🧢 Captain's Log

Sat 27 Sep 1969 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformLDLDL

Skipper's Log — Saturday 27 September 1969

Won the toss, and with the sort of confidence I'd later come to regret, elected to bat. It did not go well. We were bowled out for 100 in 43.4 overs, a total that flattered us more than it should have. Terry Donovan played the innings of the day with 30, and Mike Iliffe chipped in gamely with 21, but around them the wheels came off rather spectacularly — Terry Whittaker, Brian Relf and Jon Harris all took the long walk back for nought, and as for the skipper, well, a golden duck is not the example one hopes to set. Lead from the front, they say. I led from the pavilion steps back to the dressing room.

In the field we did our best to make a match of it, but M. Kendall had other ideas, cruising to 60 not out and taking the game away from us almost single-handedly. Jon Harris at least had the satisfaction of picking up 1-19, a lone bright spot with the ball. They closed on 101/1 in 22 overs, and the nine-wicket margin tells its own sorry story.

There was, happily, one thing to raise a glass to: Richard Ashby brought up 1,000 career runs for the club, a landmark thoroughly deserved and about the only thing that went right all afternoon. Paul Bowles, meanwhile, continues to lead our 1969 run charts with 921 — someone in this side knows what they're doing with a bat, even if it wasn't me this week.

Verdict: a chastening afternoon all round, but there's character in this side yet, and we'll be better for it next week.

Sat 20 Sep 1969 🧢 1st XIv West Farleigh CC · HomeformWLDLD

Saturday 20 September 1969, and West Farleigh CC came calling — a fixture I'd circled, and one I'll be thinking about for a while yet.

Winning the toss, I had no hesitation in taking first knock, and for a good while it looked the shrewd move. Basil Sears was in fine, watchful form for his unbeaten 39, with Paul Bowles (32) and Andrew Moss (21) chipping in handsomely as we compiled 185 for 8 from our sixty overs — a total I felt gave us something to bowl at.

And bowl at it we did, magnificently in patches. Brian Relf was quite superb, tying the visitors down with three maidens on his way to 4 for 33, and had the satisfaction of sending John P Day back for a duck. Terry Whittaker (2-17) and Terry Donovan (2-26) did their bit too, and for long stretches West Farleigh were made to work desperately hard for every run. But Peter Cooper had other ideas, compiling a really fine unbeaten 66, and found a willing ally in Ron Kemp, whose own half-century (51) kept the required rate within reach. Between them they dragged their side to 186 for 9 off forty overs — and, agonisingly, home by a single wicket.

Paul Bowles continues to lead our 1st XI run charts this season with 911, and Terry Whittaker sits second among the wicket-takers with 54 — small consolations on a bruising evening. We were the better side for large parts of this one, and that, in the end, is cricket's cruellest lesson. We'll dust ourselves down and come back stronger next week.

Sun 14 Sep 1969 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformWWLDL

Sunday 14th September, and honours ended up shared — but not before we gave the members plenty to talk about over their teas.

Winning the toss, I had no hesitation putting us in, and it proved a shrewd call as we rattled along to 205 for 3 off our 45 overs. The undoubted star was Paul Bowles, who compiled a magnificent unbeaten hundred — the kind of innings that makes a captain's decision look a good deal cleverer than it was. Andrew Moss chipped in nicely with 43, and Cliff Anscombe's 32 kept things ticking along handsomely in support.

With the ball, we set about defending our total, and the visitors battled hard to 164 for 9 off their 52, but never quite threatened to chase us down. J. Copeland led their resistance with 26, well supported by A. Gosling's 25 and R. Lewis's unbeaten 23. Paul Bowles, not content with his century, then took the ball and ran through them with 4 for 55 — a proper captain's nightmare to bowl against. Ron Hickman (3-29) and Dick Langridge (1-21) chipped in gamely, while Mike Stephens bowled with typical miserliness, sending down five maidens to strangle the scoring.

Nice to note, too, that Cliff's 32 nudges him past Bob Arnold to 17th on the club's all-time run-scorers list, and Ron's three wickets lift him past Ernest Cruttenden to 22nd among the wicket-takers — the history books quietly rewriting themselves while the tea urn boiled.

