🧢 Captain's Log

Sat 29 Aug 1936 🧢 1st XIv CA Charles Arkcoll · HomeformDLWLW

Charles Arkcoll played host on a fine Saturday, and having called correctly at the toss on 29 August, I didn't so much as pause for breath before opting to bat — a decision I shall claim full credit for regardless of how the day unfolded.

Arthur Ash led the way with a fine 39, well backed up by J Pocock's 22, and between them they gave our innings some much-needed backbone. It wasn't all glory, mind — E Cheeseman, N Tiley and Frank Sutton each took the long walk back for nought, and I dare say the tea urn heard a few choice words muttered on the way past. Still, runs enough were banked to give us something to bowl at.

And bowl we did. Hubble threatened to make a real fist of it for the opposition with 36, but he found precious little support, with P G Honnor shipped back without so much as a nibble at the scorebook. The day, however, belonged to N Judge, whose 5-0 was a five-for of the highest quality and thoroughly deserved — ably assisted by C Thomsett, who chipped in with figures of his own.

With Bert Buckoke now sitting second in our season's run charts and Judge leading the wickets column with nine to his name, the campaign is shaping up nicely. We came home 29 runs to the good — a thoroughly good day for the club, and one the tea and biscuits were richly earned for.

Sat 15 Aug 1936 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · HomeformDDLWL

We arrived at the ground on a fine Saturday to host Bearsted CC, and I'll confess the toss went about as well as everything else I did with the bat that afternoon.

Our innings never quite found its rhythm, though N Tiley battled hard for his 30, well supported by Bert Buckoke's unbeaten 25 — the pair of them doing rather more than their fair share of the heavy lifting. Percy Brattle and O Fryer, alas, departed without so much as troubling the umpire's finger, and as for the skipper, the least said the better: a golden blob to remember, or rather forget. Leadership by example is all very well until you're walking back before you've faced a ball.

With the ball, though, we found our form. N Judge was magnificent, scything through Bearsted's order for 4-25, with Arthur Ash right behind him on 4-32 and O Fryer chipping in for good measure. Bearsted's R J Hall and L F Wright both got in among the runs with 28 apiece, but we kept chipping away, sending Tree, Benger and Smith back for ducks of their own, and it proved just enough.

We got over the line by six runs — a nerve-shredder of a finish, and rather more than my own innings deserved. N Tiley continues to lead our run charts for the season, Arthur Ash tops the wickets, and the pair of them can take the credit this week, because the captain certainly won't. A very good day for the club.

Sat 27 Jun 1936 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · AwayformLDDLW

Skipper's Log — Saturday, 27th June, 1936. Down to Bearsted we went, sun more or less behaving itself, and I confess I fancied our chances.

Batting first, the lads got us up and running, though not without the odd hiccup — poor E Godden departed without troubling the scorers, a duck to file under "these things happen." Thankfully N Tiley was in defiant form, carrying his bat for a splendid 43 not out, with Percy Brattle's 37 and Bert Buckoke's 28 giving the innings some proper backbone. I managed to chip in with 37 of my own down the order, which I shall claim as a captain's innings and nobody can prove otherwise.

Defending that total, we gave it everything, and for a while it looked ours — Bert Buckoke bowled his heart out for a fine 4-64, well backed by O Fryer's 2-50 and Arthur Ash's solitary but useful 1-16. We even had the satisfaction of seeing W "Bill" Tree walk back for a duck. But Jack Tree had other ideas, standing firm for an unbeaten 68 to go with sound support from Thomas Benger (30) and Frank Harnett (26), and Bearsted squeezed home by the barest of margins — one wicket.

Cruel arithmetic, but no lack of heart. N Tiley now tops our season's run charts, Bert Buckoke our wicket-takers, so the form is there — we simply need to find the last ounce of it. Not our day. Heads up, back to the nets.