2s win at Eynsford

Bearsted 2s were away at Eynsford in the League. Their ground has a picturesque and riparian feel to it.
A strong team was picked and we also had our trusty scorer and umpire.

Skipper Croom looked at the pitch and the sunshine (remember that yellow thing in the sky?) and announced he fancied batting first. It was no surprise therefore when shortly afterwards he asked Steve Benjamin to open the bowling.

We only had 10 to start with as Haggart was struggling with the journey from West London and his usual heavy Friday night.

Slevin opened the bowling from the other end. His first over was interesting to say the least. His natural away swing meant the ball moving back into the left handed bat. With his second he had a decent shout for lbw turned down by the umpire. With the next ball he again swung one into the batsman’s pads. It was going onto to hit middle and leg. He turned and looked imploringly at the umpire who could not say anything without an appeal. He then whispered an apologetic “how’s that?” and was heard only by the other batsman and the umpire. The finger of doom was raised. The batsman was a little outraged unsurprisingly, as he was not aware they had been an appeal. But out he was.

Slevin then followed that conceding a boundary and three wides.

Benjamin, as ever bowled well, mixing away swing and in cutters at a decent pace. He finished with good figures of 9-2-29-2 his wickets coming courtesy of a very sharp catch by Latter in the gully and one behind the wicket by Barker.

Barker kept well but did pop one up that then defeated Lush at first slip.

Andy Dampier replaced Slevin and bowled his 9 overs unchanged conceding only 16 runs. He took a deserved wicket with his final delivery, bowling the batsman off his pads.

Latter bowled well but conceded 53 runs off his 8 overs and bowled too many wides. He was unlucky when Damps failed to pick up the flight of the ball at long on and allowed it bounce a few yards in front of him. And then missed it, allowing it to go through for a boundary.

He did contribute to the run out of the opposition’s best batsman for 74, collecting the ball smoothly and taking the bails off after a misfield and then sharp throw by Ben Lush.

Lush himself bowled very well in difficult circumstances with the opposition seeking to hit out. He took 3 wickets for 33 runs off his 7 overs. Young Lou French dropped a chance off him at midwicket. But the ball had gone so high it was causing chaos for the Gatwick air traffic control. Barker and Benjamin took good catches.

The opposition finished on 170 off their 40 overs. With only 2 batsman in double figures extras were comfortably the third highest scorer.

Croom and Latter opened the batting on the good track. Croom started well but failed to give his all to a drive and chipped a catch to mid on for 22.

Tim Lush was back in the team and came in at 3. He stretched for a wide ball only to glance it to a fine catch by a wide slip.

Chris Filmer supported Latter well reaching 30 before missing a straight one and being given out l.b.w for 30.
Barker was next in but soon got a fine edge to the keeper for 4. It was good to see him walking off without waiting for a decision.

We were up with the run rate but a few quick wickets could have thrown a spanner in the works. Steve Benjamin strode out next with a dinner date booked back in Bearsted. He wanted to get away and there was certainly no dilly dallying as he hit his way to 25 not out.

Latter finished not out on 81 and we won by 6 wickets in the 39th over.