3s v Otterden

After the planned opposition cried off, Bearsted 3s found themselves away at Otterden CC. Otterden is a small parish between Lenham and Faversham and the pitch is in the grounds of the imposing Otterden House. It is a 17th Century brick built mansion made famous by early experiments into electricity. Ian Gutteridge had played here before, indeed he recalls the house being built.
The pitch looked lovely but the wicket left a little to be desired. There was a heavy roller nearby but one had doubts as to how often it was used.
The oppo were a nice bunch. They had two very good cricketers and a mix of ages, more of that later.
Skinner won the toss (a brief interlude here, up to the heady heights of the 2nd XI, where skipper Croom has remarkably won 10 from 11 tosses) and asked Otterden to bat.
Jamie Baker opened up and started well. A clean bowled in his second over was a fine wicket maiden. He should have had another soon after when the ball was cut to gully. Skinner leapt dramatically, reaching to the skies above his head, trying to get his fingertips to the speeding ball. Unfortunately he had completely misjudged the pace of the ball which gently hit his arms.
Baker later slightly lost his rhythm when their hard hitting No 3 took the attack to him.
Max Patton opened at the other end and bowled with a good set of wheels. In his two spells he bowled 8 overs conceding 29 for 1 wicket.
Flynn Armstrong replaced Patton. He has good pace. The wicket however was slow and erratic and it later transpired that the technique was just pitch it on the spot and let things happen. The oppo found him hard to get away and he only conceded 18 runs off his 7 overs.
In Baker’s 6th over, Gutteridge volunteered to field at cow corner. He may have been regretting that when their big hitter launched one into the clouds. Guttsy clung onto it and managed to avoid staggering over the line afterwards. Next ball Tim Lush held onto one at mid on and Jamie was on a hat trick. His delivery thudded into their skipper’s pads and the close packed field screamed a confident appeal. Outrageously, and shamefully, the home umpire did not give it out. Admittedly it was going miles down leg and was far too high, but all the same.
Rob Maughan replaced Baker. He has a lovely action and gets good revolutions on the ball. He just needs to work a little on his consistency. His first two overs were a maiden and wicket maiden though. The wicket came from an excellent catch by young Patton in the covers. Our secondary modern star made it look very easy, running ten yards to his right and getting both hands safely on it.
Guttsy was next on and the pitch suited his style of bowling. He only conceded 8 off his 4 overs and clean bowled one of their form batsmen. He finished with 4-1-8-1
Tim Lush, after reminding the skipper that he was the Treasurer and responsible for paying back Skinner when he stocks up the beer fridge, was suddenly brought onto bowl.
His first over, against their very good skipper, contained 5 excellent deliveries. Of course it was the rank leg side full toss that got the important wicket, when a top edge was well held by Armstrong. Lush having started with a wicket maiden and quickly checking his bowling average online pleaded to be taken off. His figures were though 3-1-11-1.
Their later batsmen scored well though, despite it being very hard to hit a four with a spongey outfield.
Tim Lush calmly threw down the stumps after a slightly suicidal single was taken to him. Petty kept well in tricky circumstances.
Low point of the fielding was a completely unnecessary dive by Nigel Baker in the gully with the ball trickling slowly to his left, after he was worried he might not otherwise appear in the match report. One for the cameras.
After a short tea, Lush and Petty opened up. The opposition did not bowl many bad deliveries and it was hard to get away.
Lush had looked solid but was done by the first ball from their first change bowler. Unexpected pace and some swing took the top of the bails.
Nigel Baker was in at three. Petty was soon caught out for a decent 17.
James Tank was in at 4 but unfortunately could not match his scoring exploits from his last innings. Flynn Armstrong was in at 5. He clearly has a good eye and hits the ball well but on a pitch with unpredictable bounce needs to limit his shots across the line. He was caught by their skipper for 14.
The skipper had in fact travelled back from Devon where he now lives. He bowled very well. Joe Salsbury entertained the crowd and hit a good boundary. Rob Maughan was caught without scoring.
Baker was out lbw for 29, our top score.
Captain Skinner was in next. He looked in good form including sweeping one glorious boundary. However he was out for 7 when he was a little early on straight drive to mid off. The bowler took a genuinely good catch diving to his left and getting two hands on the ball. This seemed to create great mirth amongst the Bearsted team. It may have been connected to the fact that the bowler turns 81 in August. The captain was very disappointed by the abuse he was receiving as he is a kind and considerate leader and never ever takes the mickey out of his teammates.
Patton looked good for 4 but missed a straight one.
Guttsy hit some lovely shots but was last out bowled for 13.
Jamie Baker was unbeaten on 1. We were all out for 116

PS Can whoever posts this for me on the website please leave out the bit about how I got out. I don’t want any more focus on me being dismissed by an octogenarian. Thanks. Dan