West Farleigh vs Bearsted National Village Cup round of 32

The defence begins. Kent National Village Cup winners in 2020, first game a repeat of the prior season away to West Farleigh albeit this time in conditions similar to those found on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, just without the polar bears lurking around. Although Bearsted had a few of their own polar bears in the locker, with the Luxton brothers debuting together in a senior match for the first time, with Sam playing his first game for the NVC team.

The game started with beanies on and PCJ losing the toss, Bearsted put into bat first by the West Farleigh skipper. Noel Johnston and Christian Roberts to open up the batting after some quick-fire partnerships in the 2020 cup winning season, the cold onlooking members were hoping for more of the same fireworks. That they got in sort as Christian came out playing his shots with a few stunning on drives to get up and running. The scoreboard was ticking over nicely until C. Roberts had a lapse in judgement leaving a rather straight ball that crashed into his off stump, back in the hutch for 14 off 14 balls. In came the skip at Number 3 and from the off looked at playing his shots with a few aerial fortunes early on before settling down and creaming them along the carpet as the boundaries started to flurry. N. Johnston at the other end did what he does best and kept rotating the strike and putting the bad balls away. PCJ brought up his fifty with a lovely shot through backward point, which received a joyful yet quiet applause as the members were fearful of removing any warmth from their hands. PCJ then skittled along to 70 before a rather hazardous slide coming back for a 2nd left him short of the crease and out for 70 off 51 balls. To PCJ’s joy that was also the last ball before drinks, which left Bearsted in a good position at 138-2 at the halfway stage with N. Johnston on a commanding 41*.

In to join N. Johnston at the crease from number 4 came a rather chilly C. Luxton, not best pleased with the conditions as he shivered out in many a jumper. Johnston and Luxton then kept the scoreboard ticking along at a rate of over 6 an over as N. Johnston brought up his half century to go with an unbeaten hundred the day before. Safe to say Johnston did not fancy an average for 2021 at this stage. The partnership then blossomed between the two, with the run rate increasing before they increased the pressure further with a flurry of boundaries as Bearsted entered the final 10 overs. C. Luxton chose the more Dre Russ ariel route with N. Johnston hitting it all along the carpet like an in-form Marcus Trescothick. Then in over 35 N. Johnston brought up his ton with a crunching drive through cover (just missing the outfielder also known as big chunky tree) to take BCC to 246-2 with 4 overs to go. 3 centuries in 3 innings and N. Johnston is starting to hear the call up to an unsettled England top order.

N. Johnston then parted way for a brilliantly made 103 off 114 balls, to bring M. Henslow to the crease with 4 overs to go and Bearsted looking to pile on the runs. That they did, as C. Luxton brought up his fifty with a leg glance down to fine leg for 4 before then deciding to send the bowler back over his head Royal Mail 1st Class Dispatched into the farmers field a few times. M. Henslow came in and rotated the strike nicely with a couple of hefty blows down the ground to finish on 10 off 6 balls and C. Luxton at the other end with a classy made 79 off 60 balls. Bearsted went into the halfway stage at 294-3 off their 40 overs with West Farleigh requiring 295 to win off 40 overs at a run rate of 7.38.

Bearsted opened up the bowling with S. Benjamin up the hill and C. Luxton down the hill in a blisteringly cold outfield, with most fielders having more layers on than their 2021 average. S. Benjamin bowled a brilliant 8 overs on the trot only going for 16 runs whilst C. Luxton picked up a couple of scalps to finish 6 overs 2-18. The openers put the pressure on leaving the required run rate pressing up to nearly 10 before W. Terry and S. Luxton replaced each opener. W. Terry bowling stump to stump, with the odd wide / full toss, and S. Luxton looking sharp. After being hit for a boundary back down the ground S. Luxton then proceeded to bowl an anger ball, which cleaned up the batsman’s middle stump and sent him back to the pav with West Farleigh 71-3 off 20 overs, needing 224 off the final 20 overs. With the run rate climbing the skipper brought on C. Roberts to bowl some spin from one end and M. Henslow with some left arm seam. Between them they then proceeded to work their way through the middle / lower order with S. Luxton taking a very well-judged high catch off the bowling of C. Roberts and M. Henslow not requiring many fielders with 2 peaches clean bowled as they nipped back into the right-handed batsman, a caught and bowled and a snick behind to leave M. Henslow with brilliant figures of 4 overs 4-5 and C. Roberts at the other end with 4 overs 1-16. With 1 wicket to go the skipper brought on DC to bowl some of his magic deliveries and he cleaned up the tail in 1 ball leaving his figures 0.1 overs 1-0 as Bearsted finished the job in the 33rd over leaving West Farleigh all out for 143 and a commanding 151 run victory to start off the defence of the Kent National Village Cup in 2021.