🧢 Captain's Log

Sat 21 Sep 1968 🧢 1st XIv West Farleigh CC · HomeformWLLDW

Saturday last, West Farleigh rolled up the drive and I won the toss and, with that unfailing instinct for making my own life difficult, stuck us in. Twenty-one runs down before the tea urn had properly boiled, we subsided to 121 all out in 41.5 overs, rescued from utter ignominy by Mike Iliffe's watchful 24. The less said about Frank Brattle and Derry Evans the better — both walked back for ducks, and the pond behind the pavilion has never looked so inviting.

Defending a total that a stiff breeze could have blown over, we set about it with more hope than method. West Farleigh wobbled early at 2 for 1 and I allowed myself a quiet smile, but Colin Clark had other ideas, farming the strike to an unbeaten 44, well supported by Ron Kemp's 33 not out and Don Fermor's 20. Paul Bowles toiled manfully for 3 for 39, and Terry Whittaker — three maidens and 2 for 50, mean as a Kent hedgerow — kept the scoring honest without reward enough. I chipped in with 15 of my own, which at least kept the average ticking over; I now lead the 1st XI's run charts this season with 622, and Whittaker sits second among the wicket-takers with 46. But their last pair found 80 runs we simply couldn't afford them, and we went down by four wickets.

A chastening afternoon, all told — but character-building, if the scorebook is to be believed. Onward to next week, wiser and no less optimistic.

Sat 14 Sep 1968 🧢 1st XIv SC St Lukes Maidstone CC · HomeformDWLLD

Terry Whittaker here, and what a Saturday it turned out to be against St Lukes Maidstone. Losing the toss and being sent out to field is never how I'd choose to start a Saturday, but the lads had other ideas about how the day should go. St Lukes battled to 126 all out from 47.4 overs, M. Eastman doing the bulk of the graft with 39, but our bowling had them in all sorts from 13-1 to 22-4 before they'd barely settled. The story of the innings, though, was Terry Donovan, who bowled with real fire and control to finish with a thoroughly deserved 7-52 — a five-for and then some. Jon Harris chipped in with 1-18, and I was pleased enough to nab 1-27 myself, along with six maidens for good measure, though the headlines belonged entirely to Donovan.

Chasing 127, we got there for the loss of five wickets, 129 all told from 41.2 overs, and it was Paul Bowles who anchored things beautifully with an unbeaten 49, well supported by Fred Greenfield's 23 and Jim Hall's 21. Special mention too for Bowles, whose innings nudged him past Tom Osborn and up to 24th on the club's all-time run-scorers list — no small feat, that. He now sits second in this year's first-team run charts with 532, while Donovan, unsurprisingly after today, leads the wicket-takers with 55.

A five-wicket win, then, built on a fine bowling display and a calm, composed chase. Onwards we go.

Sun 08 Sep 1968 🧢 1st XIv AC Anchorians CC · HomeformWDWLL

Sunday 8th September saw Anchorians CC visit us at Linton Park, and winning the toss I had no hesitation in taking first strike on a pitch that looked, to my admittedly optimistic eye, like it owed us a few runs.

Roger Craddock led the way with a fine 36, and he found a willing partner in Frank Brattle (34) as the pair put on 54 for the first wicket to give us the platform every captain dreams of at breakfast and rarely gets by lunch. Robert Chance chipped in with a useful 23, but from a position of some comfort at 123 for 5 we contrived, with the enthusiasm of men queuing for the tea urn, to stumble to 130 for 8 — poor Terry Donovan a spectator throughout his own duck. We limped home to 155 for 9 off our 53, a total that flattered to deceive but would, I felt, prove defendable.

And so it did, largely. Anchorians never got away from us, A. Watkins's 27 the only real resistance as they closed on 98 for 9 from their 40 overs. Paul Bowles was quite magnificent, four wickets for 27 with five overs given away for nothing, ably backed by Dick Langridge's three for 33 and a wicket apiece for the ever-reliable Craddock.

In the end honours were shared, and perhaps rightly so — a match of fine margins that neither side quite deserved to lose. A draw, then, and a fair one at that.

Sat 07 Sep 1968 🧢 1st XIv A A.Trembeths · HomeformWWDWL

From the captain's chair — Saturday 7th September 1968, and we played host to A. Trembeths on what I like to think was a very reasonable strip of turf.

Winning the toss, I had no hesitation in electing to bat, and for a good half hour I felt quite the tactician. That confidence didn't survive the loss of our first wicket with nought on the board, and from there it was a case of gritty resistance rather than glory. Jim Hall's 26 was the innings' backbone, Paul Bowles chipping in gamely with 21, but too many of us trooped back for nought — myself, Basil Sears and Mike Iliffe all contributing to what the ledger cruelly records as a hat-trick of ducks. All out for 82 in 40.3 overs was, frankly, a modest defence.

And so it proved. A. Trembeths lost a wicket without scoring, which raised hopes briefly, and we did for three of theirs cheaply, but R. Tottman (41 not out) and L. Fell (38 not out) simply battened down and saw them home at 83 for 3. I did manage some small consolation with the ball — 2 for 20, including two maidens — with Paul Bowles chipping in at 1 for 32, but it wasn't nearly enough.

Beaten by seven wickets, then, and my own duck sits rather sourly alongside it. Bowles continues to build a fine season with the bat, and I'll take what comfort I can from the wickets column. We'll be better for it next week.

Mon 02 Sep 1968 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · AwayformWWWDW

Beaten by 5 wickets at Bearsted, and truth be told we probably gave the game away with the bat rather than lost it in the field.

Winning the toss and taking first knock felt like the right call at the time, and I'll stand by it even now. We limped to 8-1 early on, which is no way to settle the nerves, but a battling 55-run stand for the sixth wicket dragged us back into some sort of respectability. I contributed 31 at the top of the order, Dick Langridge chipped in with a tidy 28, and between us we nudged the total along to a defendable-looking 132/8 from 53.4 overs. Special mention, as ever, to poor Paul Bowles, who bagged a golden duck and will no doubt be reminded of it at every opportunity between now and Christmas.

With the ball we made a decent fist of defending it. Alan Tucker was the pick of the attack with 3-48, and Bob Kember bowled beautifully in support — 2-53 and three maidens, tighter than a Sunday roast tin. But Bearsted had other ideas in the shape of Peter Prince, who compiled a thoroughly well-made unbeaten fifty and, with Ian Lambert's 23 alongside him in a stand of 53 for the fifth wicket, saw the home side home with overs in hand — 135/5 from 30.2 overs.

A case, then, of a total that was a good 20 runs light of matchwinning, and a Bearsted side who made us pay for those early jitters. We'll dust ourselves down and be better for it next week.

Sun 01 Sep 1968 🧢 1st XIv Staplehurst CC · AwayformDWWWD

Won the toss at Staplehurst on Sunday and, with the sun doing its best impression of summer, there was really only one decision to make: we batted. It proved a sound if occasionally scratchy call. Dick Langridge played the anchor role to perfection with 47, and I chipped in with 26 alongside Terry Donovan's equally tidy 26, but 166 all out in 51.9 overs felt a touch light — not helped by Paul Bowles and Ron Hickman both departing for ducks, the pair of them offering the scorebook nothing but a brace of sad little webbed footprints.

Defending it, though, we bowled and fielded like men with a point to prove. Staplehurst threatened briefly through D. Louth's fine fifty, well supported by B. Thurlow's 24, and their second-wicket pair added a worrying 67 — but from 118 for 6 the floodgates opened spectacularly, three more ducks tumbling in as they subsided to 127 all out. Ron Hickman was magnificent with 4 for 23, Brian Relf and Terry Donovan chipped in with two apiece, and Paul Bowles bowled two maidens as if daring anyone to score off him. Nine byes suggested poor Cliff Anscombe had rather a lively afternoon behind the stumps.

The abiding memory, though, belongs to Dick Langridge, who brought up his hundredth appearance in Linton colours with the bat that mattered most. A fine team win by 39 runs — onwards we go.

