🧢 Captain's Log

Sun 28 Sep 1952 🧢 Marriedv Linton Park CC · HomeformW

On Sunday the 28th of September I led the eleven away from home, guests of a most hospitable side for what proved a fitting close to the season. The coin fell my way, and I asked my fellows to take first strike, trusting the wicket would favour good batting before the light drew in.

Trust well rewarded. Stan Wratten played an innings of real substance, seventy-nine runs of the soundest cricket, each stroke placed with the calm of a man who knows his ground. He found a willing ally in John Ames, whose own fifty-five was no less handsome, while Gordon Fenner chipped in a useful twenty further down the order. Between them our innings closed at 35 for 1 from six overs, every man playing a straight bat and asking nothing of fortune.

There was more to Wratten's innings than the runs alone, for his seventy-nine carried him past John Thirkell and into second place on the club's roll of honour for runs scored down the years, a distinction the whole eleven was glad to see recorded. It leaves him at the head of our married men's charts for the season, while young Thirkell continues to lead the bachelors with twenty-three.

In the end neither side could force home the advantage, and honours were shared, a draw that pleased both camps well enough. A fixture played throughout in the best traditions of the game, and I came away from the pavilion well satisfied with the afternoon's work.

Sun 21 Sep 1952 🧢 1st XIv HC Hayle Place CC · HomeformWDWWW

It was a fair, honest afternoon of cricket that we passed with Hayle Place CC, and one that rather typified the game at its best, for neither side could quite prise the other loose, and honours finished shared.

Put in to field first, we found Hayle Place in determined mood, and G Ashby set about compiling the runs that mattered, 43 well-made ones, with H Gosling weighing in with 27 and T Ewell 20 to carry the visitors to 155 all out from their 52.1 overs. Gordon Fenner bowled with real venom to return 4 for 34 and account for J Stinchcombe and C Pilbeam without troubling the scorers, and he had willing support from Frank Taylor, whose 2 for 46 came off a spell containing no fewer than 8 miserly maidens. I had the satisfaction of picking up a wicket myself, finishing with 1 for 21, a modest but useful contribution to the afternoon's work.

In reply we made steady if unspectacular progress to 131 for 7 from our 33 overs, William Buck top-scoring with a plucky 29, well supported by Don Hartridge's 28 and a brisk 20 from Taylor. Richard Harris was the one blot on an otherwise respectable card, undone for a duck, while poor Tony Levick had an uncomfortable time of it behind the stumps, conceding 9 byes on a pitch that clearly gave the bowlers some help.

There was cause for quiet celebration in the pavilion nonetheless, for Fenner's runs took him past Tom Osborn into 17th on the club's all-time run-scorers list, and Taylor's wickets lifted him past Fenner himself to the very top of our all-time wicket-taking table, a fine landmark achieved in the best traditions of the club. A draw it was, then, but a thoroughly sporting one, and Hayle Place left us, I think, with a proper respect for the fight in this Linton Park eleven.

Sat 20 Sep 1952 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · HomeformDWDWW

Saturday the twentieth of September brought Bearsted CC to us as visitors, and though the toss went against me, as it has rather too often this season, their captain elected to send us into the field first. I own I was not sorry, for the wicket had a touch of life in it, and I fancied our bowlers might make early hay.

So it proved. Bearsted were put out for 93 from their thirty-four overs, Tiley alone giving the innings any real substance with 36, while around him the middle order simply gave way, 24 for two crumbling to 30 for five before one had time to settle. Hawkins, Rayner and B. Elswood were all back in the pavilion without troubling the scorers, and it was Taylor who ran quite riot, taking the remarkable figures of six for 32, five of his overs maidens, not a run given away lightly. Tony Snell chipped in with three for 35 and Ray Tippen with one for 18.

Set so modest a target, we knocked off the runs for the loss of a single wicket, closing on 98 for one. Basil Sears played a fine, watchful innings of 52 not out to top-score, well supported by Stan Wratten, unbeaten on 20. There were milestones too — Sears's half-century carried him past Don Hartridge into seventh on the club's all-time run-scorers' list, while Tippen's wicket lifted him past W H Fryer into nineteenth among the wicket-takers. Wratten stands second in this season's run charts with 671, and Taylor leads the wicket-takers with 58, fine efforts both.

A win by nine wickets, and a thoroughly sporting game throughout, Bearsted giving of their best in defeat. Onwards, in the best traditions of the club.

Sun 14 Sep 1952 🧢 1st XIv MT Medway Towns · HomeformDDWDW

Medway Towns came to us on a fine Sunday, and when I lost the toss and heard we were asked to field, I own I was not altogether sorry, for our attack looked in good heart. The visitors made a solid 122 all out in forty-two overs, G. Lukehurst batting handsomely past his fifty to reach 62, though we had the satisfaction of sending F. Dixon back before he had troubled the scorers. It was John Taylor who did the real damage, spinning the ball prettily to finish with five for 45, well supported by John Ames with three for 44 and Frank Taylor with two for 7, while Tony Snell bowled four tidy maidens and gave the batsmen precious little to work with.

In reply we went about our task in good order, reaching 127 for four in thirty and one overs. I was fortunate enough to make 52 not out, and found willing company in William Buck, who played a plucky 32, and Stan Wratten with 22, the two of them helping to build a fourth wicket stand worth 67 that settled the matter comfortably. That innings carried me past Stan Wratten and into second place on the club's list of all-time run-scorers, while John Taylor's five wickets lifted him past Herbert Rayner into fourth among our wicket-takers, both fittingly earned on the same fine afternoon, and both men continue to head this season's run and wicket charts besides.

A sporting contest throughout, and a fine win by six wickets in the best traditions of the club.

Sat 13 Sep 1952 🧢 1st XIv YC Yalding CC · HomeformLDDWD

The pavilion was busy on the afternoon of Saturday 13th September, Yalding CC having come over to us in good heart, and I confess the coin gave me no comfort at all — theirs was the call, and they chose to take first strike. They settled in soundly enough, F Hooker leading with a watchful 47, W Norris following with 45 and J Sedge with 36, the two adding a stubborn 82 for the third wicket that for a while threatened to run clean away from us. But the eleven kept its nerve. S Oliver was sent back before he had troubled the scorers, and thereafter Gerald Wright bowled with real fire to finish with 5 for 68, John Taylor was miserly as ever with five maidens on his way to 4 for 54, and I was glad to chip in with 1 for 23. Yalding were all out for 175 from their forty-eight overs.

We opened our reply in the brightest fashion, 64 runs up before the first wicket fell, and though Yalding fought hard thereafter, John Taylor batted with real class to carry his innings through to 98, well supported by my own 38. We crossed the line by four wickets, a fine afternoon's work.

There was more than the result to savour on the walk back to the pavilion. My own score took me past two thousand runs for the club, and that single wicket carried me beyond old Bert Buckoke into eleventh place among our wicket-takers down the years. With 720 runs to my name this season and Taylor's 47 wickets leading the attack, the club is in the best of heart, and Yalding proved thoroughly sporting company throughout.

