🧢 Captain's Log

Mon 01 Aug 1898 🧢 1st XIv RC Rochester CC · HomeformLLLDW

The lads will forgive me for putting us in on winning the toss – on the first of August, with Rochester CC come to visit, it seemed the sporting thing to do. Our innings had its share of mud and glory: H G Smith led the way with a splendid 38, George Champion chipped in 36, and Bertie Haynes weighed in with 25, while our extras column swelled to a generous 34 – nearly a top-order innings in itself.

In the field we toiled honestly enough, but Rochester's middle order simply refused to be dislodged. F M Atkins made merry with 71, E J Moon strolled past his own fifty with 65, and O Tritton finished unbeaten on 58 – a trio of half-centuries that rather took the shine off our afternoon. Small mercies: H Newsome departed for a golden duck without so much as a single to his name, and George Champion bowled beautifully for 4-0, with J N Tonge chipping in a wicket of his own. I permitted myself a quiet satisfaction with both bat (36) and ball (4 wickets) – not a bad day's work personally, even in defeat.

One note for the scorebook and the mantelpiece alike: H G Smith's 38 eases him past Captain H Hamilton into 14th on the club's all-time run-scorers list – Ernest Cruttenden and George Champion continue to lead our season's charts with bat and ball respectively.

In the end, beaten by five wickets. Not our day, gentlemen – heads up, and back to the nets.

Sat 23 Jul 1898 🧢 1st XIv Town Malling CC · HomeformLLLLD

Skipper's Log — Saturday 23 July 1898. We hosted Town Malling CC, and having called correctly at the toss, I had no hesitation in putting them into the field. Not a decision that always covers a captain in glory, but on this occasion the lads made it look positively inspired.

Ernest Cruttenden set about the bowling with real purpose, compiling a fine 73, well supported by F Smith (44) and H W Smith (41) as we built a total to be proud of. Only C N Watney let the side down, undone for a duck without so much as troubling the scorers — these things happen to the best of us, and no doubt he'll make amends next time out.

With the ball, we set about Town Malling in similarly ruthless fashion, dismissing W Cole, F G Busbridge and F Longhurst without a run between them, though T J Dewe played a lone hand of real quality, unbeaten on 96, ably assisted by W Cheale (31) and X Humphreys (23). It was not quite enough, and we came home 80 runs to the good.

A particular note for the club history books: Cruttenden's innings sees him leapfrog J N Tonge into fifth on our all-time run-scorers list, and he now sits proudly atop this season's 1st XI charts with 126 runs. All told, a thoroughly good day for Linton Park — the tea was well earned, and so, for once, was the walk home.

Sat 16 Jul 1898 🧢 1st XIv YC Yalding CC · HomeformLLLLL

From the captain's chair — Saturday 16 July 1898. We hosted Yalding CC, and having called correctly at the toss I had no hesitation in choosing to bat, the wicket looking too good to waste.

We batted with real purpose. J N Tonge led the way with a fine 93, well supported by F S W Cornwallis with 47 and Arthur Cornwallis with 37, and the extras column swelled handsomely to 53 — Yalding's bowlers doing their bit for our cause whether they meant to or not. We closed all out, a total that gave us plenty to defend and the lads a spring in their step at tea.

Yalding did not go quietly. S Mendel played the innings of the day for them with 51, and found capable company in A W Reid (37) and H T Manwaring (33), the three of them threatening at various points to bat us out of it. But J N Tonge, not content with his runs, turned his arm over to fine effect with 3-0, with W H Forshaw (2-0) and George Champion (1-0) chipping in to keep the pressure on. I managed a modest 47 myself, more workmanlike than watchable.

In the end neither side could force the door open, and honours were shared. A word for Tonge, whose 93 and three wickets both moved him up the club's all-time lists — a day he shall be entitled to remember fondly, even if the rest of us must settle for a draw and a decent tea.

Sat 18 Jun 1898 🧢 1st XIv YC Yalding CC · AwayformDLLLL

They say the Almighty moves in mysterious ways, and He certainly wasn't inclined to trouble with us at the coin toss on Saturday. Yalding won the call, elected to bat, and put us out into the field with that particular resignation known only to captains who've lost the toss on a good batting deck. The Reverend J R Leigh proceeded to give us a lesson in patience and punishment, compiling a chanceless hundred while G A T Salmon (49) and the Reverend R C Salmon (36) played the supporting cast rather too well for our liking. Small mercies: we did at least see off G T Tomkin and F Reeves without either troubling the scorer — two ducks to our name, for what little comfort that offered.