Sat 31 Aug 1968 🧢 1st XIv BK Beverley CC, Kent · AwayformLDWWW

We were away at Beverley CC on the last Saturday of August, and having called correctly at the toss I saw no reason to do anything but bat — a decision that felt increasingly generous to my own judgement as we slipped to 0 for the loss of an early wicket. Credit to the lads for steadying the ship: Mike Iliffe played a proper captain's innings of his own, 56 well-crafted runs, with Derry Evans chipping in a handy 37 and the pair building the innings' backbone with a fifth-wicket stand of 55. Poor Basil Sears, meanwhile, will want this gazette used as kindling — a duck to nurse home. We closed on 153 for 9 off 46.1 overs, a total that felt about right for the conditions rather than a match-winning one.

Beverley's reply began ominously, Carter and Shirley putting on 90 for the first wicket with 48 and 47 respectively before we found a way in. Once the breakthrough came, though, we turned into a different side entirely — 90 for 1 became 109 for 4 in a spell that had me grinning from mid-off, D. Jones departing without troubling the scorers along the way. Bob Kember was magnificent, 4 for 22 of pure Kent-baiting hostility, with Terry Donovan (2-41) and Brian Relf (1-9) chipping away either end. Eleven byes did rather suggest our man behind the stumps had a long drive home to contemplate his afternoon.

Beverley finished 150 for 8, three short of parity, and honours were shared. A draw, then — honest, hard-fought, and entirely befitting a day where neither side deserved to lose.

Sun 25 Aug 1968 🧢 1st XIv HC Harrietsham CC · AwayformLLDWW

From the captain's chair — Sunday 25 August 1968. We travelled to Harrietsham CC in fine spirits, though the coin let me down at the toss and their captain elected to bat, leaving us to toil in the field first.

Toil we did, at least early on, as their openers put on a robust 70 before we prised the first breakthrough. Peter Hope (39) and Ray Tong (37) did the bulk of the damage as Harrietsham were eventually bowled out for 141 off 51.4 overs — a proper stern examination for the bowling attack. John Ames was magnificent, prising out 4-22 with five miserly maidens thrown in for good measure, well backed by Roger Craddock's 3-45, and I chipped in with 2-11 myself. D La Plain and Michael Gear departed without troubling the scorers, so it wasn't all one-way traffic.

With the target set, Cliff Anscombe anchored the reply beautifully, finishing unbeaten on 43, with Roger Craddock (36) and John Ames (21) lending sturdy support as we reached 143 for 5 in 38.3 overs. I contributed a golden duck to proceedings — the less said the better, and a veil shall duly be drawn.

Worth raising a glass to nonetheless: Roger Craddock reached 50 career wickets, and Cliff Anscombe's innings shunted him past Robert Wood to 20th on the club's all-time run-scorers list. A fine win by 5 wickets, and onwards we go.

Sat 24 Aug 1968 🧢 1st XIv AC Aylesford Paper Mills CC · HomeformLLLDW

Skipper's Log — Saturday 24th August, and a rare treat: sunshine, a full square, and Aylesford Paper Mills CC come to visit. The coin behaved itself for once, and with a wicket that looked worth batting on I had no hesitation putting us in — a decision I spent the next forty-nine overs quietly hoping wouldn't come back to haunt me.

126 for 8 was never going to have the members reaching for superlatives, but there was substance in there if you knew where to look. Mike Iliffe led the way with a fine 33, Paul Bowles finished unbeaten on 32, and I chipped in with 29 of my own — the three of us doing rather more than our fair share while the middle order took the scenic route. The third-wicket stand of 50 was the innings' backbone. Elsewhere the card made for grim reading, with both Benny Bell and Gordon Fenner departing without troubling the scorer.

Defending a modest total is where character shows itself, and Ron Hickman produced a spell for the ages — 6 for 23, four maidens included, bowling with the kind of miserly precision that has batsmen playing for their pride rather than runs. Paul Bowles backed him up superbly with 4 for 41, and between them Aylesford's innings simply came apart, 68 for 4 collapsing to 75 for 7 in the blink of an eye, Geoff Hughes among the ducks. Poor Jim Hall had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps — 11 byes tells its own story — but it mattered not a jot.

A 31-run victory, two points banked, and thoroughly deserved. Some days the scorebook flatters you; this one, for once, told the truth.

Sun 18 Aug 1968 🧢 1st XIv The Mote CC · HomeformDLLLD

Lost the toss on a bright Sunday at Linton Park, and The Mote duly elected to have a bat — which, with hindsight, rather played into our hands. They ground their way to 170 for 7 off 56 overs, John Barker anchoring things nicely with a fine fifty, well supported by B. Marten's 29 and Peter Prince's 28, the pair adding a stubborn 72 for the fifth wicket that threatened to run away from us. Roger Craddock had other ideas, tearing through with 3 for 29, Jon Harris chipping in with 2 for 20 and Paul Bowles with 1 for 29, while Terry Whittaker simply refused to be scored off, sending down four maidens of pure, miserly Kent stubbornness.

With 171 to chase, Frank Brattle set about the bowling with a handsome 54, and Roger Craddock, evidently not content with his morning's bowling, added an unbeaten 46 with the bat for good measure. I was happy enough to potter along to 45 not out and see us home without alarm — though poor Paul Bowles endured the walk of shame for a duck, and will no doubt hear about it in the bar for weeks. We reached 171 for 3 in 46.4 overs, comfortable rather than swaggering.

Two points, thoroughly earned, and a seven-wicket win to show for a good day's work all round. If the season continues in this vein, we shan't be complaining.

Sat 17 Aug 1968 🧢 1st XIv BC Bowaters CC · AwayformWDLLL

17 August 1968, away at Bowaters CC. Lost the toss, put in to field – not the afternoon I'd have chosen, but there we are.

Bowaters made steady progress to 156/9 off their 42.2 overs, Graham Piesley (44) and Mervyn Stanton (43) doing the heavy lifting in the middle order. But the story of the day, without question, was Terry Donovan. Figures of 8-63, including two tight maidens, is the sort of spell you dine out on for years, and it was richly deserved. Terry Whittaker chipped in with 1-59 in support, and we had the satisfaction of sending both Colin Rodriguez and Trevor Mannering back without troubling the scorers.

Set 157 to win, we crawled home to 53/2 from our 23.2 overs – Frank Brattle unbeaten on 27, Benny Bell a solid 21, and Paul Bowles departing for a golden duck. It was hardly a chase for the ages, but with the light and the overs against us, honours were shared and a draw was the fair result. I managed my own small contribution with the bat along the way, for what it was worth on a day when 12 byes gave poor Jim Hall behind the stumps rather more exercise than he'd have liked.

Two footnotes worth raising a glass to: Frank Brattle brought up his 300th appearance in Linton colours, and Terry Donovan's eight-for has lifted him to 10th on the club's all-time wicket-taking list, past Dick Langridge. A grand day for the club, even if the result itself was honours even.

Wed 14 Aug 1968 🧢 Midweek XIv Gravesend CC · AwayformDLWLW

There are days when winning the toss feels like the start of something rather special, and Wednesday's trip to Gravesend was shaping up nicely along those lines — right up until we lost a wicket for two runs and I was left wondering whether I'd made the right call putting us in. Credit to the lads for steadying the ship: a third-wicket stand of 64 dragged us back to respectability, and I was glad to chip in with 41 of my own, with Percy Brattle (27) and Terry Whittaker (24) both playing their part. All told, 134/7 from our 48 overs felt like a defendable total, if not an outright match-winner.

So it proved. Gravesend made a fair fist of the chase, Kevin Wilson leading the way with 29 and getting good support from F Harris (25) and T Pickering (22), their own third-wicket pair adding 53 at a rate that kept the required rate honest. Terry Whittaker did his best to stem the tide with 2-27, well backed by Bob Kember's tidy 2-30 — two maidens and all — and Terry Donovan's 1-12. Spare a thought too for poor Gaynor Kingston, sent back without troubling the scorers. Eight byes, meanwhile, told their own tale of a testing afternoon behind the stumps for Percy Brattle.