A draw, then, honours shared — but with Bowles in this sort of form, leading both our run and wicket charts for the season, I'd wager we'll turn a few of these into wins before the summer's out.

Sat 13 Sep 1969 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformDWWLD

From the captain's chair — Saturday 13 September 1969. We hosted, and having called correctly at the toss I fancied our chances of putting a score on the board, so in we went to bat first without a moment's hesitation.

It proved a sound instinct, if not quite a triumphant one. We crawled and occasionally cantered to 199 for 7 off 47.4 overs, the innings built almost entirely on the shoulders of Terry Whittaker, unbeaten on a fine 64, and Paul Bowles, whose well-made 59 gave the innings its backbone. Basil Sears chipped in with a handy 24, while poor Derry Evans will be keener than most to forget the afternoon, departing for a golden duck. A personal contribution of 64 was, I confess, rather satisfying, and not one I shall be modest about over tea.

Then came the small matter of defending it, and here the lads were positively rampant. The visitors were shot out for 93 in 35.4 overs, B- Lamb's 26 and C- Nicholls's 25 the only real resistance, while J- Francis departed without so much as troubling the scorers. Paul Bowles was the architect of the collapse, a quite ridiculous 6 for 46 with three miserly maidens thrown in, well supported by Terry Donovan (1-0) and Jon Harris (1-16).

And yet — cricket being cricket — we contrived to lose by 106 runs. Heads up, chins high, back to the nets.

Sun 07 Sep 1969 🧢 1st XIv AC Anchorians CC · HomeformLDWWL

Sunday the 7th of September found Anchorians CC on our turf, and for once the coin behaved itself — I called correctly, and with barely a moment's hesitation sent us in to bat. It proved a mixed blessing. We limped to 123 for 9 off our 53 overs, rescued from embarrassment chiefly by Richard Ashby, unbeaten on 32, with Jon Harris chipping in a useful 30. Elsewhere the scorebook made grim reading — Benny Bell, Percy Brattle and Paul Brattle all contributed that most humbling of cricketing gifts, the golden duck. Three in an innings takes some doing.

Defending 123 looked a tall order on paper, and so it very nearly proved, K Brown compiling a fine, well-earned 68 with sturdy support from B. Henley's 37. But the bowlers dug in magnificently. Benny Bell, evidently deciding batting wasn't his afternoon's calling, took the game by the scruff with 3 for 23, well backed by Jon Harris's 3 for 33 and Ron Hickman's 2 for 39 — the latter sending down five parsimonious maidens and barely allowing the Anchorians batsmen to breathe. C Spencer, D Carver and I Lackowicz all departed without troubling the scorers, ducks at our hands to match our own.

In the end honours were shared, 119 for 8 leaving them agonisingly short. Not a classic for the purists, but a proper scrap — and with Andrew Moss and Ron Hickman both riding high in the season's charts, there's plenty still to play for.

Sat 06 Sep 1969 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformDLDWW

From the captain's chair — Saturday 06 September 1969. We hosted, and having called correctly at the toss I had no hesitation in choosing to bat, which in hindsight is the sort of decision that looks either bold or barmy depending entirely on what follows.

What followed was 109 all out in 39.2 overs, a total that owed almost everything to Andrew Moss's 35 and Terry Whittaker's watchful 25. Beyond that, the scorebook makes for grim reading — Paul Bowles, Derry Evans and Tim Thirkell all contributed the golden nothing, and I'll say no more about it than that a top order given to such generosity deserves a stern word over tea.

With the ball, though, we were a different side entirely. Paul Bowles turned in a spell to make the whole club purr — 6-47 with 7 miserly maidens, spinning the opposition into knots as a- Trembeth, R- Tottman and L- Fell all departed without scoring. Terry Whittaker chipped in handsomely with 3-19, Jon Harris took 1-13, and I managed 3 wickets myself along with a useful 25 with the bat, which I shall modestly describe as a captain's knock even though a- Johnson's 23 kept them in the hunt. They were bowled out for 86 in 41.1 overs — agonisingly, not quite agonisingly enough, as we fell 23 runs short.