Sat 06 Sep 1952 🧢 1st XIv YC Yalding CC · AwayformWLDDW

The coin favoured us, and I elected that we should take first knock upon a pitch that promised runs to those with the patience to gather them. Yalding's bowling was made to work hard, for we ran up 215 for three in our thirty-nine overs, the innings built upon a second-wicket stand of 152 that set the whole tone of the day. I was fortunate enough to find my touch and carried my score to 120, a personal contribution that gave me no small satisfaction, while D Simmons batted soundly for 43 and Basil Sears chipped in with a useful 23.

In the field we set about defending the total, and though Yalding lost an early wicket with the score at a mere 2, they steadied through a third-wicket stand of 66 built by W Norris, whose 44 was the mainstay, ably assisted by A Stanley's 37 and F Hooker's 21. J Sedge and S Barden went back without troubling the scorers, and it was Frank Taylor who did the damage with a fine 4 for 27, Gerald Wright supporting him admirably with 3 for 20 and five miserly maidens. Eight byes gave our man behind the stumps a testing afternoon, and Yalding closed on 117 for seven.

It was, in the end, honours shared, and I could not begrudge the draw, for Frank Taylor's four wickets carried him past 200 for his career and to the top of the club's all-time list, a fine achievement worthy of the pavilion's warmest applause.

Sun 31 Aug 1952 🧢 1st XIv AX A Levick XI · HomeformLWLDD

A Levick XI came to us on the last Sunday of August, and winning the toss I had no hesitation in taking first strike upon a pitch I felt would reward patience. The early overs gave the eleven a fright, for we stumbled to 1 for 1 before the innings found its feet, but there is nothing like a touch of adversity to stiffen a batting order's resolve. Ray Tippen played the anchor's part to perfection, compiling a well-made fifty of 52, and found a willing ally in Gordon Fenner, whose 41 kept the score ticking along nicely. A stand of fifty for the seventh wicket saw us safely home to 153 all out in 45.4 overs, a total I felt might just be defended. For my own part I can claim no credit whatever, walking back first ball for a golden duck, the captain's unhappy lot on the day.

The Levick men came at us with spirit, and a partnership of 61 for the third wicket, built chiefly around J Coomber's polished 52, threatened for a while to run clean away with the match. But Ray Tippen, following his runs with the ball, bowled with real venom for figures of 3 for 30, while John --'s Taylor, miserly as ever with four maidens to his name, claimed 3 for 40, and Tony Snell chipped in usefully with 2 for 27. Between the three of them the innings was broken up, and the visitors were dismissed for 135 in 37.3 overs.

It was, in the end, a fine win by eighteen runs, thoroughly deserved. Gordon Fenner passed the notable landmark of two hundred career wickets in the same afternoon, a fitting reward for long and faithful service, and as the season stands Don Hartridge lies fifth in our run getters' list with 406 while John --'s Taylor leads the wicket takers with 43. A Levick XI played their part like true sportsmen throughout, and I could not have wished for a happier way to close out the month.

Sat 30 Aug 1952 🧢 1st XIv HC Hunton Wanderers CC · AwayformLLWLD

Saturday last, the thirtieth of August, found us away to Hunton Wanderers, and the coin falling kindly I had no hesitation in sending us in to bat on a fair enough looking wicket. We laboured a little for our 150 for 9 from 47 overs, Taylor's innings of 54, well past his fifty, giving the whole affair its backbone, ably supported by D Simmons with 26 and Arthur Cradduck with 23, the pair adding 59 for the second wicket in a partnership that held things together nicely. Thereafter came one of those collapses that try a captain's composure, 98 for 2 becoming 108 for 5 almost before one had noticed, and I must own to a blot of my own upon the card, for I fell for nought, as did H Newport — we shall draw a veil over it and press on.

Called upon to defend so modest a total, the eleven bowled with real heart. I found some rhythm myself, finishing with 3 for 27, well supported by Taylor's tidy 1 for 42, three of his overs maidens, and Gerald Wright's 1 for 65. Hunton replied with 142 for 6 from 42 overs, A Pilcher's well-made 67 the chief obstacle, backed by G Lambell's 29 and J Ludden's 27, their openers laying a platform of 66 before the first wicket fell, though we had the satisfaction of sending C Fenner back without troubling the scorers, and watched them subside from 140 for 3 to 142 for 6 as the overs ran their course.

Honours were shared, a draw that flattered neither side, and a thoroughly sporting afternoon against generous opponents. Taylor continues to lead our wicket-takers this season with forty, and Don Hartridge sits a creditable fifth among our run-getters with 401 — fair reward for an honest summer's endeavour from the whole eleven.

Sun 24 Aug 1952 🧢 1st XIv HH Halfway House · HomeformDLLWL

It was Halfway House at home on the Sunday, and a fine batting pitch it looked from the moment we lost the toss and were sent into the field. Robin Bush played the innings of the day, seventy-four not out and never in a hurry about it, while Jack Whibley gave him sturdy company with sixty-two and Don Capeling chipped in twenty-six. We had them 7 for one and dared to dream, but a partnership of sixty-three for the third wicket settled their nerves, and a last pair we thought well beaten added a further forty-five that we could happily have done without. John Ames bowled with real purpose for three for fifty-three, Stan Wratten took two for fifty-five, and Tony Snell, tight as ever with two maidens, picked up one for sixty-nine and had E Putwain back in the pavilion without troubling the scorers. Two hundred and thirty-five for six from their fifty-five overs was a stiff target to chase.

Our reply never quite found its stride against a target of that size, though there was no want of application. Tom Osborn played the anchor's part beautifully for forty-five, Stan Wratten made a useful thirty-one, and Tony Levick twenty, though his afternoon behind the stumps told a different tale, with ten byes conceded testifying to a lively surface. I was glad to add my own fifteen down the order. We closed on a hundred and forty-eight for seven from our forty-seven, honours even, and a word of note for Tom Osborn, whose forty-five carried him past Gordon Fenner to seventeenth on the club's all-time run-scorers list, a fine landmark on a day when nobody quite claimed the spoils. A draw, then, and no dishonour in it either.

Sat 23 Aug 1952 🧢 1st XIv CA Charles Arkcoll · HomeformWDLLW

Saturday last, the twenty-third of August, saw Charles Arkcoll come to us as visitors, and a right good contest we made of it. Winning the toss, I had no hesitation in taking first strike, and though the decision looked a shade forlorn when we slipped to 6 for 1, the eleven soon settled to its task. I was fortunate enough to find some form myself, and a half-century of 75 was the backbone of the innings, with Arthur Cradduck lending sterling support in a knock of 22. The sixth wicket produced a partnership of 88 that did much to rescue the afternoon, though the tail, alas, did not wag, and from a promising 116 for 7 we were bowled out for 127 in short order, D Simmons, Gordon Bugge and Bob Arnold all making the sorry walk without troubling the scorers.

In the field we set about defending our total with a will. The visitors' openers gave us an anxious spell, putting on 77 before the first breakthrough came, and Randolph Thompson's 36, well supported by Ken Heathfield's 34 and Stan Wratten's 32, carried them to 133 for 5 in their thirty-eight overs. D Simmons bowled with real purpose to finish with 2 for 23, while P Ruddy and Bert Buckoke chipped in usefully, and Gerald Wright was miserly indeed, sending down seven maidens. Poor Bob Arnold had a trying afternoon behind the stumps, nine byes going begging.

