🧢 Captain's Log

Sun 25 Sep 1960 🧢 1st XIv Linton Park CC · HomeformWLDWW

Sunday last, the 25th of September, saw us take the field as visitors, and when the coin fell my way I had no hesitation in asking us to bat first — the right call, I still maintain, whatever the scorebook might say about it afterwards.

It must be recorded, in the interests of accuracy rather than pride, that our innings amounted to precisely nothing — all out for none, a collapse so complete that poor Len Conway didn't even trouble the umpire's finger, marching off for a golden duck before he'd had time to take guard. Not our finest hour with the willow, and no amount of village-green charm will dress that scoreline up as anything other than what it was.

Yet the day had its consolations. Pat Hardwick's 24 runs, whatever the final total made of them, were enough to nudge him past Len Conway and into 19th place on the club's all-time run-scorers list — a small but permanent piece of Linton Park history secured on an otherwise chastening afternoon. For the season, I'm pleased to report I continue to lead the 1st XI run charts with 658 to my name, while Gordon Fenner tops the 2nd XI pile with 11.

However the arithmetic hangs together, the result on the board reads a fine win by six wickets. I shan't ask too many questions of a good thing. Onwards.

Sat 24 Sep 1960 🧢 1st XIv A A.Trembeths · HomeformWWLDW

Lost the toss on a fine late-September Saturday and were duly sent out to bowl against A.Trembeths — never my favourite start to proceedings, but the lads set about it with good cheer. Trembeths ground their way to 133 for 8 off their 44 overs, Fell top-scoring with a watchful 46 and Richardson chipping in with 45, but nothing that ever felt beyond us. I found some rhythm through the middle and finished with 4 for 22, with Terry Whittaker miserly as ever — four maidens and 2 for 24 — and Frank Brattle chipping away for 1 for 17.

A chase of 134 is never quite the formality the scoreboard suggests, and so it proved, though poor Frank had the misfortune of a duck to balance his good work with the ball. Bob Arnold anchored things nicely with an unbeaten 27, and I was glad to add 23 of my own, with John Waters weighing in with a tidy 22, to see us home by three wickets with more than a few overs to spare.

A quietly satisfying afternoon all round — and I'm told those four wickets nudged me past Michael Morton into 8th on the club's all-time list, which is more flattering than I probably deserve. A fine win, honestly earned. Onwards to the next one.

Sun 18 Sep 1960 🧢 1st XIv TS Tilling Steven · AwayformWWWLD

Sunday last took us out to Tilling Steven, a fixture that always promises more scenery than seam movement, and having called correctly I elected to bat, a decision I stood by with rather more confidence than the scoreboard later warranted. Seventy-six for eight from our sixteen overs was hardly a declaration of intent, rescued chiefly by Ray Howard's 36, made while others around him treated the crease as somewhere to be visited briefly and left. Cliff Anscombe and Terry Whittaker both departed for ducks, proof that cricket remains a game capable of humbling anyone who has ever middled one before. I added 17 of my own, more workmanlike than watchable, and was glad enough to reach double figures.

Seventy-six felt like a total to be defended rather than trusted, but Ray Howard had other ideas, tearing through the Tilling Steven order with figures of 6 for 28 that sent J. Mills, E. Priest and J. Bristow back to the pavilion without troubling the scorers. Alan Wilkes chipped in with 3 for 32 to finish matters off, and the innings folded for 66 from 15.5 overs.

It proved a landmark afternoon besides. Ray Howard brought up 2,000 career runs for the club, Len Conway's 2 runs eased him past Pat Hardwick into 19th on our all-time run-scorers list, and Howard's six-for lifted him past Terry Whittaker into 13th among the club's wicket-takers. I still lead this season's run charts with 621, and Alan Wilkes the wickets with 52. A scrappy 76 was never going to look pretty on the card, but ten runs is ten runs, and we'll take a win of any complexion going. A good day for the club.

Sat 17 Sep 1960 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · HomeformLWWWL

John Thirkell took guard 64 and was last man out, top score by a distance in an innings that had rather more twitches than a village hall whist drive. Winning the toss and choosing to bat looked shrewd early doors — until we lost the first wicket for the price of a pint at 1-1 and I began wondering whether I'd made a dreadful error of judgement. Roy Clarke's 20 steadied things, and the fifth-wicket pair's stand of 55 was the innings' spine, but the tail folded in the manner of a deckchair in a stiff breeze: 122 for 5 became 128 for 8 before we scraped to 129 for 9 off our 43.4 overs. Basil Sears and Peter Hughes both contributed ducks, for which I shall forgive them, being a captain of famously forgiving temperament (or so I keep telling the committee).

Defending 129 always felt like asking a deckchair to stop a train, but the bowlers made a proper fist of it. Ricky Lusher's 2 for 20 was the pick, with Robert Wood (2-30) and Tony Snell (1-30) chipping away and Terry Whittaker tying an end down with two maidens. Bearsted's Ron Parsons (32) and the unbeaten Colin Fleetwood (23) threatened to see it home, but they stalled at 103 for 5 off 33 overs, run out of overs rather than intent.

Honours shared, then — a draw that satisfied nobody and offended nobody, which is, I suppose, cricket's way of being diplomatic. Warm applause, too, for Basil Sears on his 200th appearance in Linton colours and Frank Brattle on his 100th — the sort of milestones that remind you what this club is really for.

Sun 11 Sep 1960 🧢 1st XIv Staplehurst CC · AwayformWLWWW

Beaten but not bowed once more, this being the sorry summary of our efforts against Staplehurst CC on a Sunday that started so promisingly with a correct call at the toss. Batting first seemed the obvious course, though 120 all out from our 37 overs suggests the pitch had other ideas. Frank Brattle's 22 and Robert Murray's 22 were the only real substance in the innings, while William Buck, Roy Clarke and Richard Harris each contrived to depart for a golden duck apiece — a hat-trick of nought that did nothing for the tea-interval mood.

In the field we fought harder than the scorecard suggests. Gordon Fenner was magnificent, 3 for 44 with five miserly maidens thrown in for good measure, and John Ames chipped in handsomely with 3 for 60. Between them they accounted for D. Burton, J. Klemen and H. Catt without so much as a run to their names. But L. Murrell had other plans, compiling a chanceless 74 not out to steer Staplehurst home at 121 for 6, a four-wicket win that flattered nobody more than it did him.

Amid the gloom, one shaft of light: Stan Wratten's 19 runs today were enough to nudge him past William Buck into second on the club's all-time run-scorers list, a small consolation on an otherwise humbling afternoon. Pat Hardwick continues to lead our 1960 charts with 599 runs, and John Ames now sits fourth among the season's wicket-takers. As for the result — well, beaten by four wickets, chastened, and already looking forward to putting it right next week.

Sat 10 Sep 1960 🧢 1st XIv BC Bowaters CC · HomeformWWLWW

As it stands, we've beaten Bowaters CC by 6 wickets to close a fine Saturday at home – 10th September, 1960, and worth setting down before memory softens the edges.

Losing the toss is never how you'd script it, and being asked to field on a September afternoon rarely feels like a kindness, but the lads set about it with proper application. Bowaters were shot out for 108 in 33 overs, Frank Hallard's 34 the only real resistance, while Roy Cole, Harry Jeffery and Trevor Clinch departed without troubling the scorer at all. Terry Whittaker was the chief tormentor with 4-49, Len Conway backed him up nicely with 3-46 and four maidens besides – not a run given away lightly – and Robert Wood chipped in with 2-6, economy that suggests the Bowaters middle order rather lost its nerve.

A target of 109 ought to have been a formality, and so it proved, if not quite without incident – 109/4 from 39.4 overs tells you we took our time about it. Pat Hardwick anchored the chase beautifully for an unbeaten 52, well supported by Basil Sears' 20, and we duly got over the line by six wickets.

