Broadstairs travelled to bottom half of the table Sidcup at the weekend, hoping to bounce back after last week’s disappointment.
Matt Hardy won the toss on his captaincy debut and elected to bat. Alex Hogben and Nathan Fox opened-up and with two boundaries in the first over the seasiders were off to a flyer. Both batsmen were watchful and were quick to seize on the plenty of singles that were on offer as well as picking up boundaries from the bad balls. After ten overs we had reached 43 without loss, after twenty we had 81. Hogben picked up his fourth half century of the season the next over but fell straight after, top edging the leg spinner and giving an easy catch.
Bailey (13) came in at 3 and along with Fox pushed the score passed 100, but then Bailey fell for the leg spinner’s long hop and found the fielder at deep square leg. Jayojit (13) was in at 4 but Broadstairs were finding it difficult with the old soft ball, slow bowlers and inconsistent bounce of the wicket.
With 15 overs remaining, Jay was adjudged LBW, 146-3 and with wickets in hand it was time to try and push on. Nathan picked up his third half century of the season. He was eventually dismissed in the 39th over for a well-made 73. This was followed by a flurry of wickets as Broadstairs tried to get past 225. McLennan and George Kidd were both bowled for 7, Elliot Fox was caught for 10 and skipper Hardy fell for a run-a-ball 33 including the only 6 of the innings over the long-on boundary.
Harry Carter was run out for 6 and the two old boys, Kidd and Ellison finished 7* and 1* respectively; Broadstairs had totalled 229.
Brad and Harry shared the new ball and it was Carter who made the breakthrough in the eighth over, bowling Fogarty and in his next over trapping the number 3 LBW first ball. After 10 overs Sidcup were 28-2, Elliot and George came on second and third change and George bowled one of the spells of the season, beating the bat time and time again. He got his wicket in the fourth over, nicely taken by his dad Chris at first slip.
Chris then replaced Elliot and both Kidds had the Sidcup batsmen in all sorts of trouble. Chris getting his first with his 9th delivery and at the halfway stage Sidcup were 75-4. It was only a matter of time before Broadstairs put this game to bed, Chris with a couple of rare no balls, maybe overstretching in his excitement at bowling to the tail enders, picked up his second again clean bowled. George finished his superb spell (7-4-8-1) and McLennan struck in his first over, another batsman bowled.
Sidcup were 92-6 from 29 overs but Broadstairs had to wait until the 44th over before completing the victory. Chris Kidd (8-2-25-3) claimed his third bowled wicket of the day, Noah (7-1-18-2) then clean-bowled number 10 and Jay (3.2-0-10-2) picked up the final two wickets with Broadstairs closing-out the victory by 101 runs.
With other results going our way it leaves us joint second with a huge home game next week against Leeds and Broomfield and a change from Readers to Dukes balls.
229-9 (50) Nathan Fox 73, Alex Hogben 50, Matt Hardy 33
Sidcup 128 all out (43.2) Chris Kidd 3-25, Jayojit Basu 2-10, Noah McLennan 2-18, Harry Carter 2-25, George Kidd 1-8