It was not our day, the visitors deserving their victory by five wickets, but the lads may hold their heads high for a sporting contest played in the best traditions of the club, and we shall be back at the nets before the week is out.

Sun 17 Aug 1952 🧢 1st XIv MA Mote A · HomeformLWDLL

As soon as we lost the toss call — no, wait, the coin fell our way and I sent Mote A in to field. Here is the report.

We won the toss on Sunday and I had no hesitation in asking the eleven to bat first, the wicket looking fair enough to reward application. It did not run entirely to plan. Gordon Fenner played the innings of the day, an unbeaten 45 that carried us through the middle order, and there was a fine rearguard from the ninth wicket, worth a crucial 54, that rather rescued matters after a collapse from 63 for five to 68 for eight had threatened to undo us. Tony Snell and Gerald Wright were both unlucky enough to depart without troubling the scorers, but the tail wagged gamely and we closed on 132 all out from our forty overs, a total that felt a good deal better than it might have done an hour earlier.

Mote A began confidently through C. Harman, who made 27, well supported by G. McCabe with 21, and for a spell it looked a formidable chase. But J. Waters and A. Stewart both went for ducks, and thereafter the innings simply came apart in my hands. I found rhythm early and kept it, finishing with 6 for 40 and thirteen maidens into the bargain, while John Ames chipped in with 2 for 17 and Fenner with 2 for 30 to squeeze the runs away. Poor Tony Levick had an anxious afternoon behind the stumps, eighteen byes going begging, though nobody begrudged him on a pitch that turned as sharply as ours did. Mote A were all out for 108 from 56.3 overs, and we had got over the line by 24 runs, a thoroughly satisfying afternoon's cricket and a good day for the club.

Sun 10 Aug 1952 🧢 1st XIv LC Lenham CC · AwayformDLWDL

Here is the match report for the gazette.

Sunday last found us away at Lenham, and the coin did nothing to oblige us, their captain calling correctly and electing to bat on a pitch that promised, and largely delivered, a fair day's cricket. They made a nervous start, losing a wicket before a run had been troubled, but rallied through the middle order behind D. La Plain, whose fifty-nine was the innings' backbone, with C. Cole and S. Holloway lending sound support. A stubborn seventh-wicket stand added fifty-three at a crucial hour and threatened to take the game beyond us, but our bowlers would not be denied. Gordon Fenner bowled with real heart for four for twenty-five, his three maidens speaking to a spell of proper discipline, and found willing company in Tony Snell and John Ames. Lenham were dismissed for one hundred and eighty-one.

Our reply never quite settled, though it was not for want of trying. John Ames played the innings of the day, a fine fifty-two, and found sturdy allies in Don Hartridge with forty and myself, contributing thirty-three. A useful second-wicket partnership of sixty-five gave us heart after an early loss, but too many of the middle and lower order fell without troubling the scorer, and sixteen byes told of a wicketkeeper having anything but an easy afternoon. We were all out for one hundred and forty-eight, thirty-three runs shy of the target.

A defeat, then, but no disgrace in it — Lenham held their nerve at the right moments and thoroughly deserved their day. We shall take the lesson back to the nets and look forward to squaring accounts another time.

Mon 04 Aug 1952 🧢 1st XIv LX Lord Cornwallis XI · HomeformDDLWD

I lost the toss and Lord Cornwallis XI put us into the field, which suited them rather better than it suited us in the end.

Their innings settled early into serious business, though not before a shaky start had us hoping, at 2 for 1, that the day might belong to us. It was not to be, for J. Pocock played an innings of real quality, going on to a superb unbeaten hundred, and found willing company in J. Larking, whose 36 kept the score moving, and Tom Osborn, who added a useful 26. The fourth wicket produced a stand of 104 that undid much of our earlier good work, and their eight declared, or rather closed, at 206 for 4 from their 48 overs. Gordon Fenner bowled with real heart for his 2 for 52, four of his overs going for nothing at all, and John Ames gave sturdy support with 1 for 35.

Set 207 to win, we began in the best of style, Maurice Fenner and his opening partner putting on 70 before the first wicket went down. Fenner went on to a fine half-century, 52 in all, well backed by Stan Wratten's 33 and John Ames's 24, and I was glad to contribute a modest 24 of my own along the way. But wickets fell steadily thereafter and we were all out for 167 in 36.4 overs, poor Gordon Fenner completing a chastening afternoon with a duck to match his bowling figures, while Tony Levick had a trying time behind the stumps, eight byes going begging.

There was much to be cheerful about besides the result. Stan Wratten brought up 2,000 runs for the club, a fine landmark and thoroughly deserved, and Maurice Fenner's innings carried him past Ernest Cruttenden into fourteenth on the club's all-time list. We were beaten by 39 runs, no disgrace against a side of that quality, and we shall be back at the nets directly, heads up, ready to try again.

Sun 03 Aug 1952 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformWDDLW

I called correctly at the toss on a fine Sunday afternoon at home, the third of August, and had no hesitation in choosing to take first knock. It proved a sound decision, for the wicket played kindly enough, and we settled to our work with the eleven ready to build something substantial before tea.

John Ames gave the innings its backbone, a fine half-century of 66 struck with real authority, and found willing company in William Buck, whose 34 helped forge a stand of 89 for the second wicket that put us on firm footing. Maurice Fenner chipped in usefully with 27, and I was glad to add my own small contribution of 16 further down the order. Not every man enjoyed such fortune, however — poor Gordon Fenner endured the long walk back for a duck, and must console himself that such things come to us all in this game sooner or later. All told we were bowled out for 213 in 43.4 overs, a total built on watchful batting and one or two passages of real enterprise.

It is worth remarking, for the club's records, that William Buck's innings keeps him handsomely placed third in the First XI's run charts for the season, with 404 to his name — a fine and consistent return that speaks well of his summer's work.

In the end neither side could force home advantage, and honours were shared in a draw that satisfied both camps. A fair result, I thought, and a thoroughly agreeable afternoon's cricket played very much in the best traditions of the club.

Sun 27 Jul 1952 🧢 1st XIv FC Folkestone CC · HomeformWWDDL

We welcomed Folkestone CC to Linton Park on a fine Sunday, and I confess the toss went against us — their captain called correctly and elected to bat, leaving us first use of the ball. It proved no bad thing. Tony Snell settled quickly into his stride and spun through their order in the finest style, finishing with five for thirty-five, ably supported by Gerald Wright with four for thirty-seven. The Folkestone innings never truly found its feet, the first wicket going down for a mere two runs, and both S Godden and J Court departed without troubling the scorers. Only Ernie Thunder, with a plucky twenty-three, gave their total any respectability, and they were all out for ninety in five and twenty overs and five balls.

A target of ninety-one asked no great questions of us, though a cricket pitch has a way of humbling the complacent, and Basil Sears fell for a duck to remind us the game is never quite so simple as the arithmetic suggests. It was Stan Wratten who set matters right, playing a fine, watchful innings of thirty-five that anchored our reply and confirmed him once again as the mainstay of our batting this season, his tally now standing at five hundred and fifty-eight runs for the summer. I was glad to see the side home from my place in the field, and we reached our target for the loss of five wickets with overs to spare.