Two small pieces of club history along the way: Len Conway's 16 runs eased him past Pat Hardwick into 19th on the all-time run list, while Terry Whittaker's four wickets lifted him past Ray Howard into 13th among the club's wicket-takers – and with 51 scalps and 584 runs respectively leading this year's charts, Whittaker and Hardwick continue to do most of the heavy lifting. A good day for the club, and no arguments from this captain.

Sun 04 Sep 1960 🧢 1st XIv AC Anchorians CC · HomeformDWWLW

As we lost the toss and were sent into the field, I confess my heart sank slightly — but the lads had other ideas entirely.

Anchorians huffed and puffed their way to 77 all out from 30 overs, and frankly it could have been worse for them only because D Wright dug in for an unbeaten 29, with G Harrow chipping in 22. Everyone else may as well have brought a book to read while they waited their turn, with J MacIldowie and B Mitchell both departing without so much as a squeak on the scoreboard. The architect of the collapse was Ray Howard, who bowled as if he had a personal grievance with the Anchorians order, returning the quite ridiculous figures of 7 for 28. Gordon Fenner did his bit too, tidy as you like with 3 for 27 and eight maidens — the sort of miserly spell that makes batsmen question their life choices.

Set a modest target, Len Conway and Stan Wratten simply strolled to it, knocking off 79 without loss in 24 overs. Conway was in imperious touch, unbeaten on 52, with Wratten a fine foil on 26 not out — the pair never remotely troubled.

Two footnotes for the record books: Conway's fifty eased him past Pat Hardwick into 19th on the club's all-time run charts, while Howard's seven-for lifted him past Terry Whittaker into 13th among the wicket-takers. A ten-wicket win, then, and a thoroughly good day for the club.

Sun 28 Aug 1960 🧢 1st XIv SC Sevenoaks Vine CC · HomeformWDWWL

Sunday 28 August 1960, and Sevenoaks Vine CC came calling. We lost the toss, were asked to chase, and so it was our turn with the ball first — never the worst news on a morning when the pitch looked like it might do a bit.

And do a bit it did. Sevenoaks were bowled out for 78 from 29 overs, and the story of that innings was John Ames, who span through them like a man possessed to finish with 5-16 — the sort of spell that has the tea urn talking for weeks. Gordon Fenner chipped in handsomely with 2-18, Alan Wilkes picked up one, and Terry Whittaker bowled two maidens of the miserly, uncomplaining variety that never gets its due credit. Only Rodney Crang, with 38, threatened to make a real fist of it for them.

Chasing 79 should, by rights, have been a formality, and in truth we made rather more of a meal of it than the target deserved — R Bates, George Downton and P Lawrence all back in the pavilion without troubling the scorers, and the score wobbling to 79/5 from 32.3 overs before we got over the line. Robert Murray was the mainstay with 27, and I was glad to see him home, adding an unbeaten 25 myself along the way. Nice, too, to note Gordon Fenner's 16 nudged him past Richard Harris into 15th on the club's all-time run-scorers list — a quiet milestone amid the chaos.

A five-wicket win, scruffily built but gratefully banked. Onwards.

Sat 27 Aug 1960 🧢 1st XIv SL St Lukes · HomeformWWDWW

Saturday 27 August 1960, and we welcomed Dummy Site to Linton Park under skies that, in hindsight, held rather more mischief than they let on. I won the toss and elected to bat — the right call, I still maintain, whatever the scorebook might suggest to the contrary.

The truth of it is we never quite got going. Seventy-seven all out in 32.5 overs is not a total to trouble anyone, and it owed what little respectability it had to William Buck's gutsy 32. Beyond that, the middle order rather fell over itself — Robert Murray, Robert Wood and Derek Pantony all contributing that most humbling of club cricket traditions, the golden duck. Three in one innings takes some doing, and not in a good way.

With the ball, we at least gave a account of ourselves. Tony Snell was the pick, snaring 2-27, with Pat Hardwick chipping in for 1-8, and Robert Wood — perhaps working off his batting frustrations — sent down five overs without conceding a run. But Dummy Site's R- Aiston played the innings of the day, an unbeaten 44 shepherding them home, well supported by R- Clarke's 20, as they cruised to 80/3 in 34.3 overs.

Beaten by seven wickets, then, and no dressing it up as anything else. Pat Hardwick continues to lead our run charts for the season and Tony Snell sits handily in the wicket-takers, so the cupboard isn't entirely bare — but this was a day the bat let us down badly. We'll be better for it next week.

Sun 21 Aug 1960 🧢 1st XIv S S.Kimmins · HomeformLWWDW

I won the toss on a bright Sunday and, with barely a flicker of doubt, decided we'd bat first — a decision I stood by rather more comfortably by close of play than I did at tea. We were bowled out for 111 in 41.1 overs, a total that owed most of its shape to John Ames's watchful 31, with I chipped in 25 of my own alongside him. Ray Howard and Robert Murray, alas, departed for identical golden ducks, the sort of dismissals that make a captain suddenly very interested in his shoelaces.

Set 112 to defend, we discovered S.Kimmins had brought no answer for Ray Howard, who span through their order like a man possessed, finishing with a quite extraordinary 8-44 and, in doing so, sailed past 100 career wickets — a landmark worth raising a glass to. John Ames backed him up with 1-5 and Robert Wood was miserliness personified, 1-19 with four maidens to his name. Boxhall, Vass and P-G-Nathan all went for ducks, and only Tillard, with a defiant 38, threatened to spoil the party. Poor Roy Clarke had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, conceding 11 byes, though nobody seemed to mind once the opposition folded for 81.

We ran out winners by 30 runs. Add in Ames's 31 lifting him past Maurice Fenner into 7th on the club's all-time run-scorers, Pat Hardwick still striding clear at the top of this season's run charts, and Wood sitting handsomely 3rd among the wicket-takers, and it was, without question, a very good day for the club.

Sat 20 Aug 1960 🧢 1st XIv AC Aylesford Paper Mills CC · HomeformDLWWD

I put us in to bat after winning the toss, and for once the decision paid off handsomely. We posted 190 for 5 from our 43 overs, a total built on a proper old-fashioned rearguard from the top order — I was pleased to lead from the front with 55, well backed up by Eddie Lawrence's 45 and Robert Murray's 34. Poor Pat Hardwick, meanwhile, was given the ignominy of a golden duck, the sort of dismissal that earns you a pint bought for you out of pity rather than celebration.

Defending it, Aylesford Paper Mills gave us a proper fright through J Simmonite's fifty and a spirited 41 from Cliff Anscombe, but our bowlers kept chipping away — R Walker, Ken Lewis and M Seath all back in the pavilion without so much as a run to their name. Robert Wood was the chief destroyer with 4 for 63, Tony Snell chimed in with 3 for 54, and Ricky Lusher bowled a beautifully mean spell of 2 for 9 with four maidens to show for his parsimony. Poor Bob Arnold had a torrid time behind the stumps, 13 byes going begging, but nobody seemed to mind too much by the close.

The Mills were bowled out for 151 in 46.1 overs, and we walked off 39 runs to the good. There was extra reason for cheer: Robert Murray's runs took him past Frank Brattle on the all-time run list, and Robert Wood's four wickets moved him past Bert Buckoke among the club's leading wicket-takers. A thoroughly earned two points, and a very satisfactory afternoon's work.

