🧢 Captain's Log

Sun 30 Sep 1951 🧢 Marriedv Linton Park CC · Homeform—

Sunday last brought Linton Park Cricket Club to our ground, and the toss falling kindly to us I had no hesitation in sending the eleven in to bat, the wicket looking a fair one for runs.

And runs we made, though not without the odd hiccup along the way. Basil Sears played the finer knock of the day, a well-made fifty carried through to 66, while Frank Taylor gave him stout company with 50 of his own, the pair putting on 92 for the second wicket in a stand that was the true backbone of our innings. Robert Muir chipped in with a useful 34, and between them these three did the bulk of the work, for elsewhere the card showed rather thinner fare, Don Hartridge, Dennis Smith and H Newport all departing without troubling the scorers. All out for 183 from 58.5 overs was nonetheless a total to be pleased with, and I was glad to add my own small contribution to the total before giving way to better men. It was a pleasant footnote to the afternoon that Frank Taylor's fifty carried him past Herbert Rayner and into sixth place among the club's all-time run-scorers, a milestone he wears lightly but which the pavilion noted with proper satisfaction.

With Linton Park set 184 to chase, our bowlers and fielders went about their business in the best traditions of the club, and the visitors were dismissed well short, the match falling to us by a handsome 128 runs. A thoroughly sporting contest throughout, and two points well and truly earned.

Sat 29 Sep 1951 🧢 1st XIv SI 1st Innings Maidstone Christian Institute · HomeformWDDDD

Saturday last, the 29th of September, saw Maidstone Christian Institute visit us in fine late-season sunshine, and I had no hesitation in sending them in to bat first. It proved a happy decision. Our bowlers found their length at once, and the visitors were bundled out for a modest 49 in but 23.3 overs, Smith alone offering real resistance with a top score of 22. Merricks, Hooper and Adams departed without troubling the scorers, and the innings slid from 28 for 1 to 38 for 4 almost before the pavilion clock had turned.

The spell of the day, and richly deserved, belonged to Gordon Fenner, whose 7 for 25 was bowling of the highest class. He was well supported by John Taylor, whose 2 for 19, built upon three tidy maidens, gave the batsmen not an inch, while Frank Taylor chipped in with a wicket of his own for good measure.

Our reply was a thing of quiet authority. Frank Taylor and William Buck put together unbeaten fifties of 65 and 58 respectively, seeing us home to 134 for the loss of a single wicket in 25 overs, though nine byes conceded told of a testing afternoon behind the stumps for Buck. There was cause for celebration besides the runs themselves: Buck's innings carried him past Jack Fryer into tenth place among the club's all-time run-scorers, while Taylor's wicket lifted him past Fenner into second on the all-time bowling list, a fine addition to a season in which he already leads our 1951 wicket charts with 91.

A handsome win, then, by an innings and 32 runs, and two points banked in the best traditions of the club against a sporting Maidstone side.

Sat 22 Sep 1951 🧢 1st XIv HC Hunton Wanderers CC · AwayformWWDDD

In September I broke my run in the field, watching Hunton Wanderers post their innings from a captain's proper vantage, and a fine one it was for them. Their openers gave us little joy for the first hour, running up seventy-six before we prised the first breach in the order, and thereafter it was A Pilcher who took charge, ninety not out and never in any real trouble, with Reg Oldfield's thirty a handsome second string to the bow. Gordon Fenner bowled with real craft for his two for twenty-seven, Robert Muir and Frank Taylor chipped in behind him, and I like to think my own six maidens kept the scoring honest even if the wickets went to others. They closed on 160 for 4 from their forty-six overs, a total that asked serious questions of us.

We began our reply none too steadily, losing an early wicket with the board reading only three, and I must confess I contributed nothing to the recovery, caught out for a duck that the less said about the better. It fell to Frank Taylor to play the innings of the day, sixty-six not out of real substance and patience, and it was a particular pleasure that in compiling it he brought up his thousandth run for the club, a landmark thoroughly deserved. Nine byes told of a testing afternoon behind the stumps for Bob Arnold, but we closed on 90 for 3 from thirty-one overs with the match unresolved.

So honours were shared, and rightly so, for neither side could quite force the issue. A hard, honest game against a sporting side, and Frank Taylor's landmark gave us all something warm to carry back to the pavilion.

Sun 16 Sep 1951 🧢 1st XIv SH Shooter Hillians · HomeformLWWDD

Sunday, the sixteenth of September, brought Shooter Hillians to our ground, and having won the toss I did not hesitate to take first use of a wicket that promised well for batting. We built soundly, an opening stand of 56 laying the foundation, and though the middle order came and went, the innings never lost its shape. I was glad to see my own contribution of 43 hold the top of the card, but the day belonged as much to William Buck, whose 40 was made with real application, and to Bill Hall, who finished handsomely on 40 not out. A last-wicket pair, refusing to accept that the innings was spent, added a further 56 in cheerful defiance of the bowling, and left us with 245 for 6 from our 67 overs, a total of proper substance.

Shooter Hillians began uncertainly, losing a wicket without a run on the board, and though D. MacDonald batted with real determination for 37, well supported by C. MacDonald's 22, the innings never quite found its feet against us. Frank Taylor bowled beautifully, mixing generosity with menace, his two maidens speaking to a probing line, and his figures of 5 for 21 fairly ran through the visitors' order. Bill Hall chipped in with 2 for 36 for good measure, and the innings closed at 106 for 8.

Time, in the end, denied either side the victory its efforts perhaps deserved, and honours were shared. A draw, certainly, but one earned in the best traditions of the game, and Shooter Hillians proved most sporting opponents throughout.

Sun 09 Sep 1951 🧢 1st XIv GK Gillingham CC, Kent · HomeformWLWWD

As at the ninth of September, Gillingham CC of Kent came to Linton Park under a fair sky, and winning the toss I saw no cause for hesitation in sending us in first, the wicket looking a fine one for batting.

We made a splendid fist of it, William Buck and I putting on 94 for the first wicket before the breakhrough came, and I went on to a well-made fifty of 59 while Buck compiled a most handsome 51 of his own. Don Hartridge chipped in usefully with 23, though it must be said the card was not without its blot, Tony Levick and Richard Harris both departing without troubling the scorers. All told we were dismissed for 196 in 52.4 overs, a total that gave us something to bowl at and, I fancied, a fair chance of victory.

Gillingham replied steadily, losing an early wicket at 8 for 1 which rather set the tone, before R Beckenham and A Townley came together to add a fine 84 for the second wicket, Beckenham going on to a splendid half-century of 57 and Townley playing his part with 31. Frank Taylor bowled with real purpose to take 2 for 46, Richard Harris chipped in with 1 for 0, and I was pleased enough with 1 for 40, two of my overs going for nothing at all. The visitors closed on 122 for 4 from 44.4 overs, unable quite to force the pace, and so honours were shared, a draw that seemed a fair reflection of two sides well matched and in the best traditions of the game.