A thoroughly sporting contest, and Folkestone left the pavilion with our thanks and good wishes for the remainder of their season.

Sat 26 Jul 1952 🧢 1st XIv Town Malling CC · HomeformLWWDD

I match ends at 161 for Town Malling, then our reply of 130, giving them the game by 31 runs. Here's the report.

The toss went against us and, seeing the wicket to their liking, Town Malling elected to bat, which left us in the field a good while under the Saturday sun. They made steady progress to 161 all out in 34.3 overs, Raymond Hollands playing the innings of the day with 45, well supported by W Durtnal with 22 and R Chambers unbeaten on 21. Bill Hall bowled with real heart for 3-37, keeping things tight with two maidens along the way, while Gordon Fenner chipped in with 3-40 and Tony Snell with 2-47. We had the satisfaction of sending W Paish back without so much as a run to his name.

A target of 162 looked within our compass, but our reply never quite settled. I was fortunate enough to find some form and carried the innings with 41, with Gordon Bugge lending good support in a knock of 20, yet the middle order came apart in a rush from 103-4 to 111-7 and we were all out for 130 in the fortieth over. Gordon Fenner's duck was a rare blot on an otherwise useful afternoon's work from him with the ball.

There was, at least, one thing for the mantelpiece: Bill Hall's three wickets took him to fifty for the club and past H G Smith to fourteenth on our all-time list, a fine landmark earned the hard way. Not our day, then, beaten by 31 runs, but no disgrace in it against a side who batted and bowled with real purpose. Heads up, and back to the nets.

Sun 20 Jul 1952 🧢 1st XIv J J.G.Larking's · HomeformLLWWD

We lost the toss on Sunday and were put in to field, which on a fine July afternoon against J.G. Larking's is no light undertaking. And so it proved, for their captain played the very innings his name suggests, going to three figures with 104 while A. Hughes stayed to make a handsome 66 and J. May chipped in a well-made fifty of his own. The opening pair put on 168 before we could prise them apart, and though we sent R. Dollingmore back without troubling the scorers, the visitors declared themselves content at 291 for 5 from their forty-nine overs. Bill Hall led our attack manfully for 2 for 44, with Ray Tippen and Tony Snell chipping in a wicket apiece, and John Ames bowled two tidy maidens to keep matters honest.

Set that mountain to climb, we replied with 203 for 9 from forty-eight overs, Bill Hall again to the fore with 47, John Ames following with 43, and I was glad to add 26 of my own down the order. Tony Levick had a busy afternoon behind the stumps, nineteen byes finding their way past him on a lively pitch. It was a day for the record books besides, Tom Osborn's 17 runs carrying him past C. Murdoch on the club's all-time run list, and Bill Hall's wickets lifting him past H. Freed among our leading bowlers.

Honours were shared in the end, a draw that flattered neither side unduly but left both, I fancy, well satisfied with an afternoon's cricket played in the right spirit.

Sun 13 Jul 1952 🧢 1st XIv RL R Langridge · HomeformDLLWW

I called correctly at the toss on Sunday and, the wicket looking a fair one, had no hesitation in choosing to bat. R Langridge could have no complaint at the fare we served them, for we ran up 243 for the loss of only three wickets in our forty-five overs, an innings built on a splendid opening stand of 114 before the first wicket fell. Stan Wratten was the architect of it all, batting through to 118 not out in a truly superb hundred, and he found a willing lieutenant in John Taylor, who passed his fifty in style on his way to 63. I contributed a modest 22 myself, glad enough to see the innings carried to such a commanding total.

In the field we found R Langridge made of sterner stuff, and honours in the bowling were shared about the side. John Ames led the attack nobly with 2 for 41, while Gordon Fenner and Frank Wright each picked up a wicket apiece, Fenner's for 28 and Wright's for 46, and D Parry was sent back to the pavilion without troubling the scorers. Yet J Smith batted with great composure for an unbeaten 80, well supported by W Hall's unbeaten 48 and R Driver's useful 28, their second-wicket pair adding a crucial 50, and the visitors closed on 169 for four from their forty-two overs, safely out of our reach.

So the game finished level, honours shared, neither side able to force the issue on a good batting day. A thoroughly sporting contest, played in the best traditions of the club, and R Langridge proved most agreeable opponents to share an afternoon with.

Sat 12 Jul 1952 🧢 1st XIv T Tovil · HomeformDDLLW

It was Tovil we entertained on Saturday, and the toss going against us we were content enough to take the field first, for a pitch is always the more interesting proposition when there are wickets to be had. Our visitors put together 113 all out in 38.3 overs, S. White leading their effort with a watchful 30, well supported by D. Leale's 22 and W. Baker's 21, though the middle order rather lost its nerve, subsiding from 109 for 4 to 110 for 7 in short order. Tony Snell bowled with real fire to take 4 for 17, Bill Hall was miserliness itself with 4 for 26 from four maidens, and John --'s Taylor chipped in with a wicket for 28.

Set 114 to win, we made rather harder work of it than the figures perhaps warranted, closing on 155 for 7 from 42.3 overs. Basil Sears played the innings of the day with a fine 45, Bill Hall followed handsomely with 29, and John --'s Taylor added a valuable 23, a knock that carries him past Frank Taylor into fourth place among the club's all-time run-scorers. I was glad to add 19 of my own along the way. Bill Hall's four wickets, meanwhile, lift him past Herbert Sunley into sixteenth on the club's all-time list of wicket-takers, a fine season's work in every department.

A hard-fought three-wicket victory, then, and two points thoroughly earned, in the best traditions of the club.

Sun 06 Jul 1952 🧢 1st XIv OM Old Maidstonians · HomeformWDDLL

John Thirkell writes:

We lost the toss on a fine Sunday and Old Maidstonians, quite reasonably, elected to have first use of a good batting wicket. They made their way to 188 all out in 55.4 overs, Francis batting soundly for 45 and finding good company in Sayer, who made 30, while Benger stayed to the end unbeaten on 21. Poor Beresford was sent back without troubling the scorers, which was harsh on him if nothing else. Bill Hall bowled beautifully to take 3 for 32, five of his overs going for nothing at all, and I was glad to lend a hand with 3 for 33, John Ames rounding things off with 3 for 54 in support.

Set 189 to win, we went about our business with a will. Frank Taylor played the innings of the day, a well-made fifty carrying him to 61, and found a stout ally in Bill Hall, who made 42 in his turn, while Gordon Fenner finished unbeaten on 36. The two of them put on 78 for the fifth wicket, which was very much the making of the innings, and we reached 189 for 5 in 34 overs for a five-wicket win. William Buck had rather a busy afternoon behind the stumps, ten byes going begging, but nothing was allowed to spoil a thoroughly happy day.

It was pleasing, too, to see Frank Taylor's innings carry him up to fourth on the club's all-time run-scorers list, and my own modest 3 wickets took me past the Reverend Thomas Burra into twelfth on the wicket-takers' roll. A fine, sporting contest throughout, and a satisfying win to carry back to the pavilion.