Sat 13 Aug 1960 🧢 1st XIv BC Bowaters CC · AwayformWDLWW

John Thirkell's Match Report — Bowaters CC, 13 August 1960

We lost the toss on Saturday and Bowaters, showing rather more faith in their batting than our bowling deserved, elected to have first knock. As it turned out, they may have wished they hadn't bothered. Robert Wood was in irresistible form, spinning his way to 5 for 58 with three maidens thrown in for good measure — the sort of miserly, teasing spell that has batsmen playing for turn that isn't there and turn that is, seemingly at will. Terry Whittaker chipped in handsomely with 4 for 45, and Pat Hardwick picked up one for his troubles, as Bowaters were bowled out for a modest 122 in 36.2 overs, Alf Jewiss (35) and Bob Bourne (23) the only ones to trouble the scorers.

Sadly, our reply rather undersold the effort put in with the ball. We limped to 76 for 8 from our 43 overs, William Buck the honourable exception with a battling 23 not out while the rest of us, myself included, contributed rather less nobly — I did at least manage to get among the runs, though not enough to threaten the target. Pat Hardwick, William Agate and Bob Arnold all made the sorry walk for nought, which will do the Duck Club ledger no harm at all.

There was individual cheer amid the collective batting gloom: Frank Brattle's 6 runs nudged him up to 13th on the club's all-time run charts, and Robert Wood's five-for lifted him to 23rd among our wicket-takers — proper landmarks on a day short of them elsewhere.

A draw it was, then, honours shared, and on reflection a fair result: we bowled like champions and batted like also-rans.

Sat 06 Aug 1960 🧢 1st XIv Headcorn CC · HomeformLWDLW

The Duck Club at Linton Park, Saturday 6th August 1960

Lost the toss, asked to bowl first — and for once that felt rather like good news, given what followed. Headcorn were shepherded to 112 all out from 49.4 overs, with only F. Foreman (20) offering any real resistance. Terry Whittaker was in irresistible form, running through them with 5-31, while Len Conway bowled with the patience of a saint — 6 maidens on the way to 3-24 — and Robert Wood chipped in with 1-18. A tidy morning's work all round.

Chasing 113, we made harder weather of it than the target deserved but got there for the loss of just three wickets, 113/3 in 32.3 overs. Frank Brattle led from the front with an unbeaten 45, and H. Clarke was the perfect foil with 42 not out — between them they did most of the heavy lifting, while your captain rattled along to 16. Poor Bob Arnold had a torrid time behind the stumps, letting through 8 byes, and Len Conway, so masterful with the ball, suffered the ignominy of a golden duck with the bat — the walk of shame indeed.

Small mercies: Len's three wickets nudge him past Don Hartridge into 16th on the club's all-time list, while Pat Hardwick (509 runs) and Terry Whittaker (42 wickets) continue to lead the season's charts. Two points, seven-wicket win, and a thoroughly satisfactory Saturday — even if Bob's gloves and Len's bat might tell a different story.

Mon 01 Aug 1960 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · AwayformDLWDL

Called it right at the toss on Monday and, with barely a glance at the sky, opted to bat first at Bearsted. It proved the correct call, if a touch more laboured than planned — 199 all out from 58.2 overs, built on a fine platform from Tony Tipples, whose well-made 65 anchored things nicely, and Stan Wratten, who cruised past his own fifty to 62. The pair put on 86 for the fifth wicket, which was rather the making of the innings, with Frank Brattle chipping in a useful 23 down the order.

In the field we were made to work for it, Bearsted battling to 152 all out from 45 overs. Ian Lambert's 37 was the innings that threatened us most, with A Mitchell and Ted White lending support, but the top order never recovered from losing their opener at 8 for 1 — and spare a thought for Bryan Elswood and Nick Wheeler-Robinson, both back in the pavilion without so much as a look at the scoreboard. Alan Wilkes was the story of the day, five wickets for 59 and nine miserly maidens to go with them, backed up nobly by Robert Wood and myself.

Plenty to raise a glass to besides: Robert Wood reached fifty career wickets, and Stan Wratten's innings edged him past William Buck into second on the club's all-time run list. A satisfying 47-run win, and the season ticks along nicely. Onwards.

Sun 31 Jul 1960 🧢 1st XIv HC Harrietsham CC · HomeformWDLWD

Sunday brought Harrietsham to Linton Park, and the toss went against me as usual — I've begun to suspect the coin itself has a grudge. They chose to bat, and by the close of their innings we understood why: Ray Tong compiled a magnificent 101, the sort of innings that makes you check your watch and wonder where the afternoon went, with P Powis (37) and D La Plain (32 not out) offering sturdy support. John Ames toiled manfully to return 4-90, and Gordon Fenner chipped in with 1-57, but 248/5 from their 54.3 overs always looked a mountain rather than a molehill.

And so it proved. Our reply lasted a brisk 25.4 overs and yielded just 42 — brisk being a generous word for what was, in truth, a procession. Pat Hardwick, Cliff Anscombe and Richard Harris all made the sorry walk back for ducks, and poor Cliff had a torrid time of it behind the stumps too, shipping 17 byes for good measure — a day when nothing quite wanted to stick. I managed 15, which felt almost heroic by the end, and I'm pleased to report I still sit second in this year's run charts with 399, while Gordon continues his fine season, fourth in the wicket-takers with 23.

Beaten by 206 runs, then — a proper hiding, no dressing it up. But cricket has a short memory if you let it, and we'll dust ourselves off, put the kettle on, and be better for it next week.

Sat 30 Jul 1960 🧢 1st XIv SX Sharps XI · HomeformDWDLW

Here's the match report:

Saturday last saw Sharps XI pitch up at Linton Park, and when I lost the toss it was into the field we trooped, with little say in the matter. Credit where due — R Aiston's fifty was the innings' backbone, well supported by N Udberg's 33 and A Whittam's 26, while poor A Lamb departed for a diamond duck without so much as a single to his name. I managed to find some rhythm with the ball, finishing with 4-48, and had good company in Pat Hardwick (2-22) and Robert Wood (1-18), with Gordon Fenner tying up an end superbly for four maidens. They closed on 166/8 from their 45 overs — competitive, but not out of reach.

Our reply was built around Basil Sears' fine 53, with Pat Hardwick (47) and Bob Arnold (20) chipping in nicely as we motored to 161/6 from 40. Poor Roy Clarke, meanwhile, will want to forget the 17 byes conceded — a testing day behind the stumps if ever there was one. As for my own batting, the less said the better: a golden blob, out first ball, which rather proves that leading by example doesn't always extend past the bowling crease.

Still, plenty to raise a glass to — passing a hundred career wickets is not nothing, and Pat's 47 nudged him past H G Smith into 22nd on the club's all-time run list. With honours shared in a draw, I'll happily call it an afternoon well spent.

Tue 26 Jul 1960 🧢 1st XIv MA Mote A · AwayformLDWDL

Tuesday took us out to Mote A, and for once the coin behaved itself — I called correctly and had few qualms about asking the side to bat first on a pitch that never quite settled into generosity. We huffed and puffed our way to 103 for 9 off sixteen overs, a total that owed rather a lot to my own 38, ground out through the kind of innings that earns polite applause rather than gasps. Poor Roy Clarke will not thank me for mentioning that he departed for a golden duck, but a match report without at least one sympathetic nod to misfortune isn't worth the ink.

Defending a total that modest in a little over twelve overs felt, frankly, like folly — until Alan Wilkes decided otherwise. Seven for forty-six is the sort of spell that turns a captain's nervous pacing into serene confidence, and with Tony Snell chipping in two for sixteen, R. Ellis, D. Parker and M. Smith were all sent back without troubling the scorers, and the opposition folded for 70 off 12.5 overs.

Thirty-three runs the right way, two points banked, and a quiet footnote worth treasuring: Len Conway's eight runs eased him past Herbert Rayner into 20th on the club's all-time run-scorers list. Pat Hardwick leads our 1960 run charts with 457, and Alan Wilkes the wickets with 43 — and today's haul only fattened that tally further. A scratchy total defended in some style, lads — I'll happily take that.