In the end Gravesend got home by three wickets, and there's no dressing it up: not our day. Heads up, though — back to the nets, and back to Kent next time.

Sun 11 Aug 1968 🧢 1st XIv Sibton Park CC · HomeformWWDLL

Skipper's Log — Sunday 11 August 1968, hosting Sibton Park CC.

I won the toss and, with the wicket looking a good one, had no hesitation in putting us in. It didn't start well — seven on the board and we'd already lost one, the sort of nervy opening that has the tea urn boiling early out of habit as much as thirst. But the fifth-wicket pair steadied matters with a stand of 66, and I was glad to chip in with 49 of my own, well supported by John Ames (41) and Mike Iliffe (29), as we hauled ourselves up to 149/7 from our fifty overs — a total that felt more respectable than it had any right to at 7 for 1.

Defending it, we asked plenty of Sibton Park, and for a moment it looked promising when they too lost an early wicket with just four scored. Alas, Geoffrey Kirk had other ideas, easing to 61 not out, and with E. Impett (45) and D. Keeler (24) chipping in around a hefty 92-run second-wicket stand, the game rather slipped from our grasp. Terry Donovan toiled nobly for 2-59, two maidens included, and Paul Bowles picked up one for his efforts, but it wasn't quite enough — they got there in 42.1 overs, six wickets in hand.

One footnote amid the gloom: Donovan passed 200 career wickets, which deserves a raised glass even on a losing afternoon.

Not our day, then — beaten by six wickets, and it's back to the nets with heads up rather than bowed.

Sun 04 Aug 1968 🧢 1st XIv GC Goring By Sea CC · HomeformWWWDL

Here's the match report:

The coin fell kindly and I had few qualms about putting Goring By Sea in the field — a decision that, by close of play, felt rather less shrewd than it did at the toss. We were bowled out for 134 in 50.1 overs, a total that owed almost everything to Paul Bowles, whose fine 57 was the innings' backbone. I chipped in with 22 and Fred Greenfield weighed in with 20, but it was a stuttering effort either side of that: just 6-1 with the first wicket gone, and then, having steadied ourselves to 128-6, we contrived to shed three more for six runs and finish 134-9 — the kind of collapse that makes a captain stare hard at his tea. Special mention, if that's the word, to Terry Groves for his duck; the ledger does not forget.

Defending 134 was always going to ask a lot, and so it proved. Goring's openers put on 69 before the first breakthrough, and though Terry Donovan bowled beautifully — 3 for 31 off seven miserly maidens, and a bit of history made along the way, passing Alan Tucker into 12th on the club's all-time wicket list — the required runs kept coming. P. Caswall's 45, N. McGregor's unbeaten 41 and J. Field's 37 saw them home at 138-4, a six-wicket win with overs to spare. Paul Bowles picked up a consolation wicket, but it was not enough to trouble the visitors.

Not our day, then, and no dressing it up as anything else. A modest total, a soft middle order, and a chase that never really looked in doubt. Heads up, chins up, back to the nets — there'll be sunnier Sundays yet.

Sat 03 Aug 1968 🧢 1st XIv MC Maidstone YMCA CC · AwayformLWWWD

Saturday last took us to Maidstone YMCA, and losing the toss handed us the unglamorous honour of opening with the ball on a ground that, I suspect, was rather pleased with itself. To their credit the lads made hard work of it for the home side: Golding compiled a watchful 21, Butler chipped in with 20, and between them they dragged Maidstone to what looked a respectable platform. Then, as so often happens in this fine game, the wheels came off spectacularly — 67 for 5 became 72 for 8 in the time it takes to pour a tea, with poor Goodger and Spice both back in the pavilion without so much as a single to their names. Brian Fuller was the chief tormentor with a superb 4 for 5, and I was happy enough with my own afternoon's work, finishing with 2 for 12 and three maidens, while Benny Bell kept things tidy with 2 for 24. Ninety-one all out felt, dare I say, gettable.

Dare I say wrongly. We lost an early wicket with just 8 on the board, never quite settled, and watched our own innings crumble from 40 for 5 to 60 for 8 in equally alarming fashion, folding for 61. Beaten by 30 runs, then — a scoreline that flatters neither batting effort. Still, I lead the 1st XI wicket pile this season with 38, which is some consolation on the long drive home. A chastening one, but we'll be better for it next week.

Sun 28 Jul 1968 🧢 1st XIv PC Paddock Wood CC · AwayformDLWWW

Skipper's log, Sunday 28 July: the coach wound its way down to Paddock Wood, and my luck with the coin was every bit as reliable as the Kent weather forecast — I called wrong, and we were put into the field.

Not that fielding first did us any harm. Paddock Wood laboured to 124 all out in 42.5 overs, Hughes top-scoring with 40, well supported by Padgham's 30 and Colbourn's 20, but they never quite got away from us after slipping to 6 for 1 early doors. G Trent departed without troubling the scorers, and Benny Bell was in irresistible form, tearing through with 5 for 27 off seven miserly maidens — the sort of spell that makes a captain's job easy. I chipped in with 4 for 33, and Roger Craddock toiled hard for his one wicket, which cost him 55.

Chasing 125 for victory, we made a hash of it in the way only a village side can. Gordon Fenner batted sensibly for an unbeaten 26, ably supported by Benny Bell's 23 not out, but between them the middle order fell apart, tumbling from 21 for 1 to 38 for 4 in the blink of an eye. Fred Greenfield and I both contributed ducks to the cause — mine every bit as golden and unlovely as it sounds — and we limped to 108 for 8 from our 41 overs.

A draw, then, honours even. Frank Brattle continues to sit handsomely fourth in the season's run charts, and Roger Craddock third among the wickets, so the old firm remains in decent shape even when a Sunday like this one refuses to yield a result.

Sat 27 Jul 1968 🧢 1st XIv Sibton Park CC · AwayformDDLWW

Saturday 27th July, and the fixtures gods sent us to Sibton Park. I lost the toss, they inserted themselves rather than us, and so we trooped into the field wondering what sort of afternoon we'd been dealt.

As it turned out, a fairly satisfactory one. Sibton Park ground their way to 131 for 9 off 48.5 overs, with Ian Guy the chief architect of our discomfort — a composed unbeaten fifty — well backed by E. Impett's 24. David Rawlings, mercifully for us, departed without troubling the scorers. Terry Whittaker was the pick of the attack, tidy and relentless with 2 for 30 and seven maidens to show for his afternoon's toil, while Brian Fuller chipped in with 2 for 31 and I managed 1 for 15 myself, more through persistence than menace.

A target of 132 should never trouble a club side, and naturally we did our best to make it trouble us anyway, slipping to 3 for 1 before we'd properly settled. Alan Cridland and Paul Bowles steadied things with a third-wicket stand of 59, Bowles making 27, before I saw us home with 44 not out. Poor Fred Greenfield endured a day to forget, out for nought and then shipping ten byes behind the stumps — chin up, Fred, there's always next week.

We got there by three wickets, and two points duly banked. Scrappy, occasionally chaotic, but thoroughly earned — precisely how a proper village win should feel.

Sun 21 Jul 1968 🧢 1st XIv SC Sevenoaks Vine CC · HomeformLDDLW

Sunday 21st July found us at home to Sevenoaks Vine, and after winning the toss I had no hesitation in taking first knock — the right call, I felt, and for once I was proved right rather than left explaining myself over tea. Losing the first wicket for just 5 could have knocked the stuffing out of us, but Cliff Anscombe played beautifully for 86 and I was fortunate enough to find some form myself with 70, the two of us putting on 149 for the fourth wicket while the rest of the side looked on approvingly from the boundary. Frank Brattle chipped in with 28, the extras column did its usual honest shift with 28 more, and we closed on a handsome 244/5 from 45.4 overs — a total that felt like runs in the bank.

