BackSat 04 Jul 2026 · Division 8
3rd XIBetsham CC - 2nd XI
W
L
It was Upchurch 4
Dan Skinner
A good win in a friendly
Our league opponents, Betsham, had cried off, so with 20 points in the bag we picked up a home friendly against Upchurch 4th XI.
The lower teams spent most of the week pinching our players. Including one on Saturday morning. Jez Trott stepped up to play at short notice. Well, once his teenage son had got him out of bed. Role reversal.
We still had spares, and when Upchurch admitted they had messed up selection and arrived with a dozen players, we were able to match that number by roping in Zachary from the crowd. 12 a side it was.
The weather was good, the pitch looked a little green but was to play well.
Upchurch won the toss and chose to bowl. Our captain opened the batting with Tim Lush. The pair looked relatively untroubled and had put on 57 when Skinner agreed with Tim and the oppo skipper that he would retire at the end of the over. Perhaps he switched off, as he promptly then chipped a long hop to the covers. Out for 16.
Nigel was in next. He immediately missed one from the young left armer who was the pick of the bowling. Up went the finger from umpire Keagan.
Baker was fuming. They say you shouldn’t post on social media when you’re pissed. Perhaps they should add, when you’re pissed off. It seems the lbw decision was carefully considered and the experienced Lush, at the other end, agreed with it.
Patton was in next. He looked in good form but by now there wasn’t much pace on the ball. One of their bowlers was turning it sharply but it did come down with snow on it.
Charitha was up the order and hit one huge six into the field before departing. There was some confusion as to whether he was out lbw or caught behind.
Leo Petty was caught for 2
Zachary departed similarly for 1.
Jack Vening was in good form. He was harsh on anything short, whipping it away behind square leg. He eventually was bowled for 38 when he got a beauty from their returning opener who swung one away late
Keagan played some nice shots before somehow bottom edging one to midwicket for 8.
Damps hit a nice 11.
Peter Trott, who perhaps isn’t known for his batting, hit a great boundary before missing a straight one.
Lush was unruffled if a little hot, throughout all of this. 64 crucial runs. We finished 202 for 10 (but not all out).
Tea, courtesy of Gaynor Baker was a gastronomic delight. The match reporter is still salivating as he pens this nonsense.
Damps opened up down the slope.
The young openers couldn’t really deal with his accuracy. He started with two maidens.
Trott junior was up the slope. He started swinging the ball immediately, and began with a wicket maiden. He got his second wicket when Trott senior held one at midwicket. Both looked relieved.
Peter was cruelly taken off after bowling 5 overs and taking 2 wickets for only 7 runs. Even more cruelly, he was hauled off and replaced by his Dad. Ignominy.
Jez bamboozled the batters with his old school leg spin. He was getting sharp turn and deservedly got his wicket when he bowled someone behind his legs.
The fielding was pretty sharp. Although Keagan did chase one to the boundary, slide and pick it up, only to throw it forward instead of backwards, for a boundary.
Damps finished 7-3-1-13, a great spell. His wicket was clean bowled after he came round the wicket. He still weaves magic.
Keagan looked sharp coming down the hill. An early caught and bowled was followed by two clean bowled. 5-0-3-6
Olly Patton had been keeping, but after drinks came on to bowl. It was his best spell for us this season and he was too good for the batsmen. 4 overs, two wickets for three runs.
One was a catch by Skinner. Immediately on snaffling it, he screamed at the volunteer scorer to record his part in the wicket. When she failed to do so he sprinted off, snatched the pen out of her hand and wrote it in the book himself.
Petty had taken over keeping duties. He promptly showed the slick Patton how real men keep wicket. Disdaining the use of namby pamby gloves he started stopping deliveries using just his chest. A modern day Brian Close.
Palipane came out of bowling retirement. Three overs two for fourteen, both clean bowled.
Highlight in the field was Zachary chasing one all the way to the long boundary and flicking it back. Dedication.
Their number 12 didn’t appear, so we had bowled them out for (about) 56.
The lower teams spent most of the week pinching our players. Including one on Saturday morning. Jez Trott stepped up to play at short notice. Well, once his teenage son had got him out of bed. Role reversal.
We still had spares, and when Upchurch admitted they had messed up selection and arrived with a dozen players, we were able to match that number by roping in Zachary from the crowd. 12 a side it was.
The weather was good, the pitch looked a little green but was to play well.
Upchurch won the toss and chose to bowl. Our captain opened the batting with Tim Lush. The pair looked relatively untroubled and had put on 57 when Skinner agreed with Tim and the oppo skipper that he would retire at the end of the over. Perhaps he switched off, as he promptly then chipped a long hop to the covers. Out for 16.
Nigel was in next. He immediately missed one from the young left armer who was the pick of the bowling. Up went the finger from umpire Keagan.
Baker was fuming. They say you shouldn’t post on social media when you’re pissed. Perhaps they should add, when you’re pissed off. It seems the lbw decision was carefully considered and the experienced Lush, at the other end, agreed with it.
Patton was in next. He looked in good form but by now there wasn’t much pace on the ball. One of their bowlers was turning it sharply but it did come down with snow on it.
Charitha was up the order and hit one huge six into the field before departing. There was some confusion as to whether he was out lbw or caught behind.
Leo Petty was caught for 2
Zachary departed similarly for 1.
Jack Vening was in good form. He was harsh on anything short, whipping it away behind square leg. He eventually was bowled for 38 when he got a beauty from their returning opener who swung one away late
Keagan played some nice shots before somehow bottom edging one to midwicket for 8.
Damps hit a nice 11.
Peter Trott, who perhaps isn’t known for his batting, hit a great boundary before missing a straight one.
Lush was unruffled if a little hot, throughout all of this. 64 crucial runs. We finished 202 for 10 (but not all out).
Tea, courtesy of Gaynor Baker was a gastronomic delight. The match reporter is still salivating as he pens this nonsense.
Damps opened up down the slope.
The young openers couldn’t really deal with his accuracy. He started with two maidens.
Trott junior was up the slope. He started swinging the ball immediately, and began with a wicket maiden. He got his second wicket when Trott senior held one at midwicket. Both looked relieved.
Peter was cruelly taken off after bowling 5 overs and taking 2 wickets for only 7 runs. Even more cruelly, he was hauled off and replaced by his Dad. Ignominy.
Jez bamboozled the batters with his old school leg spin. He was getting sharp turn and deservedly got his wicket when he bowled someone behind his legs.
The fielding was pretty sharp. Although Keagan did chase one to the boundary, slide and pick it up, only to throw it forward instead of backwards, for a boundary.
Damps finished 7-3-1-13, a great spell. His wicket was clean bowled after he came round the wicket. He still weaves magic.
Keagan looked sharp coming down the hill. An early caught and bowled was followed by two clean bowled. 5-0-3-6
Olly Patton had been keeping, but after drinks came on to bowl. It was his best spell for us this season and he was too good for the batsmen. 4 overs, two wickets for three runs.
One was a catch by Skinner. Immediately on snaffling it, he screamed at the volunteer scorer to record his part in the wicket. When she failed to do so he sprinted off, snatched the pen out of her hand and wrote it in the book himself.
Petty had taken over keeping duties. He promptly showed the slick Patton how real men keep wicket. Disdaining the use of namby pamby gloves he started stopping deliveries using just his chest. A modern day Brian Close.
Palipane came out of bowling retirement. Three overs two for fourteen, both clean bowled.
Highlight in the field was Zachary chasing one all the way to the long boundary and flicking it back. Dedication.
Their number 12 didn’t appear, so we had bowled them out for (about) 56.
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