Sat 05 Jul 1952 🧢 1st XIv CA Charles Arkcoll · AwayformDWDDL

We travelled down to Charles Arkcoll in fair spirits on the Saturday, and lost the toss, which meant a spell of chasing leather before we could think of runs. There are worse things than opening with the ball on a warm afternoon, and I fancy our fellows were not sorry for it.

It proved a happy arrangement, for we bowled with real snap and had the home side rocking from 9 for 1 to 21 for 4 before they had settled to anything. Humphrey Morris went without troubling the scorers, and thereafter the innings never gathered itself, the whole side folding for 71 in 23.3 overs. I found my length early and finished with 6 for 30, two of those overs maidens, which I set down here once and gladly leave at that. Frank Taylor bowled his heart out alongside me for 4 for 35, and between us there was precious little charity in it.

Set a modest target, we contrived to make hard work of it. An early wicket with the total on 2 was an unpromising start, and a flurry of wickets carried us from 18 for 1 to 18 for 4 before Bob Arnold, with a plucky 21, held things together as best he might. P Ruddy departed for nought, and we were bowled out for 63 in 29.5 overs, eight runs shy of the mark.

Not our day, then, though a proud one in its way, for those six wickets carried me past fifty for my career and beyond H G Smith into thirteenth on the club's all-time list, while I sit second in this season's run charts with 371 and Frank Taylor leads the wickets with 32. We shall be back at the nets, none the worse for a sporting defeat.

Sun 29 Jun 1952 🧢 1st XIv SC Selsted CC · HomeformWDWDD

Late June found the sky over Linton kind to us, though Selsted's bowlers were not, and having lost the toss we were sent into the field. Fletcher gave us the sternest of afternoons, carrying his bat to an imperious 140 not out, and found willing partners in Godden with 26 and Dearman with 21, their second-wicket stand of 66 the platform on which the whole innings was built. We stuck to our task manfully enough — Clive Smith the pick of us with 2 for 41, and I was glad enough of my own 2 for 42, with Stan Wratten close behind on 2 for 62, while Gordon Fenner bowled with real discipline, three maidens to his name. Even so, 246 for 8 from their fifty-five overs was a formidable total to chase, and one felt it in the shoulders before a ball had been faced in reply.

Our reply began famously, Wratten and Smith putting on 85 for the first wicket in the brightest strain of batting, and for a while it seemed the game might yet be ours. But cricket has its cruelties, and 85 for 1 became 102 for 4 almost before one had settled back into one's deckchair, the middle order undone in a rush. Wratten's 47 and Smith's 41 remained the innings' twin pillars, yet the tail could not quite repair the damage, and we were all out for 156 in the fifty-third over, poor Tony Levick's afternoon behind the stumps fairly summed up by eight byes conceded.

Beaten by 90 runs, then, but not disgraced, and Fletcher's century will long be remembered at Linton Park as an innings worth losing to. We shall be better for it next Sunday.

Sat 28 Jun 1952 🧢 1st XIv MA Mote A · AwayformDWDWD

He met us with a shake of the head — no luck with the coin — and Mote A's captain, calling correctly, chose to bat, on a pitch that looked, if anything, a shade too kind to the bat. We took the field in good heart, and early promise, a wicket down for six, could not quite be sustained, for the home side settled in handsomely thereafter. Ian Milstead played the innings of the day, a well-made fifty of 61, finding support from G. Woodhams with 43 and H Hawkins with 26; a fourth-wicket stand worth 76 did the real mischief. Basil Sears bowled beautifully for his 4 for 27, Tony Snell kept him honest company with 2 for 58, and Robert Muir chipped in with 1 for 40, while Johnson was sent back without troubling the scorers. They closed on 193 for 8 from their forty overs.

In reply we never quite settled to the task, closing on 129 for 7. Basil Sears, not content with his bowling, gave us a fine half-century of 54, and Don Hartridge supported handsomely with 32, the two putting on 98 for the third wicket and giving us real hope of the runs. But 120 for 3 became 122 for 6 in a few unhappy overs, J. Shuttleworth departed for nought, and I must own to leading from the front in quite the wrong direction, undone myself without troubling the scorers — a captain is meant to set the example, and on this occasion I set rather too plain a one.

There was still cause for quiet satisfaction in the pavilion, Sears's fifty having carried him past H G Smith and up to ninth on the club's all-time list of run-scorers. The season's ledger reads pleasantly too, with William Buck third among our run-getters on 332 and myself fourth among the bowlers with thirteen wickets. In the end neither side could force the issue, and honours were shared — a draw that flattered nobody, disappointed nobody, and, on such an afternoon, no bad way to spend a Saturday.

Sun 22 Jun 1952 🧢 1st XIv RB R H Birketts · HomeformWDWDW

It was a fine June morning at Linton Park when Birketts arrived to play us, and though I lost the toss and we were asked to field, I confess I took no great sorrow from it, for our bowlers were in a mood to be busy. The visitors made a watchful start and reached 71 for 4 before the innings began to totter alarmingly, four wickets tumbling for a mere fourteen runs to leave them 85 for 7 and wondering how the game had slipped from them. Dunster batted soundly for his 28 and deserved better support than he found, for Chance and Ruddy were both sent back to the pavilion without troubling the scorers, and the whole side were dismissed for 102 from their 38 overs.

I was fortunate enough to find my rhythm with the ball that afternoon, finishing with 4 for 17 and six maidens into the bargain, while Bill Hall bowled with real purpose for 3 for 30 and Gordon Fenner chipped in with 2 for 30. Behind the stumps it was a testing day for Bob Arnold, eight byes being conceded, though no one begrudged him that on a pitch offering the bowlers such encouragement.

Our reply amounted to only 10 without loss from nine overs before stumps were drawn, honours shared between two sides neither of which could force the issue. A thoroughly sporting contest, and one played very much in the best traditions of the club, with Stan Wratten's 350 runs and my own 31 wickets standing as fair testimony to a season going pleasantly for the eleven.

Sat 21 Jun 1952 🧢 1st XIv AC Aylesford Paper Mills CC · HomeformDWDWD

We entertained Aylesford Paper Mills CC on Saturday last, the 21st of June, and I lost the toss, which meant an afternoon in the field before ever we could show what our bats might do. An early stumble left us looking anxiously at nought for one, but the visitors settled well enough thereafter. R Harvey anchored their innings in fine style for an unbeaten 53, well supported by J Overy's polished 52 and E Carrington's 42, and it was a stubborn eighth-wicket stand of 98 that stretched our patience longest before the innings closed at 217 for eight from their 48 overs. D Simmons led our attack handsomely with 3 for 45, J Baker and H Newport chipped in with two apiece, and I had the pleasure of two maidens and the wicket of G Webb, who departed without troubling the scorers — a wicket that, I am told, carries me past Herbert Sunley into fifteenth place on the club's all-time list, which is no small thing to a man who chiefly fancies himself a batsman.

Set a fair target, we went about our business with purpose. A second-wicket stand of 106 between William Buck and myself laid the foundation, and I was glad to lead from the front with 107 before Don Hartridge's brisk 29 carried us home at 221 for four in 38 overs and four balls, six wickets in hand. Buck's 47 with the bat rather outshone his afternoon behind the stumps, where eight byes escaped his gloves, but no matter — a sporting contest, handsomely won, and Aylesford Paper Mills left us, I trust, with nothing but goodwill for the return fixture.