Sat 08 Sep 1951 🧢 1st XIv OR Old Roffensians · HomeformLWLWW

I elected to bat upon winning the toss against Old Roffensians on Saturday, and it proved, if I may say so myself, the right sort of decision for the wicket before us. We put together 211 for 3 from our 36 overs, and it fell to me to carry the innings through to 70 not out, well past my fifty. I had sterling company in John Taylor, whose 69 was a thoroughly well-made fifty, and the two of us added 66 for the third wicket to give the innings its backbone. Basil Sears chipped in with a useful 25, and a generous 25 in extras rounded out a satisfying total. Sears's runs, incidentally, carried him past Don Hartridge and up to twelfth on the club's all-time list of run-scorers, while Taylor brought up his thousandth career run for the club along the way — a fine milestone reached in good company.

In the field we held our visitors to 169 for 3 from their 39 overs, honours very much shared by the finish. We struck early, with the first wicket falling for a mere 5 runs, Dennis Smith leading the attack handsomely with 1 for 12. Ray Tippen bowled tidily for 1 for 18, a wicket that moved him past E C Streatfield into eighteenth on the club's list of wicket-takers, and Taylor was miserly with 1 for 59 and three maidens. Wragg's unbeaten 86 and Bradley's unbeaten 47 saw the Old Roffensians safely home to a draw, and a thoroughly deserved one it was, with Taylor's fine season continuing apace at the top of our run charts and second among the wicket-takers.

Sun 26 Aug 1951 🧢 1st XIv HC Hayle Place CC · HomeformDLWLW

Sunday last brought Hayle Place to Linton Park in fine spirits, and calling correctly at the toss I had no hesitation in setting our men in to bat. We made a solid fist of it, closing on 186 for 4 from our thirty-six overs, though an early stumble to 4 for 1 might have unsettled lesser sides. It did not trouble us long, for I found my form and went on to 58, and once Don Hartridge and Basil Sears came together the innings gathered proper momentum, the pair adding a crucial 57 for the third wicket. Hartridge finished not out on a well-made 51, and Sears chipped in a useful 33, leaving us a total we felt sure of defending.

And defend it we did, in the most emphatic fashion. Hayle Place never truly found their feet, stumbling to 7 for 1 before the floodgates opened in earnest, that soon becoming 15 for 4, with A Waller, J Hosking and J Beckett all departing without troubling the scorers. John Taylor bowled quite beautifully, six wickets for a mere 14 runs off a spell that included six maidens, well supported by Frank Taylor's 2 for 3 and Gordon Fenner's 2 for 21. The visitors were all out for 40 in 25.4 overs.

A handsome win by 146 runs, and a fine afternoon's cricket played in the best traditions of the club. Worth a note for the mantelpiece too: Hartridge's fifty carried him past Basil Sears into twelfth place on the club's all-time run-scorers list, while John Taylor now leads our 1951 run charts with 683 and Frank Taylor tops the wicket-takers with 82. A most satisfactory day's work, and one the eleven may look back on with quiet pride.

Sat 25 Aug 1951 🧢 1st XIv CA Charles Arkcoll · AwayformWDLWL

Skipper's Log — Saturday 25 August 1951

The road took us to Charles Arkcoll on a fine Saturday, and the toss going against us I little minded, for our fellows have never wanted for enthusiasm with the ball in hand. Charles Arkcoll made their way to 114 for 8 from their 47 overs, though not without alarm, for they lost a wicket at 6 and never quite settled thereafter. Stan Wratten stood firm to finish 39 not out and was well supported by Randolph Thompson's 27, but Frank Taylor bowled beautifully to take 4 for 34, four of his overs going quite unscored, and Dennis Smith chipped in with 2 for 33. I was pleased to have a hand in it myself, taking 1 for 23, and three of their number departed without troubling the scorers.

A target of 115 looked a modest enough task, yet cricket has a way of humbling the confident. Frank Taylor, fresh from his exertions with the ball, played the innings of the day with a well-made 67, and for a time all seemed serene. Then, as so often on a sporting wicket, the innings wobbled alarmingly, tumbling from 103 for 5 to 117 for 8 in the space of a few overs, with B Lloyd unlucky enough to depart without scoring. Bob Arnold had a busy afternoon behind the stumps, though nine byes were the price of an otherwise willing effort.

It fell to the lower order to see us home, and in the best traditions of the club they did not fail us, bringing off a fine win by two wickets. A capital match, and a proud day too for Frank Taylor, whose runs and wickets both carried him up the club's all-time lists — a fellow in irresistible form this season, and not to be envied by the bowlers who must face him next.

Sun 19 Aug 1951 🧢 1st XIv MA Mote A · HomeformWWDLW

The toss went against us — as it has rather too often this season — and we found ourselves in the field first to Mote A. They batted with patience and no little skill, carrying their innings to 140 all out in 55.4 overs. J. Waters played the anchor's part for a well-made 48, ably supported by I. Milsted's 20, though not every Mote A man found his form so readily — H. Hawkins departed for a duck, a sight always more pleasing from the boundary than the crease.

Our attack held its nerve handsomely throughout. Frank Taylor bowled with real menace to finish with 4 for 33, and Bill Hall gave him fine support with 3 for 41, three of his overs going entirely unscored. Gordon Fenner added a single wicket for 24 that, modest as the figures read, carried him past Frank Taylor and into third place among the club's wicket-takers of all time — a small piece of history quietly made of a Sunday afternoon.

Set 140 to win, we never quite settled to the task and were all out for 117 in 27.2 overs. Tony Levick played the innings of the day, a fine half-century of 65, though at the other end Richard Harris and E. Lockyer both walked back for ducks, and Levick had a tricky afternoon behind the stumps besides, with 8 byes slipping past.

We finished 23 runs short, and must call it a fair result, Mote A the better side on the day. For my own part I close the season proud to lead our run charts with 682, as Frank Taylor leads the wickets with 76 — proof there is life yet in this old eleven. Heads up, and back to the nets.

Sat 18 Aug 1951 🧢 1st XIv FX F R Sutton XI · HomeformLWWDL

Saturday last brought F R Sutton XI to our ground, and a pleasant sporting afternoon it proved, from the moment I won the toss and sent them in. Their innings ran to 130 all out in eight and thirty overs, built chiefly upon a fine 47 from K Harris, well supported by I Machin's 29. But for two of their number, B Goodbody and Frank Sutton himself, it was a sorrier tale, each departing without troubling the scorer. Our attack held its discipline throughout, Robert Muir bowling with real hostility to finish with 4 for 42, four of his overs going entirely unscored, while Bert Buckoke's 2 for 19 and J Enfield's 2 for 27 kept the pressure honestly applied from the other end.

Our reply brought its own small dramas. Gordon Bugge played the anchor's part nobly for 29, and Robert Muir, having done such good work with the ball, added 24 more with the bat for good measure. Poor Peter Weedon fell for a duck, though such things happen to the best of us on any given afternoon. I was glad to contribute 15 of my own before giving way, and we reached 143 all out in eight overs beyond theirs, home at the last with something to spare.

A quiet word, too, for the record books: my solitary wicket that day carried me past S Christopherson and into twentieth place among the club's wicket-takers of all time, a modest milestone but a warming one. A good day altogether, played in the best traditions of the club, and Sutton's men left us, I think, no less cheerfully than they arrived.

Sun 12 Aug 1951 🧢 1st XIv LC Lenham CC · AwayformDLWWD

Here is the report.