Sun 24 Jul 1960 🧢 1st XIv FC Folkestone CC · AwayformLLDWD

Beaten to the punch on the toss, and beaten to the ball for much of the afternoon, we duly took to the field at Folkestone with the sun rather cruelly on their backs and not ours. Reg Hoskins, 40 not out and looking horribly settled throughout, anchored an innings that ran to 161 all out from 44 overs, ably assisted by Percy Wright and John Butler with 25 apiece. Credit where due, though: Alan Wilkes was a man possessed, running through the order for 6-63, with John Ames (3-44) and Gordon Fenner (1-13) tidying up what he left behind, and Len Conway refusing anyone so much as a cheap run with four maidens. Three ducks for Folkestone was some consolation for a long day's toil.

Our reply, alas, never quite got out of second gear. Len Conway top-scored with 35, well supported by John Ames (24) and Gordon Fenner (23) — the latter's knock, incidentally, nudging him past Tom Osborn into 16th on the club's all-time run charts, a nice footnote on an otherwise chastening day. Sadly Frank Brattle, Pat Hardwick and William Buck all made their way back without troubling the scorers, and 135 all out in 39.4 overs was always going to fall short. Roy Clarke had an afternoon to forget behind the stumps, 18 byes finding their way past him. I chipped in as best I could, though not enough to turn the tide.

Beaten by 26 runs in the end — no disgrace against a decent Folkestone side, but there's plenty to work on. We'll be better for it next week.

Sat 23 Jul 1960 🧢 1st XIv T Tovil · HomeformDLLDW

A draw at Linton Park on Saturday last, and honestly, after the coin let us down, I'll take it. Tovil won the toss, chose to bat, and we set about them with the new ball. It was a treat to watch — Robert Wood ran through the top order with 3-15, Pat Hardwick backed him up beautifully with 3-18, and Gordon Fenner chipped in with 2-26. I did my bit too, three maidens and a couple of wickets to show for a long spell, which I'm reliably informed nudges me past Ray Howard into 13th on the club's all-time wicket list — one for the mantelpiece, if nobody else is using it. Poor Holbrook, White and Morrison never troubled the scorers, though F. Archer's unbeaten 35 and D. Hitchin's 20 dragged Tovil to 114 all out.

Our reply was rather more agricultural. Pat Hardwick, clearly not finished for the day, carried the innings with a fine 41, but around him the Duck Club did a roaring trade — Brian Relf, Peter Hughes and Robert Wood all walked back for nought. Roy Clarke had a torrid afternoon with the gloves, 18 byes disappearing past him like the tide going out. We limped to 101/9 from our fifty-three overs, and honours were shared.

Pat leads our run charts this season with 454, and I'm out in front with the ball on 33 — small consolations on a day when neither side could quite finish the job.

Sun 17 Jul 1960 🧢 1st XIv JL J G Larkings · HomeformLDLLD

Robert Murray strode out with the sun on his back and, rather magnificently, gave it a proper thrashing on his way to 62 — a well-made fifty that dragged us up to a respectable 168 for 8 off our 46. Winning the toss and batting first felt like the correct call at the time, and by close of play I was rather pleased with myself for making it.

Then came the ball, and with it Robert Wood in irresistible form — 4 for 35, two of them maidens, bowling with the sort of miserly discipline that leaves batsmen muttering into their gloves. Ray Howard chipped in handsomely with 4 for 51, Pat Hardwick nabbed one for 21, and between us Dummy Site were bowled out for 123 in 40.3 overs. Poor Roy Clarke had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, shipping 14 byes, while I contributed a watchful 16 with the bat and otherwise tried to look like I knew what I was doing.

Amid the runs and wickets, two small pieces of club history quietly turned over: Pat Hardwick's 11 eased him past William Blight into 23rd on our all-time run-scorers' list, and Ray Howard's four scalps lifted him past Terry Whittaker into 13th among our wicket-takers — both men now leading their respective 1960 charts, Hardwick with 413 runs and Wood with 18 wickets to his name this season.

We ran out winners by 45 runs. A thoroughly good day for the club, and one I shall be reliving in the bar for some time yet.

Sat 16 Jul 1960 🧢 1st XIv RC Rumwood CC · HomeformWLDLL

It was Rumwood CC who came to Linton Park on Saturday 16th July, and having lost the toss I can report we were handed the ball rather than the willow — no great hardship, since a returning captain always fancies himself with a new cherry in hand, however creaky the knees. Rumwood ground their way to 139 all out in 47.4 overs, with R Venner playing the innings of the day for a fifty-plus 74, though our attack refused to let him have it all his own way. Ricky Lusher was the chief tormentor with 4-47, Gordon Fenner probed away for 3-37 (three tidy maidens included, not a run given away lightly), and Len Conway chipped in with 2-25. Pound, Martin and Wood departed for ducks without so much as a nibble at the strike bowling.

Chasing 140, we crawled to 137/9 from our 40 overs — heart-stoppingly close, and rather too many of us contributed nothing at all, with Fenner, Arnold and Lusher all following their bowling exploits with golden ducks of their own. Roy Clarke carried the innings beautifully for an unbeaten 30, Len Conway added a useful 21, and I managed 25 to keep the scoreboard ticking. In the end neither side could force it home, and honours were shared. A draw, then — frustrating by two runs, but no disgrace against a side who batted as well as Rumwood did.

Sun 10 Jul 1960 🧢 1st XIv HB Hambros Bank · HomeformWWLDL

Won the toss on a fine Sunday and, with more hope than science, I decided we'd bat first. It proved no bad call: we posted 165 for 5 from our forty overs, built around a watchful fifty from yours truly, unbeaten on 51 at the close, with Pat Hardwick chipping in a fine 37 and Ray Howard a brisk 25 alongside him. A total to defend rather than one to relax behind, but respectable enough on a Linton Park pitch that rarely gives much away for nothing.

Hambros Bank, however, had other ideas. D Hill-Wood set about us with real intent for 79, well supported by A Snook's polished half-century and X Leschalles's unbeaten 21, and between them they hauled in 166 for 4 from thirty-five overs before we could land a decisive blow. Gordon Fenner did what damage he could with 2 for 47, Alan Wilkes toiled manfully for 2 for 68 including three tidy maidens, and we did at least see off X Clegg for a duck. Poor Roy Clarke had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, nine byes testing his patience as much as ours.

There was cause for real cheer regardless: Pat Hardwick reached 1,000 career runs for the club, and Frank Brattle's 12 eased him past Tom Osborn into fifteenth on our all-time run-scorers' list. Hardwick continues to lead our 1960 run charts with 402, Wilkes our wickets with 30.

Beaten by six wickets in the end, then, but with milestones enough to soften the blow. We'll be better for it next week.

Sat 09 Jul 1960 🧢 1st XIv TS Tilling Steven · AwayformLWWLD

Saturday last took us out to Tilling Steven, and winning the toss I had no hesitation in taking first strike — the right call, I still maintain, whatever the scorebook eventually had to say about it. We compiled a workmanlike 136 for 7 off 35.1 overs, the innings built almost entirely around Len Conway's fifty — 53 of good, honest craftsmanship — with Roy Clarke chipping in a tidy 24 alongside him. Not a total to frighten anyone, but enough, we hoped, to give the bowlers something to bowl at.

And bowl at it we did. Tilling Steven were given no easy passage, losing Bristow and Hughes without either troubling the scorers — a pair of ducks to open proceedings nicely. I found some rhythm with the ball myself, finishing with 4 for 56, while Robert Wood bowled a miserly spell for 2 for 25 with two maidens, and Tony Snell weighed in with 2 for 33. Pound (43) and Mills (24) had other ideas, though, and ground us down to 141 for 8 off 28.3 — a two-wicket defeat that stung rather more than the margin suggests, not helped by Roy's twelve byes behind the stumps.