Sun 15 Jun 1952 🧢 1st XIv SB 1st Innings Hambros Bank · HomeformWDWDW

Sunday last, the fifteenth of June, saw us at home to Hambros Bank, and winning the toss I had no hesitation in taking first use of a wicket that promised well — the right call, as it proved. Stan Wratten and his partner set about the bowling with real authority, the openers carrying us to 165 before the first wicket fell, and from so handsome a platform the innings could only prosper. Wratten went on to a fine 91, William Buck followed him past his fifty to 65, and John Ames chipped in with a useful 39, so that we closed at a most satisfactory 244 for 6 from 43.3 overs. Only poor Don Hartridge, out without troubling the scorers, had cause to hang his head on the walk back to the pavilion.

Hambros Bank never looked like matching so handsome a total. An early stumble at 4 for 1 set the tone, and though R Richardson battled manfully to 36, the innings subsided from 80 for 7 to 87 all out in a little over thirty overs, R Harlow among those to depart for a duck. The honours of the day belonged to Taylor, whose 5 for 40, six of them maidens, was bowling of the highest class, well supported by Fiennes Cornwallis with 3 for 41 and a single wicket for Ames.

There was cause for quiet satisfaction beyond the day's play, too. Buck's innings carried him past Arthur Cornwallis into sixth place among the club's run-getters, while Wratten and Taylor continue to head the season's charts with bat and ball respectively. In the end honours were shared, a draw that flattered neither side unduly, and a thoroughly sporting afternoon's cricket between two well-matched elevens.

Sat 14 Jun 1952 🧢 1st XIv Headcorn CC · AwayformDWDWD

Skipper's Log — Saturday 14 June 1952

The coin went against us on a fine June morning at Headcorn, and their captain, needing no second invitation, chose to bat. We took the field in good heart, and it proved a happy decision by circumstance if not by choice, for the wicket gave our bowlers every encouragement. Wickets fell steadily from the off, and once they had slipped from thirty-one for five to thirty-four for eight there was no way back for them. John Taylor bowled quite beautifully, spinning through their order for six for thirteen, and found staunch support in Bill Hall, whose four for seventeen, built on four maidens, gave the batsmen not an inch of comfort. Headcorn were all out for a modest thirty-seven, and a fine morning's work it was.

Our reply began shakily, a wicket down with only four runs to our name, but Don Hartridge played the innings of the day, forty-one runs of real substance, well supported by Bill Hall's thirty-one and William Buck's twenty-nine, the two of them adding a valuable sixty-four for the fourth wicket. I own to a blot on my own card, having fallen for nought myself, a matter best passed over swiftly. We were all out for one hundred and forty-three, runs enough and to spare.

It was, besides, rather a notable afternoon for the club's records, with Hartridge's innings bringing up his thousandth run in our colours, and both Buck and Hall climbing the club's honours boards. A thoroughly satisfying win, and a credit to all who took the field.

Sun 08 Jun 1952 🧢 1st XIv OS old shootershillians · HomeformWDWDW

Sunday last we welcomed Old Shootershillians to our ground, and calling correctly at the toss I had no hesitation in batting first. Stan Wratten was in glorious form, reaching three figures no less, and found fine company in John Ames, who made 40, and Don Hartridge, unbeaten on 38. The third wicket added a valuable 67, and a defiant last-wicket stand of 44 gave the total real respectability, our eleven closing on 260 for 6 from 54 overs, to which I was glad to add 18 of my own.

The visitors replied with spirit. P- Riley carried his bat to 43 not out, well supported by a- Henry, unbeaten on 38, and P- Walter with 26, the three building on an opening stand of 51 that held their innings together. Stan Wratten led our attack with 1 for 34, and John --'s Taylor chipped in with 1 for 42, while Bob Arnold had a trying afternoon behind the stumps, 11 byes slipping through on a tricky surface. They closed on 139 for 2 from their 24 overs.

It was a day for the record books besides, for Stan Wratten's hundred carried him past me into second place on the club's all-time run-scorers, and he now leads our 1952 run charts with 254, while John --'s Taylor stands third among this season's wicket-takers with 16.

Honours were shared in the end, neither side able to force the issue, and Old Shootershillians proved most agreeable opponents in a thoroughly sporting draw.

Sat 07 Jun 1952 🧢 1st XIv Town Malling CC · AwayformDWDWD

Saturday last found us at Town Malling, and calling correctly at the toss I had no hesitation in asking the eleven to bat first. It proved a sound enough notion, though not without its alarms, for William Buck gave the innings its backbone with a splendid 47, and John Thirkell batted with great good sense to finish 32 not out. I contributed 25 myself, and for a time all went merrily, 82 for 2 becoming, in the twinkling of an eye, 100 for 5 — a collapse that took the shine off matters before the innings closed at 152 for 7 from our 43 overs.

Town Malling's reply began purposefully, J- Lewis playing the innings that mattered with 34, well supported by W- Bailes with 29 and B- Simpson with 27. But the middle order could not hold, and 100 for 5 subsided to 108 for 8 as the pressure told, three batsmen — M- Wheatley, John Blake and v- Royals — returning without troubling the scorers. John Thirkell bowled quite beautifully for 5 for 25, Frank Taylor gave splendid support with 3 for 27 and four maidens, not a run given away lightly, and I chipped in with 2 for 58. The visitors were dismissed for 130 from 34 overs.

It was, besides, a day of milestones, William Buck's 1,000 career runs for the club chief among them, and a fine, sporting win by 22 runs to carry home to the pavilion.

Mon 02 Jun 1952 🧢 1st XIv Marden CC, Kent · AwayformLDWDW

We travelled to Marden CC on Monday last, the 2nd of June, and lost the toss on a fine day for cricket, so it fell to us to take first use of the ball. Marden built steadily to 123 all out from their fifty-one overs, the innings carried by a fine fifty from Peter Tipples, though we had R. Tippen back in the pavilion without so much as a run to his name. The bowling honours went deservedly to Gordon Fenner, whose 4 for 55 was the backbone of our effort, well supported by Tony Snell, miserly indeed with seven maidens on his way to 3 for 19, and Frank Taylor with 2 for 20.

Set 124 to win, we never quite settled to the task, closing on 108 for 9 from our forty-eight overs. Gordon Fenner again did us proud with 24, capping a fine afternoon in which those runs carried him past E. Humphreys and up to 21st on the club's all-time run-scorers list, a landmark well earned. But the middle order lost its way alarmingly, 30 for 1 becoming 40 for 4 in the space of a few unhappy overs, and I must confess my own contribution was nought at all, out for a golden duck when the eleven most wanted its captain to stand firm. William Buck, for his part, had a trying time behind the stumps, eight byes slipping past him on a pitch that gave the bowlers some awkward bounce.

In the end neither side could force matters, and honours were shared. A draw at Marden, hard fought and good-humoured throughout, is no bad way to spend a June afternoon, and we came home content with the game if not, in my own case, with the scorebook.