Sevenoaks made a fight of it early, with Ellison, Hurd and Williams all getting starts, but nothing stuck for long. John Ames was quite magnificent, prising out five for 43 and thoroughly deserving every one of them, while Benny Bell, Roger Craddock and the ever-miserly Dick Langridge — three maidens and not a run given away lightly — squeezed the innings from a promising 84-4 down to 99-7 and eventually all out for 149.

A win by 95 runs, then, and a rather nice personal landmark along the way — 14,000 career runs for the club, which I shall try not to mention again for at least a fortnight. Onwards.

Sat 20 Jul 1968 🧢 1st XIv TS Tilling Steven · AwayformLLDDL

Saturday the 20th of July found us on the road to Tilling Steven, boots polished and optimism cautiously in tow. Put in first with the ball, we made early inroads when their opener departed with the score on a solitary run, and though a fourth-wicket stand of 68 threatened to steady the ship, we kept plugging away. Three of their number trudged off without troubling the scorer at all, which is always a satisfying sight from the boundary. G. Tucker's 47 and D. Pound's 36 gave the innings some backbone, with D. Moorkite unbeaten on 21, but Tilling Steven were all out for 138 in the 49th over. Terry Whittaker was in irresistible form, spinning his way to 5 for 38 with eight miserly maidens thrown in for good measure, ably backed up by Terry Donovan's 3 for 35, while I chipped in with a wicket of my own for 31.

Set 139 to win, I was rather pleased to lead from the front, batting through for an unbeaten 58, with Terry Whittaker (25) and Percy Brattle (21) offering fine support as we cantered home on 139 for 3.

A memorable afternoon all round, too, with Whittaker's five-for enough to nudge him past Gordon Fenner into third on the club's all-time wicket-takers list. A fine win by seven wickets, and long may the summer continue in this vein.

Sun 14 Jul 1968 🧢 1st XIv CX Colin Eldred's XI · HomeformLLLDD

John Thirkell here, reporting on a Sunday that started with such promise. On 14 July we welcomed Colin Eldred's XI to Linton Park, and I won't pretend the bones of the day looked bad from the off — we had them in the field first and prised out an early wicket with just 8 on the board. But cricket has a habit of humbling the confident, and a stubborn sixth-wicket stand of 63 dragged the visitors back into contention. C Fletcher (35) and D Poulten (34) did the damage before Roger Craddock turned the screw with a magnificent 5-44, well backed by Terry Whittaker's miserly 2-26 off nine maidens and Gordon Fenner's 1-12. They closed on 144/9 — competitive, but not, I felt, beyond us.

Alas. Frank Brattle's 28 was the only real substance in a reply that unravelled with alarming speed, 81-5 becoming 88-8 before most of us had finished our tea. Three ducks on the card — John Ames, Percy Brattle and Gordon Fenner all back in the pavilion without troubling the scorer — told their own sorry tale, and I confess my own contribution did little to arrest the slide. Cliff Anscombe, usually so tidy behind the stumps, had one of those afternoons where the ball simply wouldn't stick, 10 byes slipping past.

One shaft of sunshine amid the gloom: Fred Greenfield brought up his 100th appearance in Linton colours, a landmark any of us would be proud to reach. But 107 all out was never going to chase down 144, and we fell 37 runs short. Not our day. Heads up, and back to the nets.

Sat 13 Jul 1968 🧢 1st XIv BK Beverley CC, Kent · HomeformWLLLD

Terry Whittaker's Captain's Log, 13th July 1968 — Beverley CC visited, and I won the toss, put us in to bat, and congratulated myself on the decision at the time. That confidence took a bit of a battering as we subsided to 120 all out in 31.1 overs. Keith Walker's 35 was the innings' backbone, with Richard Ashby (28) and Basil Sears (26) chipping in handsomely, but what should have been a respectable total was undone by a collapse of the sort only Linton Park can manufacture — 100 for 5 became 113 for 8 before anyone had really settled back into their deckchair. Paul Bowles, Terry Groves and I all contributed ducks to the cause, a hat-trick of nothing that I shall not dwell on further.

With the ball, we fought back well. Beverley's openers put on a chastening 63 before we prised the first wicket loose, and P Shirley's 45 and John Stickells' 27 kept them ticking towards 95 for 2 off 29 overs. Terry Donovan led the attack beautifully, finishing with 1 for 18, and I was pleased enough with my own afternoon's work — 1 for 21 with three maidens thrown in, which went some way to atoning for the duck.

A word too for John Ames, who brought up his 300th appearance in Linton colours — a milestone worth far more than anything I managed with the bat. In the end honours were shared, a draw when neither side could force the issue. Not a classic, but character enough for the gazette.

Sun 07 Jul 1968 🧢 1st XIv AC Aylesford Paper Mills CC · AwayformDWLLL

From the captain's chair — Sunday 07 July 1968. We travelled to Aylesford Paper Mills CC in fine spirits, though those spirits took something of a battering once Brian Fridd got going.

The coin, as is its custom when it matters most, betrayed us, and Aylesford chose to bat. It looked, for a good while, like it might prove the shrewder decision, with Fridd compiling a fine unbeaten 73 and Fitch not far behind on 72, the pair putting on 98 for the second wicket while we toiled away trying to prise them apart. Credit to Fred Greenfield for leading the attack manfully with 1-23, and to Roger Craddock and Benny Bell for chipping in with a wicket apiece as Aylesford closed on 172/3 from their 31 overs — a target that had the look of trouble about it.

Chasing it down, we made a fair fist of things without ever quite making it look easy. Benny Bell top-scored with 28, Gordon Fenner finished unbeaten on 28, and Paul Bowles chipped in a handy 25, but a rush of wickets from 72-3 to 82-6 rather took the wind from our sails, and we settled for 114/6 from our 45 overs. Poor Malcolm Pay had a torrid time behind the stumps, eight byes escaping his gloves in what one suspects was not his finest afternoon.

There was, happily, rather better news to report off the scorecard: Fred Greenfield brought up his 100th appearance in Linton colours, a landmark thoroughly deserved. A draw, then — honours shared, and on the day's evidence, a fair and honest one.

Sat 06 Jul 1968 🧢 1st XIv CA Charles Arkcoll · AwayformDDWLL

Beaten by seven wickets at Charles Arkcoll on a warm July Saturday, and I'll confess winning the toss and putting us in to bat felt like the shrewdest decision I've made all season — right up until the tea interval, at least. We were bowled out for 175 in 47.2 overs, a total that owed almost everything to Fred Greenfield's classy 75, with Basil Sears chipping in a tidy 20 and the pair adding 54 for the fourth wicket to give the innings some backbone. Elsewhere the effort was rather more agricultural — Paul Bowles and Terry Groves both departed for ducks, and I shan't name which of them looked more surprised trudging back to the pavilion.

Defending 175 always asks a great deal of the bowlers, and Brian Aiston made sure we felt every run of the shortfall, striding to a magnificent 101 while Don Cleggett provided watchful support with an unbeaten 51 — their 97-run stand for the third wicket effectively settled matters long before the home side reached 179 for 3 in just 31.5 overs. Ron Hickman was our pick of the attack with 1 for 28, and Benny Bell and Paul Bowles both picked up a wicket apiece, but there was precious little any of us could do once Aiston found his rhythm.

Small consolations amid the gloom: Fred's 75 nudges him up to 23rd on the club's all-time run-scorers list, and Paul Bowles remains a very respectable 4th in this year's wicket-taking charts. As for the match itself — well, we were beaten fair and square by the better side on the day, and we'll be back at the nets working out how to bowl to a man in form like that.

