v Broadstairs CC
Sometimes in sport it just happens to be your day and this was the case this week for 16 year-old Nathan Fox whose 5 wickets, combined with a run out and an unbeaten 139 contributed to a turnaround win for Broadstairs.
The fixture had not started well for the visitors who for the first 12 overs of their fielding innings were 2 players short. Despite losing a wicket in the first over when Malik was caught behind by Lee Hewitt off the bowling of Fox, Folkestone capitalised on the wide gaps in the field. They had raced to 115-1 by the 14th over when their overseas opener Kleinschmidt was dismissed by a sharp direct-hit run out by Fox at cover. This dismissal put the brakes on the hosts’ scoring although they still managed to reach 196 in the 30th over with no further loss of wickets. However, with Ingleston being caught behind in George Kidd’s first over, just after reaching his century, Folkestone’s batting all but ground to a halt and only a further 55 runs were added during the remaining 20 overs. The Folkestone innings finished on 251-9 with Fox (10-0-54-5) claiming the lion’s share, including a caught-and-bowled and Kidd (10-4-19-3) snatching the remaining 3 wickets with some finely controlled, economical bowling. Special mention to Lee Hewitt who took 4 catches behind the stumps. Whilst this represented a challenging target for the visitors, the damage looked like it could be far worse at one stage and a victory was still possible, albeit unlikely.
The reply got off to a shaky start with Lee and Lewis Hewitt both returning to the pavilion within the first 3 overs and with just 9 on the board. Tom Marshall joined Fox at the crease and showed some delightful stroke-play with a series of 3 fours before being dismissed by an exceptional one-handed diving catch by Evans at gully. Teenagers Kidd and Fox then carried-on from where they had left off with their bowling, gradually taking control of the situation and restoring some stability to the Broadstairs innings. Through some careful defence, energetic running and occasional power-hitting, they reached the drinks break with their 75-run partnership intact and Fox having passed the half-century milestone.
At this stage, they started to show more aggression against the spin bowling attack of Ingelston and Kleinschmidt and maintaned a scoring rate of around 6 an over. They pushed the score within hitting distance of the target with Fox and Kidd reaching their respective century and half-century milestones until eventually Kidd (70) was trapped LBW off the bowling of Evans with just 31 runs needed. Josh Marshall joined forces with the centurion to see the visitors over the line with 17 balls to spare and Fox finished with an unbeaten 139. This was his second century this season and the third time in four matches he has scored more than 90 runs.
Given the circumstances, this was an unexpected victory for Broadstairs from which the team can draw great encouragement. They will look forward to their meeting at home to Bickley Park next week, with the expectation that they will be able to field a full side from the start of the match.