A fine effort with the ball, undone by a top order that forgot how to bat. We'll be better for it next week.

Mon 01 Sep 1969 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · AwayformLDLDW

Bearsted, Monday 1st September 1969. I lost the toss — no great surprise, my coin-calling skills remain firmly amateur — and we were put into the field, which on a warm Bank Holiday weekend felt rather like being asked to do the washing-up before we'd even had pudding.

Bearsted battled to 129 all out in 50.5 overs, Michael Jeffreys leading the way with 37 and R Hinks chipping in 32, but they never quite got away from us. Derry Evans was in unplayable form, spinning through the order for 5-45, with Jon Harris and R Pocock mopping up two apiece for 19 runs each. Terry Whittaker, meanwhile, bowled with the miserly discipline of a man guarding the last biscuit in the tin — nine maidens, not a run given away lightly. Mick Gibson and P Johnson both departed for ducks at our hands, which I'm sure they'll want forgotten by teatime.

Chasing 130, we made distinctly harder work of it than the bowling figures suggested we should, crawling to 132/9 off 54.4 overs — the sort of finish that has spectators reaching for something stronger than tea. Terry Whittaker, having already done his bit with the ball, then top-scored unbeaten on 49, ably supported by Stan Wratten's 26 and John Ames's 23. I contributed a watchful 23 myself, while Keith Walker and R Pocock endured the walk of shame for ducks.

One wicket. That's all that separated triumph from ignominy — but a win, however scruffy, is a win, and two points thoroughly earned.

Sun 31 Aug 1969 🧢 1st XIv SC Staplehurst CC · AwayformDLDLD

Sunday, 31 August 1969, and off we trundled to Staplehurst with the season's ledger still to be squared. I lost the toss — no great surprise there, my coin-calling remains as reliable as an English summer — and we were put into the field, resigned to a long afternoon of leather-chasing.

Long it was, though rarely dull. Staplehurst crawled to 196/9 off 53.5 overs, built chiefly around P. Holland's fine 65 and M. Pontin's supporting 35, but the real story belonged to Jon Harris, who span a web through their middle and lower order for a barely believable 6-30. John Ames chipped in with 1-20 and Terry Whittaker, miserly as ever with four maidens to his name, took 1-39. B. Pudney departed without so much as a single to his name — the only duck of their innings.

Chasing 197, we got there with three wickets and precious little else to spare, closing on 197/7 from 46 overs. Paul Bowles led from the front with a classy 53, Frank Brattle (43) and Terry Donovan (37) lent sturdy support, and I added a workmanlike 34. Basil Sears and Tim Thirkell both fell for ducks, and poor Richard Ashby endured a torrid time behind the stumps, 16 byes slipping past him.

Amid it all, John Ames quietly passed 600 career wickets, and Terry Whittaker's runs edged him past Maurice Fenner into 9th on the all-time list. Bowles, meanwhile, continues to lead our run and wicket charts for the season. Two points, won by three wickets — scrappy, nervy, but thoroughly earned.

Sat 30 Aug 1969 🧢 1st XIv Whitstable CC · AwayformDDLDL

Saturday last took us down to Whitstable, and the coin did us no favours — they won the toss and, spying a docile track, sent themselves in without a second thought. What followed was less a bowling innings than an exercise in quiet suffering. B. Waters and Frank Nutten simply refused to leave the crease, compiling 137 not out and 105 not out respectively as we toiled away for 48.2 overs, watching the total climb to a rather sobering 258 without loss. Poor Richard Ashby had one of those afternoons behind the stumps too, 15 byes finding their way past him, though I daresay half the county could have kept there and still let a few through.

Set an improbable task, we dug in as best English batting nerve allows. Terry Donovan led the resistance with a gritty 41, Frank Brattle chipped in with 33 — enough to keep him third in the season's run charts on 390 — and Derry Evans saw us home unbeaten on 26. Basil Sears, alas, made his contribution to the Duck Club ledger with a golden nought, and trudged off to the sympathetic silence reserved for such occasions.