Sun 30 Jun 1968 🧢 1st XIv CP Canterbury Pilgrims · HomeformDDDWL

We welcomed Canterbury Pilgrims on a Sunday that promised more than it delivered, and having lost the toss I sent us out to field first, which in hindsight felt like the more dignified half of the day. Their top order flickered rather than roared — a first wicket down for just one — before A Vaughan settled in for 45 and J Bishton finished unbeaten on 23 to drag them to a respectable-looking 109 all out in 35.4 overs. Respectable, that is, until you look at the middle order, which we took apart between 63-3 and 70-6, with D Toze, P Sayer and R Gawler all trudging back for ducks. Paul Bowles was the story of the innings, a beautifully mean 5-29 with three maidens, ably backed by Roger Craddock's 3-32 and Terry Groves' 1-13.

Alas, chasing 110 should have been a formality, and we made it look anything but. Wickets went from 27-1 to 33-4 in the sort of spell that makes a captain study his shoelaces, John Ames adding his name to the Duck Club ledger along the way. I did what I could with 19, but we folded for 86 in 46.2 overs.

Beaten by 23 runs, then, with Bowles and Craddock both climbing the season charts to console us. We'll be better for it next week.

Sat 29 Jun 1968 🧢 1st XIv TS Tilling Steven · HomeformLDDDW

Saturday last, we welcomed Tilling Steven to the ground, and I won what passed for a toss of judgement by sending them in first. It looked a shrewd move for about four hours, until 174 for 6 sat rather uncomfortably on the board. Moorkite's unbeaten 48 and Seager's 45 built the platform, Shepherd's 41 not out kept it ticking, and their sixth-wicket pair put on 76 while we toiled in the outfield wondering when tea might arrive. Small mercies: I found a bit of nip through the air to finish with 4 for 49, D. Pound departed without troubling the scorers, and Brian Fuller bowled with the parsimony of a man counting his own pennies — five maidens and 1 for 35. Their last pair then added a thoroughly unnecessary 68, the sort of stand that makes a captain question his field placings and his life choices in equal measure.

Chasing 175, we folded like a deckchair in a stiff breeze — 97 all out in 41.2 overs. Percy Brattle's unbeaten 23 was a lone candle in the gloom, though his afternoon with the gloves brought 13 byes he'd rather forget. Basil Sears, Benny Bell and I all contributed ducks of varying elegance to a rather crowded aviary.

Down by 77, then — not our finest hour, though I did creep past Terry Whittaker into third on the club's all-time wicket-takers list, which is either a triumph or a sign of how long I've been doing this. Heads up, back to the nets.

Sun 23 Jun 1968 🧢 1st XIv HC Hartley Country Club CC · HomeformDLDDD

Terry Whittaker here, filing this month's despatch from the Linton Park scorebook.

We lost the toss on Sunday and were asked to field — never my favourite way to start a Sunday, but the lads set about it well enough. Hartley Country Club posted a competitive 179/8 from their 47 overs, built chiefly around M Preston's fine half-century (53) and useful support from R Stubbs (38) and I Gibbons (28), the pair putting on 71 for the sixth wicket to give the innings its shape. Credit to Brian Fuller, who bowled beautifully to return 3-31 with five miserly maidens thrown in, ably backed up by Gordon Fenner's 3-32, while I chipped in with 2-47. D Fountain, at least, departed for nought at our hands — small mercies.

Chasing 180, we lost our first wicket for just a single run, which is never the ideal way to begin a run chase, but a sturdy 78-run stand for the fourth wicket steadied the ship nicely. Paul Bowles led the way with a well-made 57, and I was rather pleased to lead from the front myself with a matching 57 of my own. Mike Iliffe and Gordon Fenner both endured the walk of shame for ducks, and eleven byes gave poor Percy Brattle behind the stumps a testing afternoon.

Two milestones worth toasting: Paul brought up 1,000 career runs for the club, and my own 57 nudged me up to 12th on the all-time run-scorers' list. All told, a three-wicket win and two points thoroughly earned — the sort of nervy, scrappy victory that tastes all the sweeter in the clubhouse afterwards.

Mon 17 Jun 1968 🧢 1st XIv BK Beverley CC, Kent · HomeformDDLDD

I put us in to bat, which on reflection may have been offering hostages to fortune, but batting first it was, and 120/7 from our sixteen overs felt like a platform rather than a total. Frank Brattle led the way with a brisk 39, I chipped in with 30, and Paul Bowles finished unbeaten on 21 to give the innings some shape. Shape, however, is a relative term in this game — 106/4 became 115/7 with alarming speed, and the Duck Club claimed two fresh members in Terry Whittaker and Tim Thirkell, both of whom will be reviewing their techniques over the coming week.

Defending 120 in sixteen overs is never a formality, and Beverley made us work, D- Meades top-scoring with 21. But the same story played out in reverse: 49/4 became 60/7 before they knew what had hit them, B- Horton and R- Briggs departing without so much as a run to their names. Terry Whittaker was the chief architect with 3-23, well backed by Terry Donovan (2-19) and Brian Fuller (2-20), and Beverley limped to 94/9.

Off the field, plenty to raise a glass to — Terry Donovan brought up his 100th appearance in Linton colours, and Whittaker's three wickets carried him past Gordon Fenner into third on the club's all-time list. I find myself second in our 1968 run charts with 276, while Donovan sits proudly atop the wickets column with 26.

In the end honours were shared, and on a day of ducks and doughty resistance in equal measure, a draw felt about right.

Sun 16 Jun 1968 🧢 1st XIv BC Bobbing Court CC · HomeformLDDLD

I put us in on winning the toss, more from a sense of tradition than tactical genius, and for once the gamble paid off. Frank Brattle set the tone with a fluent 49, and when he and Paul Bowles came together for a second-wicket stand of 51, it felt like the sort of afternoon where the tea urn earns its keep. Bowles saw us home unbeaten on 44, Stan Wratten chipped in with a tidy 21, and we declared ourselves satisfied with 148 for 3 off our 39 overs — not a total to frighten anyone, but enough, we felt, to have a proper go with the ball.

And have a go we did. T Ades gave us a torrid time of it, a fine 67 that had the boundary rope working overtime, well supported by C Robinson's 26 and a third-wicket stand of 63 that threatened to bat us out of it altogether. But we kept plugging away — Terry Donovan was superb, 2 for 22 with two maidens thrown in for good measure, and Terry Whittaker and Dick Langridge chipped in a wicket apiece to keep the required rate honest. In the end Bobbing Court closed on 117 for 4 off 29, well short of our total but well clear of defeat too.

So honours shared, and rightly so — neither side could quite force the door open. I'll happily take a draw against opposition that batted like that, and with my own 246 runs keeping me second in the club's charts, and Donovan striding out in front with 24 wickets, the season has plenty still to say for itself.

Sat 15 Jun 1968 🧢 1st XIv RC Reeds CC · HomeformWLDDL

Genuine draw at Linton Park on the fifteenth of June, and a fitting one at that, since neither side ever really looked capable of forcing the issue. We lost the toss, were put in the field first, and watched Reeds CC compile a patient 156 for 7 from their 48 overs. John Archer was the chief architect with a well-crafted 80, given decent support by C. Banes with 21, while at the other end C. Pattenden and G. Winter both departed without troubling the scorers. Brian Fuller was the pick of our attack by some distance, snaring 3 for 34, with Terry Whittaker (2-42, and four maidens to boot — the very picture of miserliness) and Brian Relf (1-36) chipping in nicely.

Our reply was a rather more sedate affair: 129 for 3 from 38 overs, built around Frank Brattle's composed 39 and Paul Bowles's unbeaten 33, with an opening stand of 58 setting the tone. I contributed 23 myself, which I shall claim as a solid, unspectacular knock in keeping with the day. Twenty-two byes did rather give the game away as to poor Jim Hall's afternoon behind the stumps — my sympathies to him.

A quieter note of pride: this fixture marked my 600th appearance in Linton colours, which rather crept up on me until someone mentioned it at tea. I'm pleased to report I currently sit second in the season's run charts, with Terry second among the wicket-takers — evidently between us we're doing something right, even if this particular afternoon ended honours even. A draw, then, but a companionable one — the sort where you walk off rather more satisfied than the scorebook alone would suggest.

