After last week’s chastening defeat, a much changed side headed to Tonbridge, where Farningham’s second pitch is now based.
Despite various people being unavailable, we still had a good side out. As did the Mightier 4s, who were actually turning people down on Friday.
The ground is a Council pitch, and it showed. It had clearly not drained well over the winter and had not been watered recently.
The weather was hotter than a sheep-shearer’s armpit
Skinner called tails and looked nervously as the coin rolled away some distance. Fortunately it was indeed Tails.
With the threats of Damps, who wasn’t even playing, ringing in his ears, the captain said we would bat.
After a slightly late start, which suited Salter who strolled in casually just after one o’clock, we opened with Norton and Tim Lush.
The bowling attack was decent, if not outstanding. The pitch played as badly as we feared, with very inconsistent bounce and pace.
Norton fell first. It was a very good ball but a slightly airy shot. Out for 1.
Nigel Baker came in at 3. He soon misjudged the length of a full toss which meant he was bowled playing an ugly shot across the line and had gone for five.
Olly Patton was next in to try and take on the attack, and the wicket. He played a back foot defensive but had misjudged the line and was clean bowled for a rare duck.
We were 23 for 3. Arguably none of the wickets had been caused by the track, but it was really not easy to bat. At that stage, your match reporter thought that if we could get to three figures, we would have a chance of defending it.
Dave Patton was in to join Lush. At times it was more like an MMA bout with both of them receiving several blows to the body. Patton at one point, threw his bat to the ground in disgust.
The weather made it an even less pleasant experience for them, but somehow they survived and then prospered. Farningham were perhaps one bowler short. 23 byes also showed how inconsistent the bounce was.
Having two drinks breaks helped slightly and the pair accumulated runs.
One fierce drive from Patton was put down by the bowler, who then had to sit out about ten overs, nursing a sore thumb.
Our esteemed Chairman starting hitting the ball harder and harder, and soon reached his 50.
Lush was a little more circumspect but played some lovely shots when given the chance. He got his half century.
At one of the drinks breaks, the umpire commented to the supporters, “Dave is really not happy with the wicket”. The reply, which came from someone who knows him better than any, was “Oh, just ignore him, he’s always grumpy”.
The pair carried on through the heat and the madness of the pitch.
Near the end Patton was the beneficiary of two easy drops but he had already made his maiden century.
Lush finished on 66, Patton on 129. A truly remarkable unbeaten partnership of 233.
We were 256 for 3.
We all ran for shade and some fluids.
257 seemed a huge total to defend. Perhaps not so, after the first three balls of the Farningham innings went for boundaries. Admittedly Charitha had bowled the first two as friendly full tosses. He soon got his range though and his five overs only went 18 runs in total.
The opening bat did look dangerous but Peter Trott did for him with his beautiful inswing. His figures of 5-1-1-8 were very impressive.
The second wicket came courtesy of a bit of rubbish fielding by Salter. He let the ball through at mid off. One batsman attempted the resulting single, the other didn’t. Nathan recovered the ball and a good throw led to the run out.
Oscar Hollis replaced Charitha and Keagan Luke came on for Trott. Both bowled well and let the wicket do its worst.
Dave Patton, not satisfied with just smashing runs, took a catch off both of them in the gully. The best catch though was by Nigel Baker at midwicket who reacted sharply and moved smartly to get two hands on a running catch off Luke. Keagan also got a clean bowled with a Jaffa. In his 5 overs he bowled two maidens and took three wickets for just three runs.
Hollis also got a clean bowled and his figures were 5-0-2-16
Olly Patton bowled next from the Pavilion End. Once he found his line outside off stump, he was almost unplayable.
Nathan was on from the far end and started with a clean bowled. He generated decent pace. One full pitch delivery flew several feet over the keeper’s head. Rather cruelly recorded as byes. Salter took 1 for 11 from his three overs.
Patton got two wickets, including their number 11 who looked probably their best bat. 2 for 6 for Patton from his 3.5 overs
We had bowled them out for 69, in almost 27 overs.
Huge Thanks to Jez Trott who scored impeccably for the whole game in baking heat.
A win by 187 runs is a rare feat.
Well done to all involved.