2s win at Marden

With Otford and then Bidborough having cried off in the week we travelled to Marden for a friendly game having collected the league points.
The forecast was not great but their club and pitch are magnificent.

As the match was not important Tim Croom actually won the toss and we chose to bat. The terrible Tims, Lush and Croom, opened the batting. The pair put on 73 for the first wicket, scoring at over 6 an over.

During a rain delay skipper Croom asked what score he was on and was told he had 46. When play resumed he shuffled in front of a straight one and was given out l.b.w. Clearly when play finished he would be expected to cough up for jug avoidance.

Richard Luxton came in and started cautiously but played some nice shots, gradually using his feet better. When on 23 he strode down the wicket and creamed a straight drive. Unfortunately the bowler took a remarkable catch above his head. Chris Filmer joined Lush and played nicely including several of his trade mark late cuts.

The last 10 overs yielded almost 100 runs. Lush finally departed for 74 to a very sharp stumping.
Filmer finished not out 36 and was joined by Barker who had a 2 ball cameo
The total was a very competitive 204 off 30 overs.

Ben Lush opened the bowling into a brisk wind. He started with a peach of a delivery and continued to bowl well throughout, with an impressive spell of 7-1-27-1.
Mike Redders Redman opened down the slope and with the breeze, possibly to make full use of his two pace run up. Despite his almost stationary approach to the wicket though he does generate some pace and keeper Savage soon retreated back from the stumps. Redders finished with parsimonious figures of 7-2-16-0.

John Haggert’s Sat Nav was clearly not working; earlier having had to be rescued from Marden village after failing to find the ground. The problem continued when he came onto bowl with him being unable to find the batsman’s half of the track. Redders, who was soon moved to deep backward square leg, found himself exceedingly busy. Fortunately for John’s modesty, size limits on these match reports mean we are unable to set out his bowling figures.
He was replaced by Yannick Oakland who bamboozled all with his looping spin and finished with 6-1-36-1

Simon Barker bowled the last over excitedly forgetting about his supposed shoulder injury and getting an edge caught behind. Barker’s fielding throughout had been excellent although he did forget which sport he was playing at one point pushing a sharp chance at point over the cross bar. On another occasion he swooped for the ball and launched an under arm throw at the stumps. Unfortunately the ball went vertically instead of horizontally and only just missed landing on his head after he lost track of its orbit.

Chris Filmer steadied the ship, bowling down the slope, also getting an edge caught behind. It transpired that he had to steady the ship as we gradually realised that the weaselly Welsh skipper had left us in all the lurch, sneaking off the field of play early without so much as a by your leave. It can only be hoped that he was on a promise (unlikely, as he is substantially punching above his weight) as frankly any other excuse is unacceptable. A vote of no confidence will surely follow.

Despite being left in the lurch by their lightweight leader Bearsted won by an impressive 56 runs.