Mon 10 Jun 1968 🧢 1st XIv RC Reeds CC · HomeformWWLDD

John Thirkell here, and I can report we did most things right on Monday except the one that matters.

Winning the toss on a bright June evening, I had no hesitation electing to bat — the sort of decision that looks either shrewd or daft depending entirely on what follows, and for a while it looked shrewd enough. We laboured our way to 88 for 5 from our sixteen overs, a total that owed rather a lot to some stubborn defiance down the order, myself included — I was happy enough to finish unbeaten on 28, having spent most of it wondering where the rest of the runs were going to come from.

Eighty-eight was always going to want defending rather than admiring, and for a spell we gave it a decent go. Terry Donovan bowled beautifully for his 2 for 35, dragging things back just when Reeds threatened to run away with it, but A. Mitchell made a well-crafted 28 and John Archer saw them home with an unbeaten 25, and between them they simply had too much for us. Fourteen overs, 89 for 2, and that was that — eight wickets to the good for the visitors, and precious little we could do about it in the end.

Elsewhere in the summer's ledger there's cheerier reading: John Ames continues to purr along at the top of the run charts with 325 for the season, and Terry, wickets on Monday notwithstanding, sits proudly atop the bowling with 22. Small consolations. As for Monday itself — not our day, heads up, and back to the nets we go.

Sun 09 Jun 1968 🧢 1st XIv HC Hartley Country Club CC · AwayformLWWLD

Lost the toss again — I really must start practising my coin-spinning technique — so out we went into the field on a fine Sunday at Hartley Country Club, resigned to leather-chasing before lunch. And chase it we did, though not without reward: B Smith made a well-crafted 82 and M Preston an equally handsome 50, the pair putting on 73 for the third wicket while we toiled patiently in the sunshine. John Ames was the pick of the attack with 2-20, and I chipped in with 1-24 from a tidy spell that yielded five maidens — sparing enough to keep the total to a manageable 188/5 from their 52 overs, with Brian Fuller also among the wickets.

Our reply never quite got out of second gear. John Ames, clearly not finished for the day, carried on in the same vein with the bat to make 82 of well-made quality, and a crucial fourth-wicket stand of 54 kept the innings afloat. Poor Benny Bell will want to forget his duck in a hurry. We closed on 141/7 from our 39, honours even.

A quiet personal note amid the toil — I passed 500 career wickets today, which rather took the sting out of the aching shoulders on the drive home. A draw, then, fairly reflecting an afternoon where neither side could quite land the knockout blow. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.

Sat 08 Jun 1968 🧢 1st XIv RC Rumwood CC · HomeformDLWWL

Saturday 08 June 1968 — Rumwood CC the visitors, and I lost the toss, so out we went into the field with the sun doing its best and my spirit doing its worst. Don Clayton settled in for a well-made unbeaten fifty, 61 not out, with Keith Filmer chipping in a handy 38, and between them the pair put on 67 for the sixth wicket that really shaped the day. Just as we were wondering whether we'd ever prise them apart, Brian Relf came steaming in for a splendid 4-29, with Terry Donovan chipping in 2-30 and two tidy maidens for good measure, to peg them back to 146/6 from their thirty overs and one ball.

Chasing 147, we never quite found the fluency to make it comfortable. I made 43 that at least felt like it mattered, with Paul Bowles a sound 38 alongside me, and our third-wicket stand of 66 was the spine of the innings — though 109/6 from 38 overs tells you it was more graft than glory. Poor Percy Brattle had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, nine byes going begging, proof if any were needed that nobody's perfect on a tricky Saturday.

So honours shared, a draw that satisfied nobody and offended nobody. I sit second in our 1968 run charts and Terry Donovan leads the wickets with twenty — the engine room is clearly in good order even if the finishing touches, on this occasion, eluded us both.

Fri 07 Jun 1968 🧢 1st XIv MT Maidstone Trades · HomeformTDLWW

John Thirkell's Match Report — 7 June 1968 vs Maidstone Trades

Well, the diary tells me it was Friday the 7th of June, and Maidstone Trades rolled up looking, as ever, thoroughly capable of ruining our evening. We won the toss and sent them in, which felt like the sort of decision that separates the tactical geniuses from the men merely holding a coin. For a while it looked shrewd: they slipped from 47 for 2 to 48 for 5 in the sort of collapse that has grown men weeping into their tea urns, with P. Francis gone without troubling the scorers at all. Roger Craddock was in glorious, unplayable form, spinning his way to 5 for 54, well backed up by Terry Donovan's 2 for 49. But R. Venner dug in for an unbeaten 33 and I. Lambert chipped in with 24, and between them they dragged the visitors up to a stiffer-than-it-looked 114 for 7 from their sixteen overs.

Chasing it, we never quite found our rhythm. Robert Chance played the innings of the night with a fine 37, and I managed to get bat on ball often enough for 23 of my own, but wickets kept tumbling around us and we stalled on 104 for 5, ten runs short at the close.

Not our day, then — a defeat that owed more to that middle-order stumble with the bat than anything Craddock and company hadn't already done for us with the ball. Heads up, chins out, and back to the nets: there's cricket yet to be won this summer.

Tue 04 Jun 1968 🧢 1st XIv TS Tilling Steven · AwayformLTDLW

Tuesday found us on the road at Tilling Steven, and not for the first time I won the toss and decided we'd have a look at them first. It proved the right call, more or less, though 6-1 inside the first over gave us hope of skittling them cheap before Moorekite settled in for 34, ably supported by Shepherd's 25, to drag them up to 97/8 from their sixteen. Credit where it's due: Colin Britchford bowled beautifully for 3-24, Terry Donovan matched him with 3-32, and Terry Whittaker chipped in with 2-22 to keep the total honest.

Chasing 98 in our own sixteen overs is never quite the formality the scorebook makes it look, but Cliff Anscombe played the innings of the day, 30 that mattered when it mattered, with Roger Craddock unbeaten on 20 seeing us home in some style. Five wickets and a bit to spare — I'll take that every Tuesday going.

Two footnotes worth raising a glass to: Robert Chance brought up 1,000 career runs for the club, a landmark built one careful over at a time, and Cliff's 30 today eased him past Richard Harris into 21st on our all-time run-scorers list. Meanwhile John Ames continues to lead our 1968 charts with 215 runs, and Terry Whittaker tops the wickets column with 17.

A fine win, fairly earned, and onwards we go.

Mon 03 Jun 1968 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · HomeformWLTDL

From the captain's chair — Monday 3rd June 1968, and Bearsted CC were our visitors.

I lost the toss, as seems to have become something of a habit this season, and duly consigned us to the field. Bearsted made themselves at home for the better part of sixty overs, compiling 217 all out, built chiefly around a handy third-wicket stand of 59 in which Michael Livingstone (33), Colin Fleetwood (33) and Gordon A Hawkins (31) all had their say. It was honest toil in the field on a warm afternoon, but John Ames kept us in it with 2-35, well backed by Terry Whittaker's 2-39 and Dick Langridge's 2-54 — Langridge, tight as ever, sent down five maidens for good measure, and in doing so eased past George Champion into tenth on the club's all-time wicket-takers' list. Not a bad afternoon's graft.

Chasing 218, we made distinctly light work of it. The openers put on 110 before the first wicket fell, and John Ames simply carried on from there to a magnificent century — 100 of pure class, the innings of the day by some distance — with Stan Wratten (38) offering fine support. I chipped in with an unbeaten 29 to help see us home in style, 218 for 4 from 59 overs. Paul Bowles quietly brought up his 50th career wicket along the way, while Ames now sits proudly atop the 1968 run charts.

A thoroughly earned six-wicket win, two points banked, and a very pleasant drive home.