In the end, 124 for 4 from our 52 overs was enough to see out the draw, honours shared and pride largely intact. Not a victory, but against that kind of batting, a draw felt very like one.

Sun 24 Aug 1969 🧢 1st XIv ? · AwayformDDDLD

From the captain's chair — Sunday 24 August 1969. The road took us away, and it was, in the finest traditions of this fixture, a day of two very different halves.

Put into the field first, we found ourselves toiling for the best part of fifty-eight overs as the home side compiled 141 all out. C. Smith gave us the full village treatment with a fine 51, well supported by A. Southern's 22, while poor W. Jeanes trudged off for a duck without troubling the scorers. But if the bat had its say, the ball had the last word — Terry Whittaker was in unplayable form, tying them in knots for 5-24 with five miserly maidens thrown in for good measure, and Paul Bowles (2-31) and John Ames (2-41) tidied up the rest.

With 142 needed, Cliff Anscombe played the innings of the day, a composed 52, ably assisted by Andrew Moss's 45, though Anscombe's afternoon behind the stumps was rather less serene, ten byes going begging. I permitted myself a quiet smile with 5 wickets of my own, and we all raised a cap to Stan Wratten, who brought up his 300th appearance in Linton colours — a landmark few of us will ever match.

Alas, for all that industry, we fell three wickets short. Not our day, then — heads up, and back to the nets.

Sat 23 Aug 1969 🧢 1st XIv AC Aylesford Paper Mills CC · HomeformDDDDL

Saturday 23 August 1969 saw Aylesford Paper Mills CC roll up the drive, and having called correctly at the toss for once in my life, I didn't hang about — straight in to bat, no dithering, no false modesty about our top order.

What followed was a fairly sedate stroll rather than a gallop: 52 for 1 off our 17 overs, the sort of scoreline that suggests more tea was drunk in the pavilion than boundaries were struck in the middle. Andrew Moss was the man doing the heavy lifting, an unbeaten-in-spirit-if-not-in-fact 21 that held the innings together while the rest of us admired his technique from the safety of the boundary rope. Elsewhere in the season's ledger, Paul Bowles continues to make the rest of the 1st XI look faintly ridiculous, his 666 runs for the summer now sitting atop the table like a number the devil himself would be proud of.

In the end neither side could force the issue, and honours were shared — a draw that pleased nobody enormously but offended nobody either, which in club cricket is sometimes the most English result of all.

My verdict: a match that will not trouble the history books, but a thoroughly pleasant afternoon's cricket against good opposition, and with Bowles in this sort of form, there's plenty still to play for this season.

Sun 17 Aug 1969 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformDDDDD

From the captain's chair — Sunday 17 August 1969

Sunday brought us a proper old-fashioned tussle, the kind that reminds you why you keep turning up in whites when the garden fence still wants painting. Having won first use of the ball, we set about our visitors with real purpose. Peter Prince and J- Barker put on a stubborn 39 and 25 respectively, but the middle and lower order simply had no answer for us — Mike Foster, S- Wilson and P- Coatsworth all trooped back for ducks, and the innings folded for 110 off 41.5 overs. Terry Whittaker was quite magnificent, 3-21 with five maidens thrown in for good measure, miserly as a Yorkshireman at the bar, with Paul Bowles (3-27) and Nigel Thirkell (2-2) mopping up in support.

Chasing 111, we made rather harder work of it than the scorebook suggests we ought to have. Terry Whittaker, not content with his heroics in the field, carried on regardless with the bat for 46, ably assisted by Richard Ashby's 21 — and I'll confess to a spot of good fortune myself, chipping in with 46 and three wickets to boot, which is about as good a Sunday as this old captain gets. Poor Percy Brattle endured the walk of shame for a duck, and hats off to Paul Bowles, who quietly brought up 2,000 runs for the club amid it all.

In the end 114/7 from 47 overs wasn't quite enough, and we went down by three wickets. Not our day, then — heads up, and back to the nets.

Sat 16 Aug 1969 🧢 1st XIv BC Bowaters CC · HomeformWDDDD

Terry Donovan's 38 sees off Bowaters CC in a share of the spoils on a warm Saturday at Linton Park.

