2s seal promotion with 8 wicket win

REPORT BY DAN SKINNER

So you would presume that with a “must win” game at the end of the season Bearsted would pick their strongest XI.  Instead they foolishly dropped your much loved match reporter and picked a certain S Pearce in the team in his place.
West Farleigh were the visitors with the wicket looking good, but the outfield having taken a hammering at Music On The Green,
 
Regular readers are invited to take part in a poll as to who won the toss as follows:-
a) the useless Welsh skipper lost
b) The opposition won
c) why are you wasting our time with this, we all know the answer?
 
We found ourselves bowling.  
 
Jack Feehan (5-1-24-0) and Harry Slevin (4-1-12-1) opened the bowling and looked sharp. Slevin moved the ball in both directions and looked to have the opener plumb with one that moved back. It was not out but shortly afterwards a less convincing shout was given.
 
Chris Filmer (9-4-21-3) and Ian Gutteridge (9-4-19-3) were brought on and looked very sharp.  Keeper Pearce had to work hard with Filmer bowling more erratically than usual.  Unbiased supporters noticed the large number of byes and that was without the other two boundaries after he mised the ball
 
Filmer’s first wicket arose after Martin Daly who clearly can not catch for toffee (Editor’s note:  see Daly infra) dropped a sitter but Gutteridge took a surprisingly sharp one handed catch in the slips.  He also took two other chances including a great one off his own bowling (it’s all Me Me Me with Gutsy)
 
Gutteridge was bowling tightly and deserved his first wicket when Martin Daly charged in from mid on and took a stunning diving catch with the ball at ankle height.  (Editor’s note see Daly supra)
 
Daly also took another catch at midwicket but this was disallowed after the umpire decided it was a bump ball.  He was wrong.
 
The opposition no 3 looked unorthodox but decidedly dangerous.  Fortunately, after a missed sweep he called an ambitious single. Gutteridge using all his years of experience picked up the ball calmly threw it back to the bowler underarm. Unfortunately his many years of experience mean his arm is not what it once was.  The ball looped at a snail’s pace, somehow just beating the bat to Chris Filmer who sharply removed the bails.
 
Dave Latter (1.4-0-5-2) and Ben Lush (1-0-5-0) came on at the end to snatch the glory and we had bowled out the opposition for 99.
 
The undoubted highlight of the innings was a tremendous swoop in the covers by Simon “jk” Barker who picked up the ball with his left hand and then attempted a sharp run out.  To his credit the ball went straight towards the stumps.  Unfortunately it was not the stumps he was aiming at and he was approximately 22 yards off target with the ball looping up and nearly decapitating a team mate.
 
After an earlier than expected tea, which included the male model umpire nicking sandwiches off one player’s plate (snooze you lose Ben), Bearsted went out to bat full of confidence.  Skipper Croom was however in a generous mood deciding to cut the ball slowly into the arms of a grateful gully.
 
Dave Latter joined Tim Lush who looked in good form until falling foul of their sharp opener who having swung several deliveries away, cut one back in catching the batsman plumb in front.  Jack Feehan was umpiring but did not have a chance to raise his digit as Lush senior walked, heading back to the pavilion.
 
Chris Filmer came out at 4. Aware that he had a chance of topping the batting statistics for the season he promptly played for himself, scarcely playing an attacking shot.
 
Fortunately Latter was less worried about personal glory and knocked off an unbeaten 45, taking  us to an 8 wicket victory off only 21 overs.
 
Various talented players did not get a bat or bowl showing the strength in depth available to us. And the home umpire was mighty fine.