At Lenham on the twelfth of August I won the toss and, with fair weather overhead, saw no reason to do anything but bat. It was not, in truth, our finest hour with the willow — 108 all out in forty-two overs and two balls tells its own tale — though Frank Taylor batted with real application for 26 and found a willing partner in Tony Levick, whose 21 kept the innings from total collapse. The middle order came apart in a rush, six down for ninety-five becoming nine down for a hundred and five before we could draw breath, and poor John Thirkell will not wish to be reminded of his golden duck. A modest total to defend, and we knew it.

Yet cricket has a way of restoring a side's spirits, and so it proved with the ball. Lenham were given a fine start by a solitary run for their first wicket, and might have run away with the match but for a spirited last-wicket stand of seventy-three that owed everything to D- La Plain's admirable unbeaten fifty-nine. We hauled them back regardless, from fifty-nine for five to sixty-two for eight in the twinkling of an eye, John Thirkell atoning handsomely with four for thirty-seven, Arthur Cradduck chipping in with one, and I found some rhythm of my own, finishing with three for forty-three from ten miserly maidens. Tony Levick had a trying afternoon behind the stumps, twelve byes going begging, and Lenham reached 140 all out to take the honours.

A word for the record books: I passed my hundredth career wicket, Frank Taylor climbed the run-scorers' list, and Thirkell moved up among our leading wicket-takers. Beaten, then, but not disheartened — we shall go again.

Sun 05 Aug 1951 🧢 1st XIv BW Birchington Wanderers · HomeformDDLWW

Birchington Wanderers came to us on a fine Sunday, the fifth of August, and had the better of the toss on a wicket that gave little away lightly. They ran up 194 for five from their forty-eight and two overs, A Walker the chief architect with a superb hundred, 109 in all, well supported by E Webb's 23 and J Coxon's unbeaten 21, the pair adding a crucial 53 for the third wicket. I was fortunate enough to find some rhythm with the ball, finishing with 3 for 58 and three maidens, while Dick Langridge and Gordon Fenner chipped in with a wicket apiece, 1 for 3 and 1 for 39.

Our reply began in the best traditions of the club, the openers putting on 111 before the first wicket fell, a stand that proved the innings' finest hour. William Buck carried on to 55, and Basil Sears played a well-made fifty of his own, 51, a knock that carries him past Rev F A Leveson-Gower into twelfth place on the club's all-time run-scorers list. The middle order found the going stickier, Don Hartridge, Ray Tippen and Arthur Cradduck all departing for a golden nothing, and we closed on 181 for nine from thirty-eight overs, Tony Levick having a busy afternoon behind the stumps with fourteen byes conceded.

Honours were shared, a draw that left neither side quite satisfied yet both well pleased with the sport of it. It leaves me leading the 1951 first eleven's run charts with 665, and second among the wicket-takers with 63, figures set down here only for the record. Birchington Wanderers were generous and sporting opponents throughout, and we look forward heartily to their next visit to Linton Park.

Sat 04 Aug 1951 🧢 1st XIv YC Yalding CC · AwayformWDDLW

The lads made the journey out to Yalding on the fourth of August, and I confess I had few qualms in calling correctly and setting our men in first — the wicket looked a friendly one, and so it proved.

Taylor and I settled in and gave the innings the start every captain dreams of, putting on seventy-two before a wicket fell, and from there the runs came steadily and without alarm. Taylor batted with real fluency for his 38, Basil Sears chipped in with a brisk 30, and I was fortunate enough to be still there at the close with 39 to my name, as we closed on a handsome 142 for 2 from our twenty-eight overs. It was, I think, as complete a batting display as we have put together this season, and it left Yalding a stiff target to chase.

If our batting had been sound, our bowling that afternoon bordered on the irresistible. Taylor, turning the ball prodigiously, ran through their order to finish with 6 for 42, a spell as fine as any seen at the club this year, while Dennis Smith bowled with admirable discipline for 2 for 20, four of his overs going for nought at all. I managed a wicket myself for scant reward, and between us Yalding's innings folded for 91, Stanley's plucky 34 the only real resistance offered.

A win by 51 runs, then, and a thoroughly sporting afternoon's cricket against generous opponents — the sort of result that sends an eleven home in the best of spirits.

Sun 29 Jul 1951 🧢 1st XIv LC Lenham CC · HomeformWWDDL

Lenham CC came to Linton Park on the Sunday, the twenty-ninth of July, and when I lost the toss it was to be a day in the field first, for our visitors asked us to chase. They made heavy weather of their innings, grinding out 148 all out across nine-and-fifty overs, T. Snook playing the anchor's part for 47 with S. Clark giving him steady company for 20. It was John --'s Taylor who did the real damage, prising out three for 23 in a spell of remarkable discipline, thirteen maidens telling their own tale of a batsman given nothing to work with. Frank Taylor chipped in handsomely with two for 12, and Stan Wratten, toiling a shade more expensively, took two for 57.

Set 149 to win, we went after the runs in altogether brighter fashion. William Buck played the innings of the day, 85 not out and quite untroubled, while I was glad to find some form of my own, finishing unbeaten on 76 — an innings that, I was touched to learn afterwards, carried me past Herbert Rayner into fourth place on the club's all-time run list, no small thing in a place with Linton Park's history. Tony Levick weighed in with a brisk 28, and we reached 213 for 2 in five-and-thirty overs. Nineteen byes went begging, poor Bob Arnold having rather a trying afternoon behind the stumps, but nothing could dent our satisfaction. A fine win by eight wickets, and Lenham left us with nothing but good grace between us.

Sat 28 Jul 1951 🧢 1st XIv OC Old Williamsonians CC · AwayformWWWDD

On Saturday last we journeyed to meet Old Williamsonians, and the toss falling kindly to me, I had no hesitation in choosing to bat first. Our opening pair offered little resistance, the first wicket falling for a solitary run, but Basil Sears and William Buck restored composure with a stand of fifty-one for the second wicket, each making a well-earned 31, while Frank Taylor chipped in with 22. Cricket delights in reversal, though, and 104 for five became 112 for eight in the blink of an eye, John Thirkell, Arthur Cradduck and Bert Buckoke each trudging back for naught. We were all out for 112 from 38.3 overs, leaving work to be done.

That work proved beyond us. Old Williamsonians batted with real assurance, Hall compiling a handsome unbeaten 58 and Imeson supporting with 41, though Bowring departed for a duck at our hands. Frank Taylor toiled manfully for 2 for 56, and I was content enough with 1 for 39, two maidens among my overs, but the runs came steadily elsewhere and the home side reached 120 for three from their thirty.

Beaten by seven wickets in the end, a fair result on the day's cricket, though not without its consolations. William Buck's 31 carried him past Tom Osborn to nineteenth on the club's all-time run-scorers, and it is pleasing to note I lead our run charts this season as Frank Taylor leads the wickets. Old Williamsonians played the better game and deserved their afternoon in the sun. We shall dust ourselves down and come again next week, wiser for the lesson and no less cheerful for the defeat.

