2s go top against Cudham

REPORT BY DAN SKINNER

Bearsted travelled to Cudham having picked from a strong squad. Selection was again controversial with one glaring omission but at least they were accompanied by a dashingly handsome umpire. The large pitch in Cudham looked in good nick and the weather apparently nice. It would deteriorate later and the wind was chilly at the top of the Downs.

Skipper Croom reverted to type and again lost the toss. We were asked to bat.

It was a strong line up; the sight of Tim Croom, Tim Lush and Dave Latter at the top of the order, all on the back of big scores last week, inspired great confidence. After 6 overs, with the score 8-3, and all three of them back in the pavilion, our confidence was perhaps not as high.

Cudham had opened the bowling with a tall 15 year old who extracted bounce and bowled a great line. Movement off the seam accounted for Lush caught behind and Latter followed him in similar vein. Skipper Croom facing his nemesis, slow bowling, smeared a short ball into the covers where the fielder somehow held onto the ball whilst falling over.

Simon Barker and Martin Daly struggled initially with Barker being dropped on several occasions. Daly got 18 with the score now 57-4. Alex Lush came into join Barker and looked to show off his classical technique along with a positively unhealthy desire to run quick singles, something he learnt at university. Barker gradually got his eye in and hit some punishing shots including two huge sixes over long on. Lush hit some glorious straight drives including one that almost rearranged the model like looks of the Bearsted umpire.

The scoring rate increased before Barker departed for a 69. Lush junior was then joined by the unfeasibly cheery John Haggart who hit 33 undefeated. Lush scored a fine 62 and we ended up with a surprisingly good total of 209.

Another fine tea was taken before Jack Feehan opened the bowling up the hill and into the wind. It would seem he had been told by the senior professionals this was the right end for him. He had no joy with his first spell and not surprisingly did much better in his second spell coming down the slope

Our own 15 year old tyrant Harry Slevin (8-1-29-0) opened the bowling from the other end. There was a short delay as he had been confused by the skipper’s instruction that he (Harry) would be bowling the 2nd over. It would seem these Judd grammar school boys are not quite as sharp as we believed.

Cudham started slowly and we put down two difficult chances. Thereafter we suddenly started holding onto our chances, including two for Haggart. Alex Lush came on and bowled well ending with figures of 9-2-25-4. Ben Lush bowled from the other end. His first three overs were a load of short pitched tripe as he tried to bowl too fast. Once he started pitching the ball up he returned to his normal natural action swinging the ball and looked very dangerous, finishing with figures of 9-1-28-2.

Dave Latter (5-1-8-2) bowled well giving away absolutely nothing. He’d make a rubbish Father Christmas.

One highlight of the innings included keeper Simon Barker diving down the leg side and getting a glove on the ball appealing loudly and excitedly for the catch. Unfortunately as he landed on his elbow the ball popped out of his glove. Even more unfortunately the batsman had clearly not hit the ball anyway.

Near the end of their innings the Cudham batsman risked a quick single after a push into the offside. As the ball headed towards Alex Lush the non striker sent his partner back with the memorable words “no, he’s got a good arm”. Lush swooped in, picked up the ball cleanly and threw down the one stump that he could see. The returning batsman was a good two yards out. Unfortunately the Cudham square leg umpire was “elsewhere” and gazing intently at the ground in front of his toes. He had not seen any of it and had to give the batsman not out. To be fair he immediately apologised and it made no difference to the result. Cudham were bowled out for 135