Our reply never threatened to trouble Yalding's declaration bowlers either. Ernest Cruttenden battled to 22 in a total that, frankly, the less said about the better, while poor B W Haynes endured that loneliest of walks back to the pavilion for a nought. There was, amid the wreckage, one genuine cause for a raised glass in the clubhouse: Cruttenden's runs eased him past A W Fulcher and up to sixth on our all-time run-scorers' list, a small personal triumph salvaged from a collective mauling. Jack Fryer, meanwhile, continues to lead our 1898 charts with 74 runs, and someone really ought to ask him to share whatever it is he's having for breakfast.

In the end we went down by an innings and 127 runs, a margin that rather speaks for itself. Not our finest hour — back to the nets, heads up, and onward.

Wed 15 Jun 1898 🧢 1st XIv Headcorn CC · HomeformLDLLL

Wednesday 15th June 1898, and Headcorn CC rolled up to find the toss going firmly against us — so it was pads off, boots on, and out into the field we trooped.

They made a fair fist of things, R T Caesar and G Knight both compiling 42 apiece, H S Grant chipping in with 38, and for a good while it looked as though we might be chasing something stiff. But George Champion had other ideas, spinning his way through the Headcorn order for a magnificent 7 wickets, with F E Wallis and D H Kennard tidying up one apiece. A word too for your skipper, who enjoyed a rare purple patch with the ball — 7 wickets of my own, and I shan't pretend I wasn't insufferable about it at tea.

With the bat, Jack Fryer led the reply with a stylish 44, George Champion following up his bowling with a handy 32, and I added 32 more. Poor A J Smith, though, will want to forget his duck in a hurry. Despite the effort, we fell 24 runs short in the end.

One footnote for the archives: Ernest Cruttenden's unbeaten 9 quietly nudged him past G Knight into 7th on the club's all-time run-scorers list — history made, if not quite victory.

A defeat, then, but an honest one, and we'll be sharper for it come next Wednesday.

Mon 06 Jun 1898 🧢 1st XIv BC Brenchley CC · AwayformLLDLL

We narrowly avoided the follow-on... only joking, we were nowhere near it. Down at Brenchley on a fine June afternoon, I lost the toss, was invited to have first use of the ball, and can report we made rather more of that opportunity than we did of anything with the bat. George Champion was the story of the day with the ball, tearing through them for five wickets without conceding a run to his name in the book, ably supported by F E Wallis and W L Hubble with a wicket apiece. W B Philpott departed for a duck at our hands, which was some consolation, though W Hodges (73) and W Marchant (44) rather spoiled the party for the rest of us, with A Hodges chipping in 23 more.

Batting, alas, was a rather more sobering affair. George Champion, having done his work with the ball, then top-scored with the bat too — 28 sound runs — and I managed to match him with 28 of my own, along with picking up five wickets, which I mention purely in the interests of the historical record and not at all out of pride. F Smith, sadly, was undone for a golden duck. There was, at least, one small piece of history made: Ernest Cruttenden's unassuming 4 runs were enough to see him leapfrog J N Tonge into 8th on the club's all-time run-scorers list — a achievement I'm sure will be toasted in the bar rather more than the scoreline warrants.

Beaten by 106 runs in the end, then, and no amount of gazette prose will dress that up as anything but a hiding. Still, plenty to build on with bat and ball alike — we'll be better for it next week.

Sat 04 Jun 1898 🧢 1st XIv SS Sutton Valence School · HomeformWLLDL

Skipper's Log, Saturday 4th June 1898 — Sutton Valence School the visitors, and a chastening one it proved.

Lost the toss, asked to field first, and there are worse fates on a fine June afternoon — except when the opposition simply won't get out. The Reverend R E Lewis set about us for a well-made fifty, 81 in all, and was given fine support by T E Wilson, equally at ease for his 79, with H W Hunting chipping in a stout 45 alongside. Only J H S Valpy troubled us not at all, sent back for a duck before he'd troubled the scorers. W L Hubble did what he could with three wickets to lead the attack, and the Cornwallis cousins, Arthur and F S W, chipped in gamely with two apiece — small mercies against such an innings.

Our reply, I regret to report, rather resembled a soufflé that never rose. C S Smith and C Marsh both contributed golden ducks, and only your captain's own scratchy 18 offered any resistance worth the name. One footnote of cheer amid the wreckage: M A Atkins's seven runs nudged him past G Kemp into eighteenth on the club's all-time run charts — history made, if little else.

Down by 231 runs, then, and no amount of English understatement will dress that up as anything but a proper hiding. Heads up, chins high, and back to the nets — Sutton Valence will keep, but our bowling figures shan't improve themselves.