2s collapse against Outwood

After last week’s washout, Bearsted welcomed league leaders Outwood to the Green. Oddly last season, when both teams had been promoted they had not actually played each other.

The track looked a little greener than usual but played well. Skipper Croom lost the toss, as is the norm and we were asked to bat.

The opposition had a blend of youth and experience as was all the more apparent when it transpired there was an age gap of 51 years between their opening bowlers.

The terrible Tims opened the batting as usual. Lush scoring one nice early boundary before chopping a bottom edge onto his stumps.

The loss of the early wicket brought Simon Barker to the fore. Surely it was time to steady the ship?
One dramatic over did for us. Croom tried to turn a ball to leg, got a big leading edge that looped up to midwicket. Barker drove a full toss to one of their young fielders who took a fine catch. Haggert played down the wrong line and a triple wicket maiden meant that the ship was not so much steady but heading at great speed to Davey Jones’ locker.

Things did not get much better. Steve Pearce did not get to the pitch of the ball and skied one to extra cover. Gutsy left a large gap between bad and pad and was bowled. His later claim that the bowler had been dispatching fast leg breaks was met with some incredulity by your match reporter who was umpiring. Gutsy perhaps needs to lay off the magic mushrooms before the game.

Jack Feehan followed Haaggert in playing down the wrong line.

Only Steve Horrocks looked interested in hanging around. He was ably supported by Harry Slevin who showed some great technique scoring a fine 11. Ben Lush also batted well scoring an unbeaten 17 with some fine blows.
Horrocks finally went back to a full that was a little too full to pull and departed for an excellent 40.

That brought Savage to the wicket. He entertained with his interesting technique. The highlight of our innings was surely the six which he whipped from off stump over the midwicket boundary. Ranjitsinhji himself would have been proud of that shot. Sadly he then was caught out and we were all out for a rather paltry 120.

The Outwood opener, aged 67, had bowled 7 overs and taken 6 wickets for 10 runs. That included two fairly easy chances that were put down at long on.

After a fine tea Bearsted looked a little down hearted but some excellent bowling from Slevin and Feehan lifted the spirits.

Feehan thought he had the opener caught behind but the not out decision seemed to make him bowl even better and he soon had the batsman clean bowled when he went back to a good ball.

Lexicologists amongst our readers will be interested to note that the Oxford English Dictionary has formally changed its definition of “unplayable” to “Harry Slevin’s ball to dismiss the Outwood opener on 15 June 2019”. Having prodigiously swing the ball away from the right handers he then swung one in. The ball pitched on middle and leg, hit the seam and clipped the top of middle stump. It was a ball that will live long in the memory of the aged umpire.

Suddenly spirits were lifted and there was a vague glimmer of hope.

However Outwood have not won all of their games by chance. Again their blend of youth and experience came to the fore. Their powerful young 3 was smart enough to wait for the bad balls and despatch them with some considerable aplomb. Early in his innings he did play one delivery into the ground and it span back towards his stumps. He knocked it away with his free hand. It seems that most of the Bearsted team do now know the laws and those who did felt it inappropriate to appeal. He would have been out if they had.

Keeper Savage had changed his boots for ones made of concrete and Byes were racking up, as was their total.
Ben Lush pulled a fetlock after his second delivery and if there had been a vet present would have been in danger of being despatched with a bullet behind a green canvas screen.
Steve Horrocks and Gutteridge had short spells. Steve Pearce though was the pick of the rest. He bowled well and took two for 18 runs but our total was never enough and we lost quickly by 6 wickets.