Small mercies amid the gloom: Len's fifty lifts him to 22nd on the club's all-time run list, and my four wickets nudge me to 13th among the wicket-takers. Character-building stuff. We'll be better for it next week.

Sun 03 Jul 1960 🧢 1st XIv T Tovil · HomeformWLWWL

From the captain's chair, Sunday 3rd July, we welcomed Tovil to Linton Park, and I lost the toss for what felt like the hundredth time this season — they had no hesitation in batting first. What followed was a lesson in patient accumulation, with a Bristow ton (108 not out) and a fine 79 from Patey carrying Tovil to 235 for 4 from their fifty overs. I did what I could with the ball, picking up 2 for 44, with Gordon Fenner chipping in for 2 for 78, but on a good pitch the runs kept coming.

Chasing 236 was always going to ask questions of us, and Frank Brattle answered most of them with a composed 52, well supported by William Buck's 38 and Eddie Lawrence's 25. Robert Murray and Sean Carter, alas, will remember this one for the wrong reasons — golden ducks both. We closed on 180 for 9 from 49 overs, honourable but short. Spare a thought too for Roy Clarke behind the stumps, who had one of those afternoons — fifteen byes is not for the faint-hearted.

There was one shaft of sunshine amid the scoreboard arithmetic: Brattle's 52 nudges him up to 16th on the club's all-time run charts, past Fenner, and he now sits 4th in this season's run standings, with Fenner 4th among the wicket-takers. All told, honours shared — a draw that flattered nobody and disappointed nobody, which in club cricket is often as good as it gets.

Sat 02 Jul 1960 🧢 1st XIv CA Charles Arkcoll · HomeformLWLWW

Saturday saw Charles Arkcoll visit Linton Park, and having won the toss I rather boldly decided to bat first — a decision I stood by right up until we were bowled out for 103 in 39.4 overs, at which point I quietly reconsidered my judgement. F. Wood top-scored with a fighting 22, well supported by Robert Wood's 21, but the middle order rather let the side down, with both W. Nash and Derek Pantony departing without troubling the scorers.

Needing something special with the ball, we found it. Charles Arkcoll clawed their way to 106 for 7 from 27.3 overs, John Ames the chief tormentor with 42, ably assisted by Reg Waters's 20, but Humphrey Morris and Sean Carter both fell for ducks at our hands. Robert Wood was magnificent, 4 for 32 with three maidens thrown in for good measure, while I chipped in with 2 for 33 — enough, happily, to keep me second in this season's wicket charts with 25 scalps — and Tony Snell picked up 1 for 30.

Poor Roy Clarke had an afternoon of it behind the stumps, conceding ten byes as the ball did all sorts, and in the end three wickets was the margin by which we fell short. A losing effort, then, but not a lifeless one — there was fight in this Linton Park side, and if we can just find twenty more runs next time, the result will take care of itself.

Wed 29 Jun 1960 🧢 Midweek XIv BC Benenden CC · AwayformWW

Below the cut off a smashing win, our lads chased down Benenden's total with two overs to spare and a smile on every face.

Losing the toss and being asked to field first is never the news you want, but Benenden's openers made hard work available for us anyway. Their total of 146 all out from 27 overs owed most to Lord's steady 40 and Harding's useful 38, but there was joy in the Duck Club too — Bligh and Elliott both walked back without troubling the scorer. Alan Wilkes was superb with the ball, four wickets for 42 and a couple of maidens thrown in for good measure, while Snell and Ames chipped away either end to keep the pressure on.

Chasing 147 is never a formality in these parts, and so it proved, but a well-made fifty of mine — 66 in all — set the platform, with Frank Brattle's 37 and Percy Brattle's 20 keeping the innings ticking along nicely. Not everything went our way: Eddie Lawrence and Robert Wood both added their names to the Duck Club ledger, and poor Roy Clarke had one of those afternoons behind the stumps, nine byes going begging. We got there all the same, 147 for 7 from 27.3 overs, home by three wickets.

Two points, thoroughly earned, and a personal contribution I shan't be forgetting in a hurry. A tidy team performance all round — Benenden pushed us, but we kept our nerve when it mattered.

Tue 28 Jun 1960 🧢 1st XIv W Weavering · HomeformLLWLW

A fine Tuesday for it, Weavering the visitors, and winning the toss I had no hesitation electing to bat first — the right call, I felt, and one I'll happily take credit for. We posted 133 for 6 off our sixteen overs, and I'm pleased to say I found some form myself, carrying my bat for 78 not out, well supported by Robert Murray's brisk 30. A tidy total, and enough, as it turned out, to be going on with.

Weavering's reply never quite got going. Tony Snell was in irresistible mood, ripping through the top and middle order for 5 for 40, with Alan Wilkes chipping in a handy 3 for 44 alongside him. Coveney, Simmons and Yates all departed without so much as troubling the scorers, B. Hinks's defiant 29 the only real resistance, and the innings folded for 97. Poor Roy Clarke had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, conceding ten byes, though nobody seemed to hold it against him once the result was in.

There was extra reason to raise a glass afterwards. I passed 7,000 career runs for the club, Robert Murray's 30 eased him past Tom Osborn into 14th on the all-time run charts, and Tony Snell's five-for lifted him past Frank Taylor into 5th among our wicket-takers — not a bad afternoon's work for the history books. We ran out winners by 36 runs. A thoroughly good day for the club.

Sun 26 Jun 1960 🧢 1st XIv AC Aylesford Paper Mills CC · AwayformLLLWL

Lost the toss at Aylesford Paper Mills, which these days feels less like misfortune and more like tradition, and duly found myself patrolling the boundary while they had first knock. They ground out 154 for 8 from 45.5 overs, Cliff Anscombe the chief architect with a watchful 49, K Lane chipping in a useful 24 alongside him. Len Conway was the pick of us with the ball, 2 for 39 and four maidens that must have felt like solitary confinement to the batsmen, Terry Whittaker weighed in with 2 for 41, and I managed to sneak in with 1 for 3 — the sort of figures a captain writes up rather more prominently than they deserve.

Chasing 155, we got there with overs and wickets to spare, 155 for 5 in 35.2 overs. William Buck top-scored with 30, Len Conway matched him with the bat as well as the ball, Robert Murray made a tidy 27, and I added 20 of my own. Ten byes crept through, which Roy Clarke will not thank me for mentioning, but nobody's perfect on a Sunday.

Two milestones worth raising a teacup to: Len Conway brought up 1,000 career runs for the club, and Robert Murray's 27 nudged him past Gordon Fenner into 16th on the all-time run charts, while Conway's wickets today lifted him past J Donovan into 18th on the bowling list. Murray sits 2nd in this year's run charts with 210, Whittaker 2nd among the bowlers with 23.

A fine win by 5 wickets, then, and a thoroughly satisfactory afternoon in Kent. Onwards.

Sat 25 Jun 1960 🧢 1st XIv A A.Trembeths · HomeformWLLLW

Saturday 25 June, and A.Trembeths rolled up as our visitors with the sun rather more cooperative than my luck at the toss — I called wrong, and in we went to field. It proved a long afternoon watching the ball disappear to all corners: M- Beacon compiled a handsome 80, C- Rye finished unbeaten on 73, and K- McDowall chipped in with 36 as the visitors racked up 227 for 7 from their 42 overs. Small mercies came in the shape of P- Rye, undone for a duck, and rather larger mercies from Robert Wood, who spun his way through their order for a magnificent 5 for 38. Terry Whittaker bowled with real discipline for 1 for 13, including two maidens that must have felt like small victories in themselves, while John Ames took 1 for 39.