Sun 01 Jun 1952 🧢 1st XIv West Farleigh CC · HomeformDLDWD

Sunday last saw West Farleigh CC visit us, and winning the toss I had no hesitation in taking first use of the wicket, a call I felt the right one before the day was through. Our innings prospered handsomely to 198 for 3 from 28 overs, built upon a splendid hundred from D Simmons, whose 101 was the chief ornament of the day, and I was glad to lend support with 47 not out, the two of us adding 118 for the third wicket in a stand that gave the whole innings its backbone.

Set 199 to chase, West Farleigh never quite settled, losing a wicket without a run on the board and finding matters little easier thereafter, for all that G Tomkinson battled to 26 and P Day made a useful 22. A Smith Snr and J Hayhow both departed without troubling the scorers, and the day belonged in truth to Gordon Fenner, whose 7 for 54, three of his overs maidens, was a five-for and more, richly deserved. John Ames chipped in handsomely with 3 for 46, and between them the pair had the visitors out for 117 in 27.2 overs. Tony Levick had a trying afternoon behind the stumps, nine byes slipping past him, though it scarcely dented our satisfaction.

Not to be overlooked, Maurice Fenner's useful 8 runs carried him past the Reverend F A Leveson-Gower and into fifteenth place on the club's all-time list of run-scorers. The season's charts make pleasant reading too, with 199 runs to my name atop the 1st XI's batting and Gordon Fenner second among the bowlers with 14 wickets. A handsome win by 81 runs, and a thoroughly good day for the club.

Sat 31 May 1952 🧢 1st XIv OC Old Williamsonians CC · HomeformLDLDW

Old Williamsonians came to Linton Park on a fine Saturday and, winning the toss, sent us into the field first, which is always a test of a captain's patience before it is a test of his batting.

Hadlow gave the visitors' innings its backbone with a well-made 33, and though we had them checked for a good while, Trower and Purle stood firm at the close to add 32 and 23 not out between them, the last pair proving altogether more obstinate than we cared for and finding 46 runs we would gladly have spared them. Frank Taylor bowled with tremendous heart for his 4 for 79, five of his overs going entirely unrewarded to the batsmen, and I was pleased enough to chip in with 2 for 51 myself. Brooks, at least, departed without troubling the scorers, caught up in our best work of the afternoon. They closed on 131 for 6.

Our reply began in the best of order, Maurice Fenner and his opening partner putting on 90 before the first wicket fell, a platform from which the innings never looked in danger. Fenner went on to a fine half-century, 62 in all, well supported by Basil Sears with 33 and William Buck, who finished unbeaten on 20. We closed on 128 for 4.

Honours were shared in the end, a draw that flattered neither side unduly, and a thoroughly sporting afternoon's cricket against opponents who gave as good as they got.

Sun 25 May 1952 🧢 1st XIv OC Old Westminster Citizens · HomeformWLDLD

In the field on the twenty-fifth of May we drew Old Westminster Citizens as our visitors, and having lost the toss found ourselves set to bowl on what I daresay was a decent, true wicket, for they made themselves quite at home. Their openers put on ninety-three before we so much as troubled them, and Forrester's forty-eight, well supported by Lamus with forty-three and Bunton with thirty-nine, carried them to one hundred and seventy-two. Yet the eleven kept its head. Stan Wratten bowled beautifully for his five for forty-three, a five-for richly earned, with Robert Muir chipping in three for fourteen and John Ames one for twenty-seven, while I was content enough to bowl a tidy spell of three maidens and let the young quicks reap the harvest.

Chasing so stern a total wanted patience, and John Ames gave us just that, past his fifty and on to fifty-eight in a fine display of the straight bat, with Stan Wratten's thirty-one and Don Hartridge's unbeaten thirty knitting a valuable eighty-three for the fourth wicket. I contributed a modest eighteen, glad enough to see the total mount steadily to one hundred and eighty for six. Bob Arnold, so often a tower behind the stumps though troubled today with ten byes to his name, had the misfortune of a duck with the bat, but such things happen to the best of men and none thought the less of him for it.

We got home by four wickets in the end, a tight and honest contest fought in the best traditions of the club, and Old Westminster Citizens left us, I feel sure, with the respect due to a side that had made them earn every run.

Sat 24 May 1952 🧢 1st XIv HC Hunton Wanderers CC · HomeformLWLDL

John Thirkell's men will remember it as a fair contest fairly fought, though I fancy Hunton Wanderers will have thought us over-generous with the ball at times.

The toss went against us and Hunton Wanderers, invited to bat, made themselves thoroughly at home. R Murray gave us a lesson in patient batsmanship, carrying his innings to a superb hundred, and found a willing partner in G Lambell, whose 40 helped stretch the third-wicket stand to 77 and looked for a while as though it might carry the visitors clean out of our reach. Bert Buckoke bowled with real heart for his 3-49, and got no little support from John Thirkell, whose 3-60 kept the game interesting, and from Don Hartridge, whose single wicket for 19 runs was worth more than the figures suggest. W Hool departed without troubling the scorers, which was some small consolation. They closed on 222 for 8 from their 44 overs, a total that asked serious questions of our batting.

We lost our first wicket cheaply, at 8, and might have feared the worst, but Basil Sears and I put matters right with a second-wicket stand of 91 that steadied the ship considerably. I was fortunate enough to make 51, and found Basil in fine form alongside me for 41, while Don Hartridge chipped in usefully with 25. Poor Bob Arnold had an uncomfortable afternoon behind the stumps, conceding fourteen byes, but nobody begrudged him that on a day when the ball moved about.

We finished on 156 for 5, short of their total but full value for a draw, and honours were shared in the best traditions of the game. It was a happy afternoon too for the club's records, with Basil reaching 1,000 career runs and both Bert and I moving up the all-time lists — landmarks that gave the pavilion plenty to talk about over tea.

Sun 18 May 1952 🧢 1st XIv The Mote CC · AwayformWLWLD

Sunday last took us to The Mote, and no joy with the coin — they won the toss and chose to bat, leaving us to open with the ball. An early breakthrough at 8 for 1 was steadied by a stand of 58 for the third wicket. John Larking led their innings with 42, supported by J Coomber's 41 and P Eckersley's 28, while John Waters departed without troubling the scorers. I found some rhythm with 3 for 46 and six maidens, Bill Hall took 3 for 55, and Tony Tipples 2 for 36, as The Mote closed on 178 for 8 from their sixty-two overs.

Our reply began shakily, a wicket down with only 3 on the board, and further blows fell when Richard Harris and Arthur Cradduck both departed for ducks. The middle order played a straight bat when it mattered — Tony Tipples top-scored with 31, Frank Taylor carried his bat unbeaten on 26, and Tony Levick added a useful 24 — though 25 byes behind the stumps did us no favours. All out for 135 in 43.4 overs, we finished 43 runs short.

A little consolation in defeat: Don Hartridge's 6 runs carried him past F S W Cornwallis into eleventh on the club's all-time run-scorers, and Bill Hall's three wickets took him past S Christopherson to twenty-first among our wicket-takers, while I sit second in this season's wicket charts with thirteen, behind John Thirkell's 134 runs at the top of the order. Beaten by 43 runs, but not disgraced — The Mote played soundly and deserved their afternoon, and we return to Linton Park the better for a hard game and keener for the next.