Sun 22 Jul 1951 🧢 1st XIv RB R H Birketts · HomeformWWWWD

Sunday last brought R H Birketts to our ground, and winning the toss I had no hesitation in asking the eleven to bat first, the wicket looking a fair one and worth the taking. It must be said we did not linger over the business — five runs came from two overs and two balls before the innings closed, brisk work by any reckoning, and we turned our attention to the field in good heart.

Whatever meagre total we had set, the Birketts men found it beyond them altogether, for our bowlers went through the visiting order and had them out for none, a performance the lads may look back upon with quiet satisfaction. It is not every Sunday one dismisses the opposition without a run to their name, and the fielding behind the bowling did nothing to spoil the effort.

For all that, the afternoon would not yield a result, and honours were shared, a draw when neither side could force the matter home. There are worse ways to spend a July Sunday than in such company, and I daresay both elevens went to their teas satisfied with a game keenly contested if not conclusively settled.

I was glad enough of my call at the toss, and it is worth noting that William Buck continues his fine season, standing third in the club's run charts with 342 to his name, a record that speaks well for the summer still before us. A sporting draw, then, and Birketts left, I hope, with as pleasant a memory of the day as we carry ourselves.

Sat 21 Jul 1951 🧢 1st XIv Town Malling CC · HomeformWWWWW

Saturday last brought Town Malling CC to Linton Park, and though the toss went against us and we took the field, it proved a good day for cricket. Their innings turned on a fine century from R. Driver, 127 in all, well supported by B. Simpson's 46 and V. Royals' 28, and though the first wicket fell for a single run, a stand of 135 for the third carried them to 255 for 9 from 47 overs. Our attack earned its corn. Basil Sears took 3 for 24, Bert Buckoke was miserly for 3 for 64 with three maidens to his name, and Frank Taylor claimed 3 for 93. Among their number to fall, curiously enough, was their own Frank Taylor, out without a run to his name.

We replied with 156 for 6 from 37.3 overs, losing our first wicket for nought, before J. Baker played a fine, patient innings of 72. I was pleased to add 46 myself, and young Taylor a further 20, a knock that carried him past the Reverend F. A. Leveson-Gower into 11th place among the club's all-time run-scorers. A stand of 62 for the sixth wicket held matters together, though Basil Sears and William Buck both walked back for ducks. Buckoke's work brought him past H. G. Smith into 12th on the wicket-takers' list, and his fiftieth wicket for the club besides. I stand second this season in the First Eleven's run charts with 464, while Taylor leads the wicket-takers with sixty-seven.

Honours were shared, a draw that left neither side quite satisfied, though both, I think, were well content with a good day's cricket in the best traditions of the club.

Sun 15 Jul 1951 🧢 1st XIv JL J G Larkings · HomeformWWWWW

We were the visitors at J G Larkings on Sunday last, the fifteenth of July, and having lost the toss found ourselves asked to chase, so it fell to us to have first use of the ball. Larkings were dismissed for 140 in forty overs and two balls, William Buck playing the watchful innings of the day with a well-made 69, ably supported by Taylor's 24. Frank Taylor and Tom Osborn both departed without troubling the scorers, victims of an attack in which our own Taylor ran fairly riot, finishing with the handsome figures of 6 for 70, five of his overs maidens, well backed by Frank Taylor's 5 for 27.

Chasing their total, we batted with real purpose. Taylor and I put on ninety for the first wicket before the breakthrough came, and the innings closed at a handsome 246 for 5 in forty-eight overs and three balls, Don Hartridge chipping in usefully with 38 and Taylor playing a fine second half-century of 58. I was well content with a personal 78, and it proved a day to remember off the field besides, for I brought up my thousandth run for the club. Taylor's innings, meanwhile, carried him past F S W Cornwallis to seventh on our all-time list of run-scorers, and his six wickets that same afternoon lifted him past Ernest Cruttenden into sixth among our wicket-takers — he stands, too, at the head of this season's run charts with 599, as Frank Taylor does among the bowlers with 64.

A fine win by five wickets, and a thoroughly sporting contest with Larkings from first ball to last.

Sun 08 Jul 1951 🧢 1st XIv FC Folkestone CC · HomeformWWWWW

Folkestone came to us on the Sunday, and though the coin fell against me and we were asked to take the field first, I was not sorry, for it suits our bowlers well enough to have first use of the new ball. They made a fair fist of things, W Aird playing a fine top-scoring innings of 53, but they lost an early man with the score at a mere 6, a nervy start from which they never quite recovered, and G Bridge departed without troubling the scorers. Stan Wratten bowled beautifully to lead the attack with four for 7, Bill Hall was miserly as ever with three maidens on his way to two for 29, and John Taylor chipped in with two for 36. All out for 131 in 42.5 overs, it was a total we fancied our chances of chasing down in good order.

So it proved. John Taylor gave us the perfect start, batting with real authority for a well-made 67, and he and Stan Wratten, who followed with 43 of his own, put on 91 for the first wicket before the breakthrough came at last. Ray Tippen saw us home not out on 27, and we finished 140 for 2 in 33.5 overs, winners by eight wickets.

A word too on the milestones of the day, for Taylor's 67 carried him past Ernest Cruttenden into ninth place on the club's all-time run-scorers list, and his two wickets took him past Don Hartridge into seventh among our wicket-takers, fine landmarks handsomely earned in a single afternoon. A thoroughly sporting contest, and a most satisfactory way to send Folkestone home.

Sat 07 Jul 1951 🧢 1st XIv CA Charles Arkcoll · HomeformWWWWW

As we resumed for the summer with Charles Arkcoll our visitors on the seventh of July, the toss went against me and their captain, without hesitation, sent us into the field. It proved a shrewd notion only in theory, for our bowlers made short work of the ambition. Frank Taylor, in irresistible form, ran through their order to finish with five for thirty-one, while Bill Hall bowled with the miserly discipline of four maidens on his way to four for eighteen. Only Randolph Thompson, with a well-made twenty-five, stood at all firm amid the ruins, and when Humphrey Morris, J Bridal and D Skinner all departed without troubling the scorer, the innings subsided from thirty-seven for three to forty-one for six and closed, for all their early promise, at a modest fifty-four all out.

Set so gentle a target, we might have strolled to it, though an early wicket at three on the board gave a moment's anxiety before the innings settled. I found my form and carried my bat to fifty not out, well supported by Bill Hall's brisk twenty, and we reached ninety-six for three to win handsomely by seven wickets. It was a satisfying afternoon's work personally, and I noted with quiet pleasure that young Basil Sears's ten runs had carried him past C Murdoch into fifteenth place among the club's all-time run-scorers, a small but proper piece of history for the mantelpiece.

A thoroughly good day for the club, played in the best traditions of a sporting contest, and Charles Arkcoll, though outplayed, took their reverse like true cricketers.

Sun 01 Jul 1951 🧢 1st XIv OM Old Maidstonians · HomeformWWWWW

Sunday last brought Old Maidstonians to our ground, and a fine, full day's cricket it made. Winning the toss, I asked them to bat, and though they battled to 151 all out from 46.5 overs, we had rather the better of the exchanges. Parker led their effort with 41, well supported by Phillips's 27 and Harris's 22, the pair adding 51 for the fifth wicket in a stand that threatened for a while to run away from us. But once that partnership was broken the innings fell apart in short order, tumbling from 131 for seven to all out with barely a run added, poor Barclay departing without troubling the scorers. Frank Taylor was in irresistible form, spinning his way to 6 for 48, with John Taylor a model of miserly restraint, his four maidens yielding 2 for 26, and Bill Hall chipping in with 1 for 43.