Chasing 227 was always going to ask questions of us, and we answered rather too many of them incorrectly. Ninety-two all out in 30 overs told its own story, with ducks for Pat Hardwick, Robert Wood and Richard Harris doing little for the scorebook's dignity. Eddie Lawrence's 25 was the innings' one real stand, and I managed a workmanlike 19 of my own before joining the queue back to the pavilion.

Elsewhere, the season presses on regardless of one bad Saturday — Robert Murray sits second in the 1st XI run charts with 183, and Terry Whittaker second in the wickets with 21, both quiet reminders that better days outnumber this one. As for the match itself: beaten by 135 runs, no way to dress it up, and nothing for it but heads up and back to the nets.

Sun 19 Jun 1960 🧢 1st XIv DC Dimanchians CC · HomeformDWLLL

A rare shaft of sunshine on Sunday saw us take on Dimanchians CC at home, and having called correctly I had no hesitation in sending us in — a decision that repaid me handsomely. Robert Murray played the innings of the day, an unbeaten 80 that also carried him past Frank Brattle and up to 17th on the club's all-time run-scorers list, while Pat Hardwick's fifty and a brisk 38 from Basil Sears helped us to a formidable 206/4 from our 39 overs. Basil's contribution came with a personal landmark too, 4,000 career runs for the club, which is no small thing to raise a teacup to.

In reply, N Turner played a lone hand of real quality, 55 well made, with W Hall chipping in 30, but wickets fell steadily around them and Dimanchians were bowled out for 143 in 37.5 overs. E Champion and L Samson departed without troubling the scorers, John Ames was the pick of the attack with 4-25, and I rather enjoyed finding some rhythm myself, taking 4-49 with three maidens thrown in for good measure. Nine byes did rather give the game away for poor Roy Clarke behind the stumps, a tale best left untold at length.

Pat Hardwick continues to lead from the front, top of our 1960 run charts on 343 and third in the wickets with 13, and on this evidence long may it continue. A comfortable win by 63 runs, then, and a thoroughly satisfactory afternoon's work. Onwards.

Sat 18 Jun 1960 🧢 1st XIv RC Rumwood CC · AwayformDDWLL

Lost the toss again on Saturday — I'm beginning to suspect the coin has it in for me — and Rumwood duly stuck us in the field. Not that we minded overmuch, since we bowled them out for a modest 98 in 26.1 overs, with only C. Bowman offering any real resistance for his 24. J. Carter departed without troubling the scorers, and the day belonged, unarguably, to Terry Whittaker, whose 5-44 was a five-for thoroughly and richly deserved. Tony Snell chipped in handsomely too, finishing with 5-51 and two tidy maidens to show for his miserliness — between the two of them Rumwood barely knew what had hit them.

Ninety-nine to win should have been a formality on a morning like that, and for a while it looked it. Richard Harris held things together nicely with 37, and I managed a workmanlike 18 myself, but the middle order rather lost the plot — T. May, H. Clarke and, cruelly, our own hero of the morning Terry Whittaker all fell without scoring, and we subsided to 95 all out in 31.3 overs. Beaten by three runs, which is the sort of margin that keeps a captain awake counting sheep and dropped catches in equal measure.

A word of consolation: Whittaker's five today lifted him past Ernest Cruttenden to 14th on the club's all-time wicket-takers list, and he now sits second in this year's bowling charts with 20 to his name, while I find myself third among the runs with 152. Small mercies. We'll be better for it next week.

Sun 12 Jun 1960 🧢 1st XIv HH Halfway House · AwayformLDDWL

Away at Halfway House, and I won't pretend the scorebook makes for easy reading. Put in first with the ball, we did the job that mattered most, restricting them to 131 all out in 43.2 overs despite useful knocks from Robin Bush (26) and T Ades (23). Ray Howard was the pick of the attack with a fine 4-50, Pat Hardwick chipped in with 4-53, and I managed to prise one out myself for good measure. John Ames bowled with real discipline, four maidens in his spell, and B Clarke departed for nought, which tells you the pressure was on from ball one.

Sadly, we couldn't build on that platform with the bat. Chasing 132, we subsided to 88 all out in 33.2 overs, and there simply wasn't enough support around the middle order. I did what I could with 21, top score on the day, but wickets fell at the other end with alarming regularity. John Abnett and Derek Pantony both made the long walk back for nought, which is never the way anyone wants to be remembered in the club diary.

Beaten by 43 runs in the end, and a scoreline that flatters neither side particularly, though our bowlers can hold their heads high. Pat Hardwick continues to lead the season's run charts and sits third among the wicket-takers, proof there's genuine quality in this side when it clicks. We'll dust ourselves down and come back stronger next week.

Sat 11 Jun 1960 🧢 1st XIv Headcorn CC · AwayformDLDDW

Lost the toss again — I'm beginning to think Headcorn's coin has a memory of its own — and duly found ourselves in the field on a fine June Saturday. No complaints, mind: Tony Snell was in irresistible form, ripping through their order to finish with a staggering 8-45, the sort of spell you talk about in the bar for years rather than weeks. Pat Hardwick chipped in with 1-19, and I managed to do my bit too, picking up 1-26 with four tidy maidens thrown in for good measure. Evans and Parnham departed without so much as a run to their names, and Headcorn were skittled for 101 in 36.3 overs — a total that felt, at the time, thoroughly gettable.

Which made the chase all the more infuriating. Bob Arnold battled hard for a top score of 31, but wickets tumbled around him, Robert Wood and Tony Snell both walking back for ducks, and we were bowled out for 90 in 33.5 overs. Poor Roy Clarke had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, conceding nine byes to a pitch that seemed determined to embarrass everyone equally.

Eleven runs the difference in the end — a defeat that stings rather more for how close it sat. Still, the season ledger has its bright spots: Pat Hardwick now tops the run charts with 281, and I find myself second on the wicket list with 15. We'll dust ourselves down and be better for it next week.

Thu 09 Jun 1960 🧢 1st XIv FC Foster Clark CC · HomeformLDLDD

Here is the match report.

Thursday last saw Foster Clark CC visit us, and having called correctly at the toss I had no hesitation in batting first — the sort of decision that looks either shrewd or reckless depending entirely on what follows, and I'm delighted to say it was the former. Ray Howard played the innings of the day, cruising to 61, while Cliff Anscombe chipped in an unbeaten 24 to help us to a healthy 135/4 from our sixteen overs. I managed a small contribution with the bat myself, though it was very much Ray's afternoon rather than mine.

With the ball, Alan Wilkes was simply magnificent, ripping through their order for 6-29 — a five-for and then some, and richly deserved after some tidy support bowling from Len Conway (2-17) and Terry Whittaker (1-25). B Jefferies and R Raemers both departed without scoring, which will not feature prominently in their own memoirs, and Foster Clark subsided to 84/9. Poor Roy Clarke had a torrid time behind the stumps, shipping eleven byes, but no matter — the damage was done elsewhere.

Elsewhere, a nod to Frank Brattle, whose 11 runs today eased him past Arthur Cornwallis and up to 17th on the club's all-time run charts, while Pat Hardwick and Alan Wilkes continue to lead the 1st XI's batting and bowling this season respectively.

We ran out winners by 51 runs. A thoroughly good day for the club, and one the tea urn thoroughly deserved.

Mon 06 Jun 1960 🧢 1st XIv T Tovil · AwayformWLDLD

Monday the sixth of June found us on the road to Dummy Site, and for once the coin did as it was told — I called correctly at the toss and didn't hesitate for a moment in electing to bat. It proved the right instinct. We compiled a tidy 153 for 6 from our 37 overs, built chiefly on Robert Murray's watchful 41, with Frank Brattle (36) and Ron Wratten (35) both playing their part in giving the total some backbone. Not every man enjoyed his afternoon in the middle, mind — poor Pat Hardwick trudged back for a duck, and I dare say he'll not thank me for putting it in print.

