2s beat Bidborough

After some Saturday morning selection reshuffling Bearsted 2s travelled to Bidborough 3s, playing at Plaxtol, with a relatively youthful side. It has been a real pleasure to see so many new faces coming through from the youth section this season.

Somewhat remarkably, Croom won the toss. As this was a “bonus game”, where only batting and bowling points count, he chose to bat.
Croom and Filmer opened the batting. The pitch had either had a good watering or heavy rainfall and was sticky. It meant the bounce was inconsistent and the batsman struggled with their timing.
Croom indeed mistimed a short delivery and looped up a catch for 5.

Barker was in next. He also struggled to time the ball but his power means the ball still travels a distance. Balls were looping up and landing between fielders. The opposition also had a lot of youngsters and some seemed a little reluctant to attack possible catches on the boundary.

The pair put on 132 in good time. Filmer was eventually caught for 29.
Matt Adamson was in at 4. He looks a good cricketer and played some technically correct shots for a good 22 before holing out.

Barker continued to score well and reached a fine century. It was only then, perhaps with the wicket drying out, that he started to time the ball. One flick to leg and a huge straight drive will live in the memory.

Pearce was in at 5. Probably not what the opposition wanted to see with 220 on the board. He was though restrained, generally keeping the ball on the ground in the style of Bradman. Barker did finally get caught for an outstanding 122 on a hot day.
Euan Coveney came in for a brief knock of 9.

James West was in at 6. He has the potential to be a genuine all rounder. He was undefeated on 26 at the end of the innings.

Pearce was also unbeaten, on 67. He never really seemed to extend himself but perhaps that is because his fine technique and power make it all look rather easy.

We finished on 338 for 4. The dodgy generous umpiring by Skinner allowed several balls that should have been wides to go through unpunished, including one in the last over. It transpires the club record score is 338 and should have been beaten if he had not been such a softie.

The opposition’s keeper was only 12 but looked very tidy with his glovework.

After tea we opened with Dampier and West. Bidborough had a contrasting pair of openers. One very good bat, Moore, who played his shots. The other was shall we say obdurate, blocking anything straight and leaving anything wide. Moore reached his 50 with 65 on the board.
The pair put on a century opening partnership and we were struggling to get a wicket.
The youngsters in our side fielded well. Joe Salisbury chased many balls all the way to the fence.
Damps ended with figures of 9-1-48-0
West, in two spells, bowled well getting 9-3-24-1

Pearce replaced West and could not be criticised for his effort. He was unlucky not to get a wicket
Eventually the other opener started playing some shots, possibly goaded by a very silly mid off in front of him.
Matt Adamson, who had replaced Damps, clean bowled him for 64. Adamson bowled really well in his spell getting movement off the seam at a decent pace.

With the game over as a contest, we needed wickets for bowling points.

Euan Coveney came on at the end. He needs to have more belief in himself. He bowled excellently. He took 4 wickets including clean bowling the very good opener who departed for 86. His final figures were 4–0-13-4 (and he had a sitter dropped at mid off).

We conceded only 22 extras and Barker kept well behind the stumps.
The opposition finished on 196 for 6. And someone presumably then calculated how many bonus points each side got.
We had a swift pint with the friendly opposition in the very pleasant Kentish Rifleman, in the middle of nowhere