🧢 Captain's Log

Sat 27 Jul 1935 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · HomeformTLDDL

We hosted Bearsted CC on Saturday, and I shall spare you the suspense by admitting straight away that it was not our finest hour with the willow. In came C Tompsett to top-score with a gritty 26, a lone beacon on a card otherwise smudged with ducks — J Barber, E Cheeseman and N Tiley all trooped back without troubling the scorers. All out for a total that, frankly, the less said about the better, we trudged out to field wondering whether we'd handed Bearsted a formality.

We needn't have worried. Whatever demons lurked in our top order clearly took up residence in theirs too, and Bearsted's innings folded for precisely the same paltry sum — Molyneux, Jack Tree and William J Moss all departing for ducks of their own, proof that this pitch was no respecter of reputation. J Barber, having failed with the bat, made emphatic amends with the ball, scything through the order for 4-26, well backed by C Tompsett (3-15) and E Hayes (3-20) in a spell of bowling that bordered on the unplayable.

A curious sort of victory this — won not by runs but by attrition, with not a single wicket lost in defence of a total that barely deserved the name. C Hartridge continues to lead our run charts with 55, and J Barber now tops the wicket pile with four. As for Saturday: a fine win, if not a pretty one. We'll take it, and press onwards.

Sat 22 Jun 1935 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · AwayformLTLDD

Saturday last, 22nd June, saw us take the road to Bearsted CC, and if I'm honest, I've written cheerier reports. We batted first and folded for the sum total of nothing to show for it — all out, with only C Hartridge (38) and W Steel (30) offering any real resistance to their bowlers. Special mention, of the unwanted sort, must go to poor P Brattle, whose innings began and ended in the same breath: a duck. It happens to the best of us, P — chin up.

Out in the field we fared rather better, at least with the ball in hand. Bearsted's reply also closed all out, built around a fine 31 from Len White, with A D Johnson (26) and Frank Harnett (24) chipping in handsomely. Happily, C Hartridge — clearly the man of the hour with bat and ball alike — led our attack superbly with figures of 3 for 43, well backed up by N Tiley (1-8) and the redoubtable P Brattle, who atoned for his batting blushes with 1 for 25.

As for your correspondent, the less said the better: another duck to my name, and I shall leave it there before anyone asks for details.

Bearsted got home by four wickets, so not our day by any measure. But Hartridge sits proudly atop both our run and wicket charts for the season, which is more than a crumb of comfort. Heads up, lads — back to the nets, and better luck next Saturday.