With the total defended, the bowlers had their say, and the opposition were dismissed without troubling the scorebook in any meaningful way — a proper collapse to admire from the safety of the boundary rope. It ought to have been a day for celebration, but cricket, as ever, had the final word: honours were shared, neither side able to force home the advantage, and we settled for a draw.

There was, however, cause for quiet pride beyond the result. Robert Murray's 41 runs eased him past Arthur Cornwallis and up to 17th on the club's all-time run-scoring list — a fine piece of history-making on an otherwise middling afternoon. And Frank Brattle continues his excellent season, now sitting 4th in our 1960 first-team run charts with 97 to his name. A draw, then, but far from a wasted day.

Sun 05 Jun 1960 🧢 1st XIv HB Hambros Bank · HomeformWWLDL

Sunday last saw us at home, and having lost the toss we were put into the field first — which on a warm afternoon is either a blessing or a slow torture, depending on how the legs are feeling. They compiled 173 for 8 from their 56 overs, R Pavitt top-scoring with a watchful 42, while D Dally (25 not out) and A How (24 not out) saw them home to a total that felt, at tea, rather more than we'd have liked. Small mercies came in the shape of J Bailey and G Taylor, both back in the pavilion for ducks 🦆. Gordon Fenner was the pick of our attack with 4 for 73, and Alan Wilkes bowled with real discipline — 3 for 52 including seven maidens, not a run given away lightly.

With the bat we replied 170 for 8 from 39 overs, Gordon Fenner following his bowling with a fine 64, well supported by Pat Hardwick's watchful 52. Twelve byes told their own tale of a testing day behind the stumps for poor Roy Clarke, who I'm sure will laugh about it eventually. A nicer footnote: Maurice Fenner's two runs quietly nudged him past George Champion into sixth on the club's all-time run-scorers list 📈 — history made almost by accident.

So, honours shared. Neither side could quite force the issue, and a draw it was — a fair reflection of an afternoon where effort outstripped execution on both sides, ours included.

Sat 04 Jun 1960 🧢 1st XIv CC Canning Town Glassworks CC · HomeformLWWLD

Saturday the 4th of June found us hosting Canning Town Glassworks CC, and my first act as captain was to lose the toss — a fine tradition I continue to uphold with metronomic consistency. They chose to bat, and made themselves rather too comfortable, racing to 142 for 2 from their thirty overs. Peter Sharrock top-scored with a polished 69 not out, well supported by Roy Ballard's fifty-plus knock. Terry Whittaker toiled honestly for 1-65, with S Lusher chipping in at 1-66, but the Glassworks batsmen simply had our measure.

Then came our reply, and the less said the better — though I shall say it anyway, being contractually obliged. Thirty-seven all out in fifteen overs is not a total one boasts about at the bar afterwards. Bob Arnold and Richard Harris both fell for ducks, and the innings had the general shape and dignity of a deckchair collapsing. We went down by an innings and one run, which has a certain brutal poetry to it.

Not all was gloom, mind: Frank Brattle's watchful 27 nudged him past Robert Murray into 20th on the club's all-time run-scoring list, a genuine bright spot on an otherwise bleak afternoon. I continue to sit third in this season's run charts with 107, and Terry remains our leading wicket-taker, second in the club with 13.

Verdict: a chastening day in the field and a shorter one at the crease. Back to the nets, heads up, and onward.

Sun 29 May 1960 🧢 1st XIv FC Folkestone CC · HomeformWLWWL

There are days when the toss feels like the least of your worries, and Sunday's visit from Folkestone was one of them. I called wrong, we were put into the field, and by the close of their innings we'd learned rather more about leather-chasing than any of us cared to. Folkestone rattled up 223 for 6 from their 47 overs, David Brickell sailing serenely past fifty to 59, with Cecil Blacklocks (47) and John Spanswick (29) keeping the scoreboard turning over. Pat Hardwick was superb with the ball, 4 for 43 and the pick of everyone on show, while I toiled away for 1 for 104 — support of the ably-not-quite variety.

Chasing 224 was always going to ask questions of us, and we answered rather too many of them incorrectly. We closed on 142 for 8 from our 44, John Ames top-scoring with a tidy 35, Eddie Lawrence chipping in 29 and Pat Hardwick 28. For the ducks column, Roy Clarke and I shared the ignominy of a nought apiece — I walked back to the pavilion with the sort of dignity that fools nobody. Fifteen byes, meanwhile, told their own sorry tale of a testing afternoon behind the stumps for Roy.

There was a silver lining: William Buck's 27 eased him past Stan Wratten into second on the club's all-time run charts, a small piece of history amid the general rubble. Pat Hardwick continues to lead the 1960 run charts with 207 and sits third in the wickets with 7 — the form horse of our season.

A draw, then, honours shared, neither side quite able to land the killer blow. We'll take it, and I'll take the walk of shame on the chin.

Sat 28 May 1960 🧢 1st XIv OC Old Williamsonians CC · HomeformLWLWW

It was Old Williamsonians CC at home, and having called correctly at the toss, I had no hesitation whatsoever in choosing to bat — a decision that, in hindsight, showed rather more confidence than judgment. We limped to 114/9 from our 33.5 overs, rescued from something considerably worse by Pat Hardwick's 34 and good support from Len Conway's 31. As for the rest of the top order, the less said the better: I contributed a golden nothing, and Eddie Lawrence and Bob Arnold kept me company in that particular department. Three ducks in one innings is not a record we'll be putting in the trophy cabinet.

Defending 114 always felt like asking the lads to carry a rather heavy bag uphill, and so it proved, though not without a scrap. Old Williamsonians got there on 115/5 from 27 overs, with Blakeman's 37 the backbone of the chase and Waddums unbeaten on 28. Brooks, at least, departed without troubling the scorers, which was some small consolation. Terry Whittaker was the pick of the attack by some distance — 3-37 with four maidens thrown in for good measure — and Len Conway chipped in admirably with 2-66. Whittaker's efforts also nudged him past J Donovan into 17th on the club's all-time wicket-takers list, which is rather splendid on an otherwise chastening afternoon.

A captain is meant to lead by example. On this occasion I led by example of exactly how not to bat, departing for a golden blob and leaving the side to do the heavy lifting without me. Down by five wickets, then — not our day. Heads up, and back to the nets.

Sat 21 May 1960 🧢 1st XIv MA Mote A · HomeformLLWLW

Saturday 21 May 1960, and we welcomed Dummy Site to Linton Park in conditions fit for cricket, if not entirely fit for our top order. I called correctly at the toss and, with the confidence of a man who hadn't yet seen the pitch, opted to bat.

It proved a chastening 42.3 overs. Ray Howard held things together with a fine 44, but the rest of us came and went with varying degrees of dignity, and John Ames and Alan Wilkes both departed for ducks — a pair of blobs that rather summed up the innings. All out for 122 was, frankly, a modest total to be defending, and I confess to some anxious tea-interval arithmetic.

I needn't have worried. Alan Wilkes, having contributed nothing with the bat, made up for it handsomely with the ball, spinning through their order for 5-34 with three maidens thrown in for good measure — miserly doesn't begin to cover it. Gordon Fenner chipped in with 4-35, and between the two of them there was precious little for the rest of us to do but applaud from the field. Dummy Site were bowled out for 72 in 31.2 overs, and we came away with a 50-run victory.

Two points, thoroughly earned, and a reminder that in this game one man's duck is another man's five-wicket haul. Pat Hardwick continues to lead our run charts with 145, and Alan Wilkes now sits atop the wickets with 16 — a season very much alive.