Sun 02 Jun 1968 🧢 1st XIv HC Hythe CC · HomeformDWLTD

Sunday last brought Hythe to Linton Park, and winning the toss I had no hesitation in taking first knock — the right call, I still maintain, whatever the final margin suggests. We laboured to 158 for 7 from our 45 overs, a total that owed everything to Terry Whittaker's watchful 35, with Gordon Fenner (26) and Paul Bowles (20) chipping in either side of a handy sixth-wicket stand worth 63. Not a score to frighten anyone, but enough, we hoped, to have a bowl at.

It wasn't to be. Hythe lost an early wicket with just 3 on the board and looked briefly rattled, but a third-wicket stand of 92 put paid to any nerves, and Tim Dearman simply refused to leave, finishing unbeaten on 89 with R Apps (35) and P Goddard (21 not out) offering sturdy company. Terry Donovan toiled manfully for his 3 for 57, and I did my modest bit with 19, but 9 byes told their own tale of a testing afternoon behind the stumps for poor Jim Hall. They cantered home in 35.3 overs, seven wickets in hand.

Two notes to lift the gloom: John Thirkell brought up his 600th appearance in Linton colours, a magnificent innings of service in itself, and Gordon Fenner's 26 eased him past Terry Whittaker into 12th on the club's all-time run-scoring list. Roger Craddock (127) and Terry Donovan (13 wickets) continue to lead our season's charts. Not our day, but heads up — back to the nets.

Sat 01 Jun 1968 🧢 1st XIv TC Tovil Nomads CC · AwayformWDWLT

From the captain's chair — a trip out to Tovil Nomads on a Saturday that, for once, didn't threaten rain, which by early June is practically a minor miracle. Winning the toss, I had no hesitation in taking first strike, and we were glad of it. Richard Ashby led us home with a fine 33, well supported by Terry Whittaker's 31, and we closed on a respectable 143 for 7 from our 49 overs — not a total to frighten anyone outright, but enough, we hoped, to make Tovil work for their tea.

And work they did. T Mitchell threatened to make a mockery of our modest total with a defiant 48, but the middle order simply melted away around him — 68 for 4 became 76 for 7 in the time it takes to pour a cup of tea, with G Winter, L White and C Banes all back in the pavilion without so much as troubling the scorers. Brian Relf was magnificent, 4 for 37 and, rather wonderfully, his fiftieth career wicket for the club along the way — champagne moment, that, even if all we had to hand was squash. Terry Donovan bowled with real miserliness, five maidens among his 2 for 44, and Terry Whittaker chipped in with 1 for 14 having already done his bit with the bat. Poor Jim Hall had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, eight byes leaking through, though nobody's blaming him on that outfield.

In the end Tovil closed on 138 for 9 — two runs short, honours shared. A draw, then, but one that felt, on reflection, very nearly a win.

Wed 29 May 1968 🧢 Midweek XIv Gravesend CC · HomeformWDLWL

Wednesday saw Gravesend CC roll into Linton Park, and true to form I called wrong at the toss — so it was pads off, boots on, and out into the field we trooped, muttering the usual things captains mutter when the coin lets them down.

They batted with more application than we'd have liked, riding a solid 102 for the first wicket before anything fell, Brian Pothecary compiling a handsome 56 with C Harland chipping in a useful 41 alongside him. But once that opening stand broke, the innings rather came apart in our hands — 113 for 4 became 118 for 7 in the blink of an eye, with L Neate, F Harris and J Bedwell all trudging back without troubling the scorers. Terry Whittaker was the chief tormentor, a magnificent 5 for 18, well backed by Dick Langridge's 5 for 46 and Terry Donovan bowling with admirable meanness, four maidens to his name. All out for 139 in 44 overs — a fair afternoon's work, poor Cliff Anscombe's ten byes notwithstanding.

Chasing it, William Buck set the tone with 43, and the openers had already put on 73 before the first wicket went. I was happy to potter along to 35 not out, with Terry Whittaker unbeaten on 33, and we cantered home at 145 for 3 in 28 overs.

A grand day for the record books too — Dick Langridge past 200 career wickets and into 11th on the all-time list, Terry Whittaker climbing to 13th among our run-scorers. A fine seven-wicket win, and a thoroughly satisfying one at that.

Tue 28 May 1968 🧢 1st XIv BC Boughton Monchelsea CC · AwayformLWDWL

Tuesday 28th May found us on the road to Boughton Monchelsea, where the coin let us down and we were sent straight into the field. It's fair to say we made a fist of it: Terry Whittaker was in irrepressible form with the ball, scything through their order for 4-28, ably supported by Alan Wilkes (2-33) and Roger Craddock (1-21). Poor J Kember never troubled the scorers, gone for a duck, and with the score reading 0-1 early doors we sensed something was in the air. K Spiken's 25 was the one substantial contribution as they were skittled for 87 in their sixteen overs.

Chasing it down, we contrived to make our own task rather harder than it needed to be. Roger Craddock, who continues to lead our run charts this season, top-scored with a determined 28, but the middle order rather queued up to admire the Boughton Monchelsea attack from the pavilion steps — Mike Iliffe and Benny Bell both making the long walk back for nought, joining the club's ever-growing Duck Ledger. We stumbled to the very same total they had posted, 87, this time with eight down after our sixteen overs.

A tie, then — honours even, and not a run between us after an entire day's cricket. You couldn't write it. A fair result, I suppose, though the lads will rue those two ducks when they reflect that one more run, anywhere, would have settled the argument in our favour.

Sun 26 May 1968 🧢 1st XIv The Mote CC · AwayformWLWDW

A Sunday at The Mote — bat first, then a nail-biting collapse of our own.

Winning the toss on a bright Sunday down at The Mote, I didn't need asking twice — batting looked the thing to do, and off we went. It wasn't the tidiest of starts, with the first wicket gone for just 3, but Cliff Anscombe played the innings of the day with a fine 45, and I chipped in with 23 alongside Roger Craddock's 22 as a good fourth-wicket stand of fifty runs steadied the ship nicely. Then, as these things do at Linton Park, the wheels came off in spectacular fashion — 118 for 6 became 120 for 9 before anyone could catch breath, with Richard Ashby and Alan Wilkes both departing for golden ducks. All out for 121 in 50.2 overs felt light, but a total, at least, to bowl at.

And bowl we did, with real heart. K Payne went early without troubling the scorers, and for a while it looked like a genuine contest. John Ames was the pick of the attack with a fine 3 for 45, I found some rhythm with 2 for 10, and Roger Craddock bowled tidily for 1 for 39 with two maidens thrown in for good measure. But Mike Foster had other ideas, compiling a composed unbeaten fifty to see The Mote home at 122 for 6 in 39.1 overs.

Beaten by four wickets, then — no disgrace in it, plenty to build on, and I've no doubt we'll be better for it next week.

Mon 20 May 1968 🧢 1st XIv HC Haynes Social CC · HomeformDWLWD

I stepped out to the middle on Monday 20 May 1968, having won the toss and elected to have first use of the ball against Haynes Social CC, and by the end of a brisk afternoon I was rather glad of the decision. Haynes were bowled out for a modest 60 in 12.4 overs, with B Dyer's 29 the only real resistance. An early wicket at 2-1 set the tone, and once the innings had crept to 59-4 it became 60-7 in the blink of an eye, with D Costello, D Francis and W Wratten all making the long walk back without so much as a run to their name. Terry Donovan was the chief architect of the collapse with a superb 4-18, well supported by Roger Craddock's 3-5 and Terry Whittaker's 2-0 — bowling figures that would look more at home on a scoreboard than a scorecard.

Chasing 61, we made light work of it, cruising home on 62/2 from a mere 11.1 overs, John Ames leading the way with a composed 32 not out. I contributed my own modest share along the way, glad simply to help see the job done.

There was history made too — Cliff Anscombe's 16 runs eased him past Tom Osborn into 22nd on the club's all-time run-scorers list, while Terry Donovan's four-wicket haul lifted him past Michael Morton into 13th among the wicket-takers. Robert Chance continues to sit handsomely 3rd in this season's run charts, and Roger Craddock leads the wickets column with 12.