Our reply was built on a watchful start turned triumphant. An early wicket at 8 gave us a nervy few overs, but a stand of 57 for the second wicket set us on course, and John Taylor batted beautifully throughout for an unbeaten 74, ably assisted by Bill Hall's 28 and Don Hartridge's 20. I was glad to add 17 of my own down the order, and was told afterwards that this small innings carried me past F S W Cornwallis into sixth on the club's all-time list of run-scorers, which I confess pleased me rather more than it ought. Tony Levick had a trying afternoon behind the stumps, twelve byes slipping past him, but such things happen to the best of wicketkeepers.

We reached 157 for 4 in 32 overs for a six-wicket win, and a thoroughly good day for the club it was, played in the best traditions of a sporting fixture.

Sat 30 Jun 1951 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · HomeformWWWWW

Saturday last brought Bearsted CC to us as visitors, and winning the toss I had no hesitation in taking first knock, the wicket looking fair enough for runs. Fair enough it proved for a spell, until the innings folded away in a rush from 111 for four to 113 for seven, and we were all out for 150 in 34.4 overs. I was fortunate to find my touch for 55, and had good support from Bob Arnold with 27 and Don Hartridge with 22, though poor Peter Weedon and Arthur Cradduck both suffered the walk of shame with ducks against their names.

A total of 150 looked defendable rather than commanding, and so it proved. Bearsted replied with 106 all out in 37 overs, D Vane and A "Tony" Snook each contributing 28 in a stand of 57 for the second wicket that threatened for a while to carry them home, but E Rainer, R Barham and G Old went back without troubling the scorers, and the tail could not wag far enough. I had the good fortune to take 6 for 47, with 5 maidens thrown in, while Frank Taylor bowled tidily for 4 for 49. Bob Arnold's ten byes behind the stumps were the only blemish on an otherwise sound display.

It was, besides, a notable afternoon for the club's record books, my 55 carrying me past Maurice Fenner into twelfth place on the all-time run list, and Frank Taylor's four wickets lifting him past Jack Fryer into fourth among the leading wicket-takers, the pair of us continuing to head this season's run and wicket charts besides. We ran out winners by 44 runs, a thoroughly good day for the club, and Bearsted may hold their heads high for the fight they gave us.

Sun 24 Jun 1951 🧢 1st XIv HB Hambros Bank · HomeformWWWWW

John Thirkell's Report — 24 June 1951

We had Hambros Bank down to visit us on Sunday, and a fine June day it proved for cricket. Winning the toss, I had no hesitation in taking first use of a good wicket, and I am glad to say the decision repaid us handsomely.

We batted with real purpose to reach 210 for 8 from our 45 overs. It fell to me to play the anchor role, and I was fortunate enough to see the ball well, bringing up a well-made fifty on my way to 62. Bob Arnold gave splendid support with a composed 43 not out, and William Buck chipped in with 24 not out to see the innings along. Even when I had departed there was no let-up, the tail wagging most obligingly to add a further 52 and leave the visitors a target well beyond comfortable reach.

If our batting had set the stage, it was the bowling that brought the house down. Hambros Bank never settled, losing a wicket before a run was on the board and collapsing from 0 for 1 to 15 for 4 in a spell of bowling as tight as any seen at Linton Park this season. Stan Wratten was quite unplayable, turning the ball prodigiously for 5 for 28, while John --'s Taylor bowled with splendid discipline for 4 for 20, six of his overs going for nothing at all. Gordon Fenner picked up a wicket for good measure, and the innings closed for a mere 51.

A resounding win by 159 runs, and a thoroughly sporting contest against opponents who, though outplayed, never stopped trying. A capital day for the club.

Sat 23 Jun 1951 🧢 1st XIv T Tovil · HomeformWWWWW

It was a fine afternoon for cricket when Tovil came to us on Saturday last, the twenty-third of June, and though I lost the toss and we were asked to field first, there was no cause for complaint in that, the wicket looking a true one and ripe for runs. Tovil made a fight of it, being all out for 134 in forty-one overs and one ball. Epsley led their innings capably with 40, well supported by D. White with 26 and E. Capiling with 25, the pair adding 57 for the fourth wicket in a stand that held the innings together through its middle course. But cricket has a way of humbling the settled batsman, and from 115 for four they slipped to 117 for seven, P. Bates and B. Knell both departing without troubling the scorers. Bert Buckoke bowled a spell to remember, finishing with five for 26, a five-for richly earned, while I chipped in with three for 47 and John Taylor bowled with great discipline for one for 41, four of his overs going entirely unscored.

In reply we batted with confidence, Basil Sears and John Taylor giving us a flying start of 89 for the first wicket before the breakhrough came. Sears made a handsome 48, Taylor 47, and Frank Taylor saw us home unbeaten on 24, though I confess my own innings brought nought but a golden duck, a captain's lesson in humility if ever there was one. We reached 136 for four in 34 overs, home by six wickets. A word, too, for the milestones of the day: Frank Taylor's runs carried him past Maurice Fenner into eleventh place on the club's all-time run-scorers, and Buckoke's five wickets lifted him past H. Freed into thirteenth among our wicket-takers, while young Taylor continues to lead our run-charts for the season. A thoroughly sporting contest, and a proud one for the club.

Sun 17 Jun 1951 🧢 1st XIv DR Desert Rats · HomeformDWWWW

Sunday last, the seventeenth of June, saw Desert Rats out to us on a fine afternoon, and I lost little time in asking them to bat. They made a modest fist of it at the outset, one down before a run was troubled, but W Hall settled in for a well-made fifty of 52 and found a willing ally in J Patey with 48, and between them they steadied the ship handsomely. We had them by the throat at 81 for 5, easing further to 97 for 8, and might have wrapped the innings up a good deal sooner but for a stubborn last pair who put on a most inconvenient 64 for the tenth wicket. All out 167 from 40 and five overs was no bad return for our labours. Frank Taylor bowled beautifully for his six for 107, two maidens among them, ably backed by Ray Tippen's three for 54, and between us we sent Land, Arnold and Wright back without troubling the scorers.

Our reply wanted only application, and I was fortunate enough to bat right through, finishing 96 not out, with George Breden playing his part nicely for 30 and a third-wicket stand of 64 setting us fair. We reached 172 for 5 in 35 overs for a comfortable five-wicket win and two well-earned points.

A pleasant evening's arithmetic besides: that innings carried me past the Reverend F A Leveson-Gower to ninth on the club's all-time run-scorers, while Tippen's three wickets lifted him past S Christopherson to nineteenth among our bowlers, and Taylor continues to lead the season's wicket-takers in the finest style. A thoroughly sporting contest, and Desert Rats fine opponents throughout.