Sun 15 May 1960 🧢 1st XIv West Farleigh CC · HomeformDLLWL

Sunday 15 May 1960, and West Farleigh CC arrived at Linton Park to find the coin landing my way — a rare enough occurrence that I didn't hesitate to send us in. What followed was as handsome a batting display as this reporter has had the pleasure of announcing. Maurice Fenner played an innings of real substance, 121 not out and utterly serene about it, while Pat Hardwick (30 not out) and Stan Wratten (29) filled in the edges nicely. Poor Frank Brattle contributed his customary golden duck, which I'm assured builds character, though he seemed unconvinced. We closed on a mighty 196 for 3 from our 43 overs.

Defending that sort of total ought to be the easy part, and so it proved. West Farleigh never found their footing, subsiding to 76 all out in 30.5 overs, with only Trevor Fermor's 22 offering any real resistance. Three of their number — John P Day, Reg Oldfield and A. Parker — departed without troubling the scorers, which tells its own story. Alan Wilkes was the architect of the collapse, bowling with real menace for 6 for 29 and eight miserly maidens, ably assisted by John Ames's 4 for 47.

A win by 120 runs, then, and a thoroughly satisfying afternoon's work all round. Pat Hardwick continues to lead our run charts for the season with 129, and Alan Wilkes now tops the wickets with 11. Onwards we go.

Sat 14 May 1960 🧢 1st XIv Gore Court CC · AwayformWDLLW

The road to Gore Court on the 14th of May was a pleasant one; the result, less so. I lost the toss, they had no hesitation in batting, and we spent the best part of forty-seven overs traipsing after leather while Alan Priston (39), Jack Bispham (33) and Maurice Ingleton (31) took it in turns to help themselves to our total of 180 for 8. Len Conway was the pick of us by some distance, miserly with five maidens on his way to 4 for 49, while I chipped in with 2 for 62 and Pat Hardwick picked up one for the princely cost of 5 runs.

Chasing 181 was always going to want application, and we found precisely none of it. One down for one felt like an aberration; 33 for 2 sliding to 42 for 5 felt like a horror film. Eddie Lawrence, Bob Arnold and Roy Clarke all made the long walk back for nought apiece, and poor Roy's afternoon behind the stumps wasn't much brighter, with 11 byes leaking through. Only Pat Hardwick, with a defiant 21, and a single, hard-earned run from Richard Harris — enough to nudge him past Tom Osborn into 13th on the club's all-time run-scorers list — offered any resistance. Len Conway's four wickets, meanwhile, lifted him past Dennis Smith into 19th among our wicket-takers. All out for 52 in 26 overs, beaten by 128 runs. Not our finest hour; heads up, and back to the nets.

Sun 08 May 1960 🧢 1st XIv HH Halfway House · HomeformWWDLL

Sunday the eighth of May brought Halfway House to our own turf, and winning the toss I did the thing captains dream of doing correctly for once — no dithering, no consulting the stars, straight to bat.

We were bowled out for 138 in 43.5 overs, which on a good day might have felt thin, but there was substance in it. Pat Hardwick led the way with a fine 36, Eddie Lawrence chipped in a tidy 27, and I managed to contribute 26 of my own before getting out, which I shall claim as a captain's innings and nobody can prove otherwise. Alan Wilkes, meanwhile, endured the walk of shame with the bat, out for nought — though as it turned out, he had rather better things planned for later in the day.

Defending 138 is never comfortable, but Halfway House folded for 88 in 33.5 overs, with only Don Capeling's 43 offering any real resistance. G Dane, R Clarke and L Tyler all departed without troubling the scorers, and Alan Wilkes bowled like a man with something to prove, taking 5 for 47 with four miserly maidens. Terry Donovan backed him up handsomely with 4 for 15.

Warm applause too for Robert Murray, whose 14 runs eased him past Frank Brattle and into 20th on the club's all-time run charts. A fifty-run victory, two points in the bag, and thoroughly, unarguably earned.

Sat 07 May 1960 🧢 1st XIv CA Charles Arkcoll · HomeformLWWDL

I lost the toss again — Charles Arkcoll took first knock at Linton Park on Saturday and made themselves rather at home, posting 157 all out from 41.2 overs. John Abnett top-scored with a stubborn 27, backed up by Frank Holding's 25 and T Bridal's 23, and it was steady rather than spectacular from our end until the wickets started falling. Terry Whittaker was the pick of the attack with 4-42, I chipped in with 2-9, and S Lusher took 2-28, with J Ratcliffe sent back for a duck along the way — small mercies, but not quite enough to keep the total down where we'd have liked it.

Chasing 158, we never really got going. Basil Sears battled hard for 34, Roy Clarke made 25, and Pat Hardwick 21, but the rest of the order rather fancied an early bath, with R Jones, Terry Whittaker and Peter Hughes all departing for ducks as we slipped to 125 all out in 35.1 overs. Roy Clarke's afternoon behind the stumps wasn't much easier, with 21 byes conceded to round off a day nobody will be rushing to relive.

Beaten by 32 runs, then, and no complaints — Charles Arkcoll were the better side on the day. Basil Sears now tops our 1960 run charts with 80 and Terry Whittaker leads the wickets with 7, so the individual form is there even if the collective wasn't. We'll dust ourselves down and come back stronger next week.

Sun 01 May 1960 🧢 1st XIv HC Harrietsham CC · AwayformLLWWD

Sunday the 1st of May took us down to Harrietsham, and having won the toss I did what any self-respecting skipper does with a decent morning ahead of him — stuck us in. Stan Wratten played the innings of the day, 54 to his name, and Ray Howard chipped in handsomely with 39, the pair of them steering us to a tidy 159 for 5 from our forty overs. Not a total to frighten anyone perhaps, but enough, I felt, to give the lads something to bowl at.

And bowl at it we did, though Harrietsham had other ideas. Ray Tong made a determined 44, D Brown 43, and D Hampshire saw them home unbeaten on 34 as they reached 164 for 4 with 34.1 overs on the clock. Ray Howard was again the pick of our attack — 3 for 55, two of them maidens, proper miserly stuff — with John Ames offering fine support for one. In the end it simply wasn't quite enough, and we went down by six wickets.

There was a silver lining or two amid the gloom. Stan's 54 eased him past William Buck into 2nd on the club's all-time run-scoring list, and Ray's three wickets nudged him past Ernest Cruttenden into 13th among our wicket-takers — both, I'd say, rather more permanent achievements than anything decided on a Sunday afternoon. A defeat, then, but one with enough good in it to send us home with heads high. We'll be better for it next week.

Sat 30 Apr 1960 🧢 1st XIv Staplehurst CC · HomeformDLLWW

I gave the toss away and Staplehurst wasted no time helping themselves to the deckchairs, choosing to bat on what looked a fair, flat Saturday strip. L. Murrell made hay with a well-crafted 53, and W. Paine's 39 kept the scoreboard ticking, before Ricky Lusher decided enough was enough and ran through them with a superb 4-18, backed up nicely by Terry Whittaker's 3-46 and a couple for me. W. Cook, for what it's worth, never troubled the scorers at all. All out for 156 in the 27th over felt a touch below par for them, and gave us something to chase.

With the bat we never quite found our rhythm, subsiding to 122/8 from our 38 overs, saved from real embarrassment by Basil Sears's unbeaten 46 — a proper captain's innings, if I'm allowed to borrow the phrase for someone else's efforts — and I chipped in with 28 myself. Poor Frank Brattle will want this one struck from the record, departing for nought, and Roy Clarke had one of those afternoons behind the stumps where the ball simply wouldn't stick, 22 byes finding their way through.

A word of cheer amid the toil: Terry Whittaker's three wickets nudged him past Dennis Smith and up to 18th on the club's all-time list, which is the sort of thing that makes losing feel almost bearable.

In the end honours were shared, and on reflection a draw felt about right — we bowled like a side that deserved to win, and batted like one grateful not to lose.