An eight-wicket win, then, and a thoroughly satisfying one. Onwards.

Sun 19 May 1968 🧢 1st XIv FC Folkestone CC · AwayformDDWLW

Sunday 19 May 1968, and we found ourselves on the road to Folkestone, where the coin let us down as it so often does and we were put into the field. Folkestone made hay early doors, their openers putting on a chastening 83 before we so much as troubled the scorebook, and Godden (53) and Brickell (49) looked set to bat us clean out of the match. But cricket has a way of correcting itself, and once we prised that stand apart the innings folded rather more obligingly, 116-4 becoming 122-7 in a hurry as John Ames ran through them with a marvellous 4-8, well backed by Paul Bowles's 4-39. They closed on 142/8, a total that felt like a reprieve after that opening stand.

Chasing it, we never quite found our rhythm. Roger Craddock's 42 was the innings' backbone, with useful support from Ames again (28, clearly a man in form with bat and ball alike), but three ducks in the field had rather set the tone, and 88-3 crumbled to 98-6 as the middle order queued up to get back in the tea tent. We limped home at 104/8 from our 42 overs, short of the target but with enough overs gone to see out the draw.

Honours shared, then, and on reflection a fair result — we bowled ourselves back into the game after a torrid start, then batted just carefully enough to let the clock do the rest. Not glorious, but not without merit either.

Wed 15 May 1968 🧢 1st XIv RC Reeds CC · AwayformDDDWL

Wednesday 15th May 1968, and off we trundled to Reeds, where I did the unthinkable and actually won a toss. I elected to bat, and for once nobody in the pavilion questioned my judgement. Robert Chance led the way with a fine 44, and in doing so brought up 1,000 career runs for the club — a milestone that deserved rather more than the tepid tea-urn applause it got. Roger Craddock chipped in an unbeaten 24, the two of them putting on 50 for the fourth wicket to give the innings some backbone. Poor Fred Greenfield, meanwhile, was back in the hutch before he'd troubled the scorers, out for a duck. We closed on 108/6 from our sixteen overs — modest, but I fancied it might be enough.

And so it proved, though not without a wobble. Reeds' openers put on just 4 before the first wicket fell, and C Simmonds joined Fred in the golden-duck club without so much as a single to his name. K Patey Jnr (22) and K Patey Snr (21) did their best to drag the home side over the line, but Roger Craddock was in irresistible form, following his batting with a magnificent 5-28, well supported by Terry Whittaker (2-21) and Terry Donovan (2-47). Reeds fell 105 all out — three runs short.

A tight, nervy affair, won by the barest of margins, but two points are two points, and on the day I'll happily take ugly over nothing. Mike Iliffe still tops our run charts this season and Roger, unsurprisingly, now leads the wickets. A proper team effort, and a thoroughly deserved victory.

Sun 12 May 1968 🧢 1st XIv Gore Court CC · HomeformDDDDW

Sunday 12th May, and Gore Court came to Linton Park for what I'd hoped would be a gentle spring fixture. I lost the toss — no surprise there, my coin-calling remains as reliable as an English summer — and we were asked to bat. Fifty-three all out in 27.1 overs tells its own sad story. Fred Greenfield battled to 20 and looked the only man truly at home out there, but from a respectable 42 for 5 we contrived to lose three wickets for four runs, and when Paul Bowles, Louis Buels and Brian Fuller all trooped back without troubling the scorers, I began composing my apologies to the tea ladies in my head.

Fifty-three was never going to frighten anyone, and so it proved, though not without a flicker of hope. Ken Drury's 24 carried the bulk of the chase, but we squeezed them from 40 for 2 to 50 for 5, and I'll allow myself one mention of my own part in that — 1 for 6 felt like small change well spent. Paul Bowles was magnificent with the ball, 4 for 27 to make amends for his golden duck, D Pearson departed for nought, and Terry Whittaker's four maidens showed the discipline the rest of us might have borrowed with the bat. Gore Court got home by five wickets in the end.

Not our day. Heads up, and back to the nets we go.

Sun 05 May 1968 🧢 1st XIv BC Bobbing Court CC · AwayformDDDDD

The road to Bobbing Court on Sunday 5th May found me feeling brave at the coin toss, and brave — or foolish — enough to stick us in to bat first. It didn't look a masterstroke when we lost an early wicket with just 8 on the board, and it looked worse still as we slid from 61-4 to 72-7 in the sort of rush that has opposition fielders sniggering behind their caps. Robert Chance's 23 and Mike Iliffe's 22 were the innings' backbone, and poor Louis Buels departed for a golden duck, bless him. We limped to 127/9 from our 55 overs — not a total to frighten anyone, on paper.

Paper, however, doesn't play cricket. Bobbing Court found 0 on the board no friendlier than we had, losing an early wicket themselves, and when they subsided from 58-6 to 64-9 the game was as good as ours. Terry Whittaker was magnificent with 4-23, ably backed by Roger Craddock's 4-25 (five miserly maidens to his name) and John Ames's 2-19; T Ades and D Barden both walked back for ducks. C Robinson's battling 20 was the only real resistance, but 78 all out from 39 overs was never going to see them home.

A splendid 49-run win, then, snatched from what looked a modest total. Mike Iliffe now sits second in our 1968 run charts, and Terry Whittaker leads the wickets — the lads did me proud, and I shall try to look less anxious next time I call heads.

Sun 28 Apr 1968 🧢 1st XIv PC Paddock Wood CC · HomeformLDDDD

Sunday 28 April 1968, and we welcomed Paddock Wood CC to Linton Park under skies that promised more than they delivered. I lost the toss — no great surprise, my luck with the coin this season has been consistently woeful — and we were asked to bat first.

It did not go well. We slumped to 6 for 1 almost before the tea urn had boiled, and from there the innings never found its feet, subsiding to 59 all out in 38.1 overs. John Ames and Louis Buels both contributed golden ducks to the cause, which I mention only because misery does love company, and there was plenty of it to go round.

Fifty-nine is not a total that lets a captain sleep easy, but the lads turned it into a real contest with the ball. Paddock Wood stumbled early too — 0 for 1 — and L. Anstead departed for a duck, so honours in the duck department were at least shared. Derek Gale's 20 was the only innings of substance, and it was Dick Langridge who did the real damage with 2 for 5, backed superbly by Terry Donovan's 2 for 14, four of his overs maidens — not a run given away lightly. I chipped in myself with the bat earlier in the season's reckoning, sitting third in the run charts on 36, though today was not the day to add to it. Paddock Wood closed on 48 for 4 from 23.3 overs, well short, but with too many overs gone for either side to force it home.

A draw, then — honours shared, and on the balance of a match we had no right to be in after that batting effort, I'll happily take it.

Sat 27 Apr 1968 🧢 1st XIv West Farleigh CC · AwayformLLDDD

Saturday last took us down to West Farleigh, and having called correctly at the toss I didn't dither for a moment — a good-looking strip, and we'd bat.

We made a proper fist of it too, 220 all out in 47.5 overs. The openers set us up nicely with 141 for the first wicket before the breakthrough finally came, and Basil Sears batted quite beautifully for his 96, well supported by Mike Iliffe's fifty — 67 in the end. I contributed 25 down the order, which I shall claim as a captain's innings and leave it at that. Less said the better about Cliff Anscombe, Benny Bell and Terry Whittaker, who between them managed three ducks and rather spoiled an otherwise handsome scorecard.

With 220 on the board we fancied our chances, but West Farleigh batted with real composure, reaching 101 for 2 from their 27 overs. Micky Back gave the sternest examination, a well-crafted 72, with R Phillips unbeaten on 28 as they put on 86 for the second wicket and simply refused to be shifted. We did at least have John Underdown back in the hutch without troubling the scorers, and Brian Relf bowled tidily for 1-18, with Brian Fuller miserly as ever — 1-24 and four maidens, not a run given away lightly.

In the end honours were shared, neither side able to force it — which, on a wicket that flattered the bat rather more than the bowlers, felt about right.