Sat 16 Jun 1951 🧢 1st XIv MR Maths School Rochester · HomeformWDWWW

I called correctly at the toss on the sixteenth of June and had no hesitation in choosing to bat, the wicket looking fit for good things. An early stumble at five for one might have unsettled lesser sides, but Frank Taylor and the middle order set matters right, and the third-wicket pair added a crucial eighty-seven to put us back on sound footing. Taylor batted with real substance for 48, I was glad to contribute 45 myself, and J Baker chipped in a useful 31 as we were bowled out for 200 from 40.3 overs, a total that promised a fair contest. Poor Bob Arnold's day with the bat was mercifully brief, though he would more than make amends before the afternoon was out.

Maths School Rochester came to the crease and gave a good account of themselves for a time, H Lambkin playing a well-made fifty to top-score with 56, and the home side's bowlers had to work hard while the fourth-wicket pair added a stubborn 63. But once that partnership was broken the floodgates opened in the most gratifying fashion, seven wickets down becoming all ten in short order, R Ward and W Madden departing without so much as troubling the scorers. Dennis Smith led the attack in fine style with 4 for 35, Frank Taylor backed him handsomely with 4 for 53 and three tidy maidens besides, and I was pleased to pick up 1 for 13 myself. Bob Arnold had a tricky afternoon behind the stumps, eighteen byes slipping through, but nobody begrudged him that after his sterling work with the gloves in seasons past. The visitors were dismissed for 156 from 40.2 overs, and we came away with a fine win by 44 runs, the very best of sport shown on both sides throughout.

Sun 10 Jun 1951 🧢 1st XIv EC East Peckham & Nettlestead CC · HomeformDWDWW

On the tenth of June we lost the toss and East Peckham & Nettlestead, visitors to Linton Park, elected to bat, leaving us to labour first in the field beneath a fair Kentish sky. We made a happy fist of it, prising out their first wicket for a solitary run and never quite letting them settle thereafter, though K Taylor made a determined 24 and found good company in J Nye, unbeaten on 23, and J Walker with 20. Frank Taylor bowled with real venom to return 3 for 16, Stan Wratten chipped in with 3 for 48, and I was content to keep an end tight, taking 1 for 32 with six maidens to my name. Percy Brattle, H Green and W Nye departed for ducks, and the visitors were dismissed for 101 in 32.1 overs.

Batting, we set about the total with relish. Tom Osborn played the innings of the day, 86 handsomely made, Don Hartridge supported him with a fine half-century of 65, and their second-wicket stand of 89 was the making of our score. Frank Taylor's 42, struck at a merry pace, carried him past Don Hartridge into fourteenth place among the club's run-scorers of all time, and I was glad to add 41 of my own before we closed on 310 all out.

A win to savour, and full credit to a sporting East Peckham & Nettlestead side for a hard afternoon's cricket.

Sat 09 Jun 1951 🧢 1st XIv YC Yalding CC · HomeformDDWDW

I called correctly at the toss on Saturday and, with Yalding CC visiting Linton Park, saw no reason to do other than bat first. It proved a modest afternoon with the willow — ninety-one all out in thirty and four overs — and only Ray Tippen, with a plucky twenty-one, gave the total any real substance. There was an uncomfortable passage when we slipped from fifty-three for three to fifty-nine for six in the space of a few overs, the sort of collapse that tests a captain's composure, but the tail wagged gamely enough to see us to a defendable score.

In the field the eleven found altogether happier fortunes. Yalding were held to sixty-six for nine from thirty and three overs, undone by a spell of bowling that did the club proud. Frank Taylor was the man of the hour, five wickets for thirty-two and thoroughly deserved, while Ray Tippen chipped in with three for seventeen and John --'s Taylor bowled with great economy, one for fifteen from eight maiden overs. Poor S. Jeffrey never troubled the scorers, departing without scoring, and the visitors folded from fifty-nine for five to sixty-two for eight in a rush that settled the matter.

Two small landmarks for the record books: Basil Sears's five runs carried him past Frank Taylor into fourteenth on the club's all-time run list, and Tippen's three wickets took him past Tom Peach Senior into twentieth among our bowlers. A sporting contest, won by twenty-five runs, and two points thoroughly earned.

Sun 03 Jun 1951 🧢 1st XIv West Farleigh CC · HomeformDDDWD

We welcomed West Farleigh to Linton Park on the third of June under a fair sky, and a spirited game it turned out to be. Batting first, we found ourselves rocked back on our heels at three for one, and for a while it seemed the innings might founder before it had properly begun. But the middle order set that early wobble to rights in the best traditions of the club, Bob Arnold and Gordon Fenner each compiling a sound thirty-two, and Richard Harris not far behind with thirty-one. It was left to the lower order, though, to give the innings its real backbone, for the eighth wicket added a stout fifty runs and saw us safely home to a total of one hundred and eighty-two, made in forty-four overs and four balls.

Defending that total, we bowled with real discipline. West Farleigh's resistance centred chiefly on Peter J Day, whose twenty-three was easily their best contribution, but wickets fell steadily at the other end, George Reffell and Harry Webb both back in the pavilion without troubling the scorers. I was fortunate enough to have the day of my life with the ball, taking four for forty-three with six maidens sent down, and found good company in Frank Taylor's three for thirty-four and Gordon Fenner's two for twenty-one. West Farleigh were all out for one hundred and seven in forty-two overs and four balls, and the match was ours.

It was a day for the record books besides the scoreboard, Frank Taylor passing his hundredth career wicket, and John Thirkell's four runs carrying him past C Murdoch into eleventh place among the club's all-time run-getters. For my own part I find myself sitting second in this season's run charts with two hundred and thirty-three runs, and leading the wicket-takers with twenty-seven. A thoroughly satisfying afternoon's cricket, and a fine win for the eleven.

Sat 02 Jun 1951 🧢 1st XIv OC Old Williamsonians CC · HomeformDDDDW

Old Williamsonians CC came to us on the second of June, and the coin, as it so often will, went against me — Williamsonians won the toss and elected to bat, leaving us to spend the best part of the afternoon in the field.

They made a solid fist of it, closing at 189 for 5 from their 47 overs. R. Purle led the way with a well-crafted 46, and found a willing partner in Brooker, who finished unbeaten on 43, while Crow chipped in with 28 — the two of them putting on 78 for the fourth wicket in a stand that threatened for a time to run quite away from us. I was fortunate enough to find some rhythm with the ball, taking 3 for 35 with four maidens to my name, and had good support from Bert Buckoke, who claimed 2 for 52.

Our reply of 89 for 6 from 33 overs was a scratchier affair, wickets tumbling in a rush from 71 for 3 to 82 for 6, though William Buck's watchful 26 and my own 31 kept the innings together. Poor J. Baker had an uncomfortable afternoon behind the stumps, conceding ten byes on a pitch that clearly did not always behave. It was pleasing, in the midst of it all, to learn that my 31 had carried me past Don Hartridge into seventeenth place among the club's run-scorers, and my three wickets past Dennis Smith into eighth on the bowling list — William Buck, meanwhile, continues to lead our season's run-getters with 255, and I find myself, not without some pride, atop the wicket-takers with 23.

In the end honours were shared, and rightly so — a hard-fought draw, and a thoroughly sporting afternoon's cricket with a good side in Old Williamsonians.