Sat 17 May 1952 🧢 1st XIv Gore Court CC · AwayformWWLWL

Saturday last took us to Gore Court, where the toss went against us and we were put straight into the field. It proved no bad thing, for our bowling had much the better of the exchanges. Frank Taylor bowled quite beautifully, seven maidens among his overs, and finished with all ten wickets for sixty-five runs — a spell the like of which one does not see every season, and one that will live long in the memory of all who watched it from the boundary. Brian Reynolds departed for nought, and though George Jarrett, Ted High and David Jarrett all played their part with 28, 26 and 22 respectively, Gore Court were dismissed for 151 in the forty-ninth over.

Our reply was a sterner affair. I was fortunate enough to find some form and made 26, and P Ruddy played a most watchful innings for 22 not out, but wickets fell steadily at the other end and we closed on 132 for nine from our fifty overs, honours therefore shared. Eighteen byes told their own tale of a testing afternoon behind the stumps for Bob Arnold, who kept pluckily through it all.

A draw, then, but one that flattered nobody and shamed nobody either — a fair result from a keenly fought match, and Frank Taylor's bowling alone would have been worth the journey. We came away with much to be pleased about and Gore Court's good company besides.

Sun 11 May 1952 🧢 1st XIv FC Folkestone CC · AwayformDWWLW

Sunday last saw us take the road to Folkestone, and winning the toss I had no hesitation in asking my men to bat, the wicket looking a fair one for run-getting. Stan Wratten gave us the start we wanted with a well-made 71, while Tom Osborn played handsomely for 61, and the pair added 95 for the first wicket before either was parted with. Tony Levick chipped in with a useful 25, but where 145 for three had promised a total well beyond 200, the innings suddenly folded to 165 for six, and I must confess my own contribution to that collapse, going for a duck when a captain might have hoped to set a better example. Don Hartridge fared no better, but the tail rallied gamely and we closed on 215 all out.

In the field we made Folkestone work hard for their runs. W Barrett played a fine innings of 67, well supported by Ernie Thunder's 52 and Jim Gordon's 43, and a stand of 105 for the third wicket looked to have settled matters in their favour after a nervy start had seen them lose an early wicket with just 7 on the board. D Morton we sent back without troubling the scorers, and Gordon Fenner bowled quite beautifully to finish with 5 for 64, two of them maidens, with Stan Wratten and John Taylor lending willing support. For all that good work, Folkestone crept home by the narrowest of margins, one wicket in hand.

A hard match honestly lost, and no shame in it. We shall dust ourselves down at practice and look forward to squaring accounts before the season is out.

Sat 10 May 1952 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · AwayformDDWWL

As their captain on that Saturday, we had lost the toss at Bearsted and were put into the field, but there was no complaint in that — a fine May afternoon and a good deal of cricket to be played. Hawkins gave us a stern lesson in patience, carrying his bat for a magnificent 117 not out, and found willing company from Wood with 35 and Luckhurst with 22, the two of them putting on 124 for the sixth wicket while we toiled without much reward. It fell to Taylor to break the back of the innings with a fine spell of 3 for 53, three overs of it maidens, while his namesake Frank Taylor chipped in with 2 for 64 and Bert Buckoke picked up one for 49. Bearsted closed on 221 for 6, a total that asked real questions of our batting.

We set about the reply in good heart, and I was fortunate enough to find form, making 93 in what I may say without undue pride was a well-made knock, though the runs came as much from good fortune as good judgement. Don Hartridge batted soundly for 39 and Richard Harris finished unbeaten on 37, the pair adding 106 together for the third wicket to see us home in fine style, though poor Bob Arnold endured a wretched afternoon, out without scoring and later charged with ten byes for good measure — these things happen to the best of wicketkeepers, and he took the ribbing in the pavilion like a sportsman.

We reached 232 for 5 and a five-wicket victory, and there was cause for extra cheer besides — Frank Taylor's runs saw him climb the club's all-time scoring list, and Taylor's wickets lifted him up the bowling table too. A thoroughly good day for the club, and Bearsted left us with their good wishes ringing warmly in our ears.

Sat 03 May 1952 🧢 1st XIv West Farleigh CC · AwayformDDDWW

In the second week of May, on the third day of the month, we made our way to West Farleigh for what was to prove a hard-fought and instructive afternoon. Winning the toss, our hosts sent us into the field first, and there was little to grumble about in that decision as they raced to 63 for the first wicket before we could prise them apart. Smith Snr batted soundly for 39, with Trevor Fermor a willing ally in 37 and H. Philpott chipping in with 20 to see them to 150 for 7 from their 43 overs. Frank Taylor bowled with admirable patience through six maiden overs to finish with 3 for 69, and found useful support from H. Newport, 2 for 26, and P. Ruddy, who took the wicket of R. Kemp for a duck among his figures of 1 for 7.

Our reply, alas, was a chastening affair. From a promising 20 for 2 we tumbled to 21 for 5 in the space of a few unhappy overs, and I must own to my own small part in the collapse, for I departed without troubling the scorers, as did Don Hartridge and Frank Taylor. It fell to Basil Sears to salvage what pride he could, and salvage it he did, carrying his bat for a splendid 51 not out while wickets fell about him, so that we were all out for 90 in 26.2 overs.

Sixty runs the worse, we return to the nets with lessons plainly learned, though Basil's fine innings, and the season's promise it continues to write for him, gave us something warm to carry home from a sporting contest played, as ever, in the right spirit.

Sun 27 Apr 1952 🧢 1st XIv MT Maidstone Trades · HomeformDDDDW

It was a comfortable afternoon's cricket, and I set it down here for the record.

On Sunday last, the twenty-seventh of April, we welcomed Maidstone Trades to the ground, though the coin gave us no comfort, for the visitors called correctly and elected to take first knock, leaving us first use of the ball. We were soon into our work, an early stumble reducing them to one wicket down for a single run. They found some order through G. Lambell, whose twenty-four carried the innings, and H. Pocock, who chipped in usefully with twenty-two, but the middle order could find no lasting comfort against us, and from ninety-two for six they slid to ninety-six for nine before being dismissed all out in forty-one overs and three balls. S. Crump was sent back without troubling the scorers. The honours of the day belonged unmistakably to John Taylor, whose five wickets for forty runs, three of them maidens, were richly deserved, with Frank Taylor keeping him fine company at four for forty and Gordon Fenner chipping in with one for fourteen. Not a run was given away lightly.

In reply we batted with sense and application, closing at one hundred and sixty-four for six from thirty-six overs. Stan Wratten played the innings of the day, a well-made fifty of fifty-two runs, finding sound support in Frank Taylor's twenty-six and William Buck's twenty-one. I must own to a blot on my own card, falling for a duck, and the less said of that the better. There was quiet satisfaction beyond the scoreline besides, John Taylor's runs carrying him past Frank Taylor into fourth on the club's all-time run-scorers, and Frank Taylor's four wickets lifting him past Gordon Fenner into second among the wicket-takers. A fine win by four wickets, and two points thoroughly earned, in the best traditions of the club.