2s defeated by Hythe Green

With the league game cancelled after Southborough came down with COVID-19, a friendly was arranged against Hythe Green.

Negotiations over the fixture were extensive. But only to ensure that both sides could watch the football!
Seeing as how the opposition would have batted, and it was a friendly, it was no real surprise when Croom actually won the toss for once. And chose to bowl.

We only had 10 players for half of their 35 overs. Steve Pearce only able to travel down after work meant we had a gap in the field.

Slevin and Tom Mullins opened the bowling. They both bowled well. But in Emanuel Burns the opposition had a decidedly useful opening batsman. He was particularly destructive on anything short of a length.
The wicket was true but slow. The outfield was even slower. The other opener was Yin to his Yang, just nudging the ball and running very well. In fairly quick time they had put on a century stand.

Slevin finished with 7-0-25-0 and Mullins 7-1-39-0

They were replaced by Feehan (7-0-39-0) and Lush (5-0-43-0).

After the drinks break we were up to a full complement and the slower bowlers came on.

Wise promptly attacked Latter (5-0-38-1) and looped up a catch to Ben Lush at midwicket.
Emanuel Burns was moving smoothly towards a century when he ran himself out for 96. Lush running in and collecting a deflected ball before throwing down the stumps underarm.
Whybrow their No 3 was also a useful bat and hit a quick 51 before holing out to Slevin at long on off the bowling of Horrocks. It was a good catch but he had put two previous chances down.

Horrocks picked up two further wickets. One to a catch by Latter and the other a stumping by Skinner. Skinner’s glove work was better than he and many expected, conceding only 1 bye.

Our fielding had not been too bad although your match reporter, who is admittedly slightly obsessed with shining the ball, would like to have a rant about the number of times we rolled the ball back to the bowler across the surface.

Hythe’s total of 202 looked distinctly useful off 35 overs.

As it was a friendly, the skipper changed around the batting order.

Latter and Skinner opened up. The bowling attack tidy and the wicket still rather sticky.
Latter played too early on one and launched a leading edge into the sky. A rare failure for him this season.
Pearce came in at 3.

Skinner, a little daunted by the required run rate, launched an overly ambitious drive early on and was yorked.
Filmer came in next and looked tidy.

After some powerful boundaries Pearce launched a glorious straight drive. Mid-off dived and got a hand to it. It bounced back off his wrist and landed in his stomach as he rolled over. Not the cleanest catch but Pearce had to depart.

Tom Mullins came in but shuffled in front of his stumps second ball and was out l.b.w.
Skipper Croom came in next and kept Filmer company, in a stand of 99. They looked good. The home team did change their bowling around using several part timers but it was not easy pitch to score on. The outfield was in places as damp as … (Editor’s note. This metaphor was replaced by an ellipsis to prevent disciplinary proceedings being brought against the club)

Croom was eventually caught for 36 right on the midwicket boundary.

The target was pretty much out of reach but Hythe made sure by bringing back their better bowlers at the end.
Kev Mullins arrived at the wicket. He did not look totally at ease but played the shot of the innings. Picking up on a ball slightly short of a length he creamed it past a shocked midwicket and it raced to the boundary.

Filmer was going well, mixing up his shots before being given l.b.w. to one that looked like it might have been going over the top. A fine knock of 55.

Horrocks got into double figures before being caught.

Slevin looked good, including one glorious straight drive that landed 5 foot from the long boundary. Sadly that is exactly where it stopped and what definitely looked either a 4 or a 6 was just a single. After Slevin was caught, Feehan came in at the death.

We finished on 164. Well beaten by a good side who were a nice bunch of lads.
Next week we are away at Speldhurst in the league.

Jack Feehan won the week’s sartorial elegance with his patriotic shirt as he dashed off to the pub. It’s coming home.