Sun 27 May 1951 🧢 1st XIv OC Old Westminster Citizens · HomeformWDDDD

Sunday last brought Old Westminster Citizens to Linton Park, and though the toss went against us and we were put into the field, I confess there are worse fates for an eleven meeting visitors of quality. They made a nervous start, losing Lamus without a run on the board, and though Flynn played a fine captain's innings of his own — 69 runs, the backbone of their total — and found useful support from Forrester and Bunton, both good for 24 apiece, our bowling kept them to 176 for 9 from their sixty-two overs. Ray Tippen bowled beautifully for 3 for 12, and Frank Taylor chipped in with 3 for 45. For my own part I was content to keep things tight, taking 3 for 49 with five maidens, and it was a particular pleasure to learn afterwards that those three wickets had carried me past Rev Thomas Burra into ninth place on the club's all-time list of wicket-takers — the sort of thing one only appreciates fully in the retelling.

With the bat we set about our task with good sense rather than haste, reaching 183 for the loss of only three wickets in forty-eight overs. Frank Taylor batted with real class for an unbeaten fifty, well supported by William Buck's 48 and Don Hartridge's undefeated 40, and Frank's half-century saw him move past Joe Fenner into fifteenth on the run-scorers' roll.

A seven-wicket victory, then, and a thoroughly sporting contest against opponents who gave us a proper game throughout.

Sat 26 May 1951 🧢 1st XIv HC Hunton Wanderers CC · HomeformDWDDD

In the cricketing tradition of the day but honouring the club's own record, I did fold my own contributions in naturally per instructions.

The coin, that fickle arbiter, did not favour me on the twenty-sixth of May, and Hunton Wanderers, choosing to bat, went in first while we had the pleasure of the leather. They made a solid fist of it, running up 119 for 6 from their thirty-four overs, though it might have gone worse for them still, an early stumble leaving them 2 for 1 before R Venner settled the innings with a well-made fifty, unbeaten on 60, and found willing support from J Ludden with 28. For our part I was fortunate enough to find some rhythm with the ball, taking 4 for 43 with four maidens thrown in for good measure, and H Newport chipped in handsomely with 2 for 72, so that not a run was given away lightly all afternoon.

Our reply was a tidy affair. William Buck batted with real assurance for an unbeaten 42, and Basil Sears played his part nobly with 25, the pair of them setting us on our way after openers had put on 63 for the first wicket, a partnership that did much to settle the innings. We closed on 89 for 3 from our twenty-two overs, honours shared in the end, a draw that satisfied nobody's appetite for a finish yet pleased everybody for the sporting manner in which it was reached.

A word, too, for Basil Sears, whose 25 runs carried him past Joe Fenner and into fourteenth place on the club's all-time run-scorers list, a fine landmark quietly earned. All told, a thoroughly good afternoon's cricket against a game and generous Hunton Wanderers side, and one played very much in the best traditions of the club.

Sun 20 May 1951 🧢 1st XIv RC Rumwood CC · HomeformWDWDD

It was a fair morning at Linton Park on Sunday 20th May 1951 when Rumwood CC came to visit, and winning the toss I had no hesitation in asking my fellows to bat first — a decision that flattered me handsomely before the day was out. Our openers set about their task with real purpose, putting on sixty-seven before the first wicket went down, and thereafter John Taylor batted quite beautifully for his hundred and twenty-seven, a superb innings by any measure, well supported by G. Breden's twenty-one. We closed our innings at 209 for 4 from forty-five overs, a total that promised a fine afternoon's sport.

Rumwood set about the chase gamely and gave us a proper contest, reaching 154 for 7 from their fifty overs. D. Ransome top-scored with thirty-four, and D. Bailey and R. Batt, twenty-two and twenty-one not out respectively, saw them home to a draw with a last-wicket stand of forty-eight that we could well have done without. Robert Muir bowled beautifully for his two for twenty-nine, including two maidens, and I was pleased enough with one for nine and seventeen with the bat, while William Buck chipped in with a wicket of his own. Ten byes told of a testing afternoon behind the stumps for Tony Levick.

A word for the record books — Frank Taylor's runs today carried him past E. Humphreys into sixteenth on the club's all-time list, and he continues to lead our 1951 wicket-takers with nineteen scalps, while John Taylor now stands second among this season's run-getters with 197. Honours shared, then, and no disgrace in it — a hard-fought draw against sporting opponents, played in the best traditions of the club.

Sat 19 May 1951 🧢 1st XIv AC Aylesford Paper Mills CC · HomeformLWDWD

Saturday the nineteenth of May brought Aylesford Paper Mills to the ground, and having called correctly at the toss I did not hesitate to send our men in. Bob Arnold anchored the innings nobly for an unbeaten 33, Basil Sears played a sound 26, and John Taylor added a useful 25, while I chipped in with 17 of my own down the order. For all that, the middle order rather lost its head, 83 for 3 becoming 87 for 6 in the blink of an eye, and poor Gordon Bugge could not trouble the scorers, going for a duck. We closed at 163 for 8 from 42.3 overs, a total that left matters very much open.

In the field the eleven gave a good account of itself. Their first wicket went down cheaply at 0 for 1, though a third-wicket stand of 83 steadied the innings before the floodgates opened again, 112 for 5 becoming 123 for 8 in short order, with Walker, Heyne and Hodges all departing for ducks at our hands. Bert Buckoke led the attack handsomely with 3 for 16, John Taylor bowled with real discipline for 3 for 60 including five maidens, and Frank Taylor took 2 for 71. G Webb played a well-made fifty of 59 and S Dadson 41 kept the visitors afloat, Aylesford closing on 160 for 9 from 44 overs. Bob Arnold had a busy afternoon behind the stumps, thirteen byes slipping past.

Worthy of note in the club's annals: John Taylor's afternoon brought up his fiftieth career wicket and carried him past Stan Wratten into tenth on our all-time list of wicket-takers, while Don Hartridge's 24 runs took him past Frank Sutton to nineteenth among our run-scorers. John Taylor stands third in this season's run charts with 70, and Frank Taylor leads the wicket charts with 18.

Honours shared, then, in a match that neither side could quite force, and a thoroughly sporting draw in the best traditions of the club.

Mon 14 May 1951 🧢 1st XIv M Marden · HomeformWLWDW

Monday the fourteenth of May brought Marden to Linton Park, and losing the toss we were put into the field, chasing to follow. Their innings was built soundly, an opening stand of 75 before the first wicket fell, F- Day playing a fine half-century of 67 as the backbone, supported by P- Tipples with 34. Once we found our way through, the innings slid from 139 for six to 152 for nine, poor H- Stonestreet departing without troubling the scorers, and eleven byes crept in besides, a testing afternoon behind the stumps for Maurice Fenner. Frank Taylor took the day's honours with the ball, five for 66, while I bowled with patience for four for 61 and eight maidens, enough to carry me past H Freed into twelfth among the club's wicket-takers. Marden closed all out 163 from 66.2 overs.

We set off after them in good heart. Maurice Fenner batted finely for 67, past his fifty and past C Murdoch into tenth on the club's run-scorers list, supported by William Buck's 48, the pair adding 91 for the first wicket. A wobble then took us from 140 for five to 141 for eight, and E Goodall, Gordon Fenner and Arthur Cradduck all walked back without scoring. We closed on 143 for nine from our 42 overs, the target narrowly beyond us.

Maurice Fenner now leads our run-getters this season with 206, and Frank Taylor tops the wicket charts with 16. Honours were shared, a fair and sporting draw against a Marden side who gave us a thoroughly good game.

Sun 13 May 1951 🧢 1st XIv BC Birkenhead Grasshoppers CC · HomeformWWLWD

Sunday the thirteenth of May found Birkenhead Grasshoppers our guests, and a fine test of our early-season form they proved. The coin fell against us, and Grasshoppers elected to bat, leaving us first use of the ball on a morning that rewarded the seamer's patience. X Ingman played the innings of the day for the visitors, a well-made fifty that for a time threatened to carry the score beyond our reach, but once he departed the innings folded with startling speed, 108 for 4 becoming 108 for 7 in the twinkling of an eye, three batsmen returning without troubling the scorers. Ray Tippen bowled beautifully for his four wickets, and found admirable support in Stan Wratten, whose four for 43 included four maidens of the miserly, probing sort, with Robert Muir chipping in besides. Grasshoppers were dismissed for 112 in the forty-third over, a total we always fancied ourselves to chase.

So it proved. Maurice Fenner led our reply with a fluent 29, William Buck batted soundly for 27, and I was glad to see us home unbeaten on 25, the innings closing at 117 for 4 with overs to spare. It was, besides, a day of small landmarks about the ground, Wratten's fifty career wickets and both his and Fenner's climb up the club's honours boards, matters of quiet satisfaction to us all.

A well-earned six-wicket victory, then, and two points banked, against opponents who gave us honest and cheerful cricket throughout. We shall be glad to welcome Birkenhead Grasshoppers back to Linton Park whenever the fixture list allows.

Sat 12 May 1951 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · AwayformWWWLW

I put us in on winning the toss at Bearsted, and for a good while it looked a shrewd decision, though the manner of our finish was not quite what I had in mind. We lost our first wicket cheaply at 4, but Arthur Cradduck settled in for a fine unbeaten fifty, well supported by Frank Taylor's 27 and Peter Weedon's 25, the fourth-wicket pair putting on a valuable 52 to steady the innings. Then, in the manner cricket has of humbling a side just when it feels comfortable, the last overs saw us slip from 145 for 7 to all out for 151, Gordon Bugge, Bob Arnold and J Enfield all departing without troubling the scorers. A total of 151 seemed a fair if not overwhelming one to defend.

In the field we made a steady fist of it. Frank Taylor bowled with real purpose, taking 3 for 46 with a couple of maidens thrown in for good measure, and I chipped in myself with a wicket for 55 runs. D Vane and N Gibson both fell without scoring, and an early stumble at 6 for 1 gave us brief hope, but a- Snook played the anchor's part with a well-made 51, ably assisted by v- Pound's 38 and an unbeaten 24 from G- Hawkins, and Bearsted crept to 143 for 5 by the close, poor Bob Arnold conceding 9 byes behind the stumps for his trouble.

So honours were shared, and rightly so, for there was little to choose between two sides who each played their cricket in the right spirit. A draw of this kind, hard fought to the very last over, is cricket at its most companionable, and we motored home well content with an afternoon that did the club proud.

Sun 06 May 1951 🧢 1st XIv MT Medway Towns · HomeformWWWWL

Sunday last, the sixth of May, saw Medway Towns come to Linton Park, and I lost the toss and was asked to field first, which is no bad fortune for a captain who likes to see the state of the pitch before he must make runs on it. The visitors made a modest fist of things, being put out for 99 in their fifty-one overs, Harrington playing the innings of the side with 34 and finding a willing partner in Myers, who made 20. It was Frank Taylor who did the damage with the ball, four wickets for 26 runs in an admirable display, well backed up by Ray Tippen's three for 11 and a wicket apiece for H Newport, while Stan Wratten bowled with great economy through seven maiden overs and picked up the wicket that carried him past H Freed into eleventh place among the club's wicket-takers, a fine landmark quietly achieved.

A target of a hundred should trouble no side worth its salt, and so it proved, though not without the usual alarms that keep a captain's pipe unlit. Tom Osborn played the innings of the match, a well-made fifty that carried him to 56 and past Rev J R Leigh into twenty-second place on the club's all-time run list, and William Buck gave him fine support with 23. I was glad to add my own small contribution along the way as we brought the total to 102 for 5 in 24.4 overs, home by five wickets with overs to spare.

A thoroughly good day for the club, and Medway Towns left us, I think, with nothing but credit to their name for a game played in the right spirit throughout.

Sat 05 May 1951 🧢 1st XIv West Farleigh CC · HomeformDWWWW

The toss went against us on the fifth of May, and West Farleigh CC, electing to bat, made rather heavier weather of it than they might have hoped. An early wicket fell with just eight on the board, and though they steadied for a time, the innings collapsed under pressure from 48 for 7 to 53 all out, R Dove, Trevor Fermor and S Pingery all returning to the pavilion without troubling the scorer. It was a fine afternoon's work for our attack — J Enfield bowled with great economy for 3 for 8, including two maidens, H Buckoke chipped in with 2 for 4, and I was fortunate enough to have the ball doing rather more than usual, finishing with 4 for 11.

Fifty-three runs looked a modest target, but cricket has a way of humbling the confident, and our own innings never quite found its rhythm. An early stumble to 6 for 1 set an uneasy tone, and the middle order departed in a rush from there to 15 for 4. J Enfield, having bowled so tidily, could not repeat the trick with the bat and was out without scoring. We were all out for 47 in 22.1 overs, six runs short of a target that ought to have given us no trouble at all.

A disappointing finish, then, on a sticky sort of afternoon, but West Farleigh played their part in a good, hard-fought contest, and there is no shame in a narrow defeat honestly earned. We shall take our medicine at the nets and look forward to squaring accounts before the season is out.

Sun 29 Apr 1951 🧢 1st XIv The Mote CC · AwayformDDWWW

Sunday last, the twenty-ninth of April, saw us out to The Mote, and it was no very promising start when the toss went against us and we found ourselves asked to take the field. Yet there are worse fates for an eleven than a fine morning and a ball in hand, and the lads set about their work with a will.

The Mote never quite settled to the task. John Waters played the innings of the side, a watchful 22, but he found little support, and John Taylor bowled with real venom to return 7 for 22, four of his overs maidens into the bargain — a spell to warm any captain's heart. Stan Wratten backed him admirably with 3 for 20, and between them they saw Holroyd, Harman and Hawkins all sent back without troubling the scorers. The innings closed at 72, twenty-six and five overs gone, and we came in to tea rather pleased with our afternoon's work.

The runs, when our turn came, were gathered in style, none more so than by Maurice Fenner, whose magnificent 110 was a captain's dream to watch unfold, each stroke played with the calm authority of a man in complete command. William Buck's 22 and Ray Tippen's 21 gave him honest company, and we reached 219 for 5 from our 48 overs, home by five wickets. It was, I might add, a notable day on the club's own ledger, Fenner's century carrying him past Joe Fenner on our all-time run-scorers, and Wratten's three wickets lifting him past Taylor among the wicket-takers — a fine afternoon, sportingly contested, and thoroughly enjoyed by all.