Winning the toss, I had no hesitation in asking my lads to bat first — the sort of decision that looks either shrewd or reckless depending entirely on what follows, and I'm pleased to report it fell, on balance, into the former camp. We laboured to 157 all out from our 54 overs, a total that owed everything to Terry Donovan's watchful 38, with Jim Hall (33) and Derry Evans (28) chipping in handsomely. Andrew Moss and Tim Thirkell will not thank me for dwelling on their ducks, so I shan't, beyond noting that every side needs its martyrs.

In the field, we set about defending our total with more hope than swagger, and for a good while it looked enough. Jon Harris was the pick of the attack with 2-21, while Terry Donovan and Terry Whittaker each chipped in with two wickets apiece — Whittaker bowling with real parsimony, five overs maiden, and William Preston sent packing without so much as a run to his name. But Alf Jewiss had other ideas, ghosting past his fifty to finish unbeaten on 74, ably supported by Fred Dinnage's 22, and Bowaters closed on 154-6 from their 42 overs, agonisingly short.

A draw, then — honours shared, and honestly no more than the cricket deserved. Whittaker's five maidens keep him third in the club's wicket charts with 39 for the season, which is rather more than can be said for my pre-match toss analysis.

Wed 13 Aug 1969 🧢 Midweek XIv Gravesend CC · AwayformLWLDD

Wednesday 13 August 1969, away at Gravesend, and the toss went against us — Gravesend chose to bat, which on reflection was the least of our problems.

We toiled honestly enough in the field. Gaynor Kingston (42) and Graham Hinks (39) built the sort of platform that gives a captain a headache, and 151/8 from 49 overs felt like a par score at best. The shining light was Terry Whittaker, who span through them for 5-34 with five maidens thrown in for good measure — miserly doesn't begin to cover it. Terry Donovan chipped in with 2-21, and for a while there we could almost convince ourselves this was a good day's work.

Then we batted. Reader, we were bowled out for 82 in 29 overs, and the Duck Club ledger swelled by three — David Tolhurst, Terry Whittaker and Ron Hickman all took the walk of shame for nought. I contributed my own duck to the collection; we shall draw a veil over it, as promised. Fifteen byes told their own sorry tale of a testing day behind the stumps for Percy Brattle.

There was one crumb of comfort: five wickets for the skipper, and Terry Whittaker now leads the 1969 Midweek XI wicket charts with nine. Small mercies. We went down by 69 runs, and there's no dressing that up — not our day. Heads up, chins up, and back to the nets.

Sun 10 Aug 1969 🧢 1st XIv SC Sibton Park CC · HomeformLWDDD

Sunday 10th August, and Sibton Park rolled up under skies that couldn't quite decide themselves either — much like my captaincy, some might say. I won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first, a decision I'm rather pleased to report bore fruit. Mick Filmer set about the Sibton bowling with real purpose for a fine 63, while Andrew Moss chipped in a handsome 48 and Frank Brattle a tidy 29, the innings rounding off at a healthy 200 for 6 from our 49 overs. I contributed a modest 17 myself — nothing to write home about, though I did enjoy telling myself otherwise between overs.

In the field, we set about defending it with plenty of heart. Terry Whittaker was magnificent, four wickets for 51 and four maidens besides — not a man inclined to give runs away lightly, and a wicket well earned given he sits third in this year's bowling charts with 37 to his name. John Ames weighed in with two more, and there was quiet satisfaction in seeing David Rawlings depart for a duck at our hands. But Geoffrey Kirk had other ideas, cruising to 65, well supported by E. Impett's 45, and Sibton eventually settled on 168 for 7 — short of our total, but enough to deny us the win.

So honours shared, and a draw it was — no shame in that against a side who fought hard to the close. Andrew Moss continues his fine season, now second in our run charts with 487, and there's a great deal still to play for. A good, honest day's cricket, and we'll take it.

Sat 09 Aug 1969 🧢 1st XIv Headcorn CC · AwayformDLWDD

Saturday 09 August 1969 saw us make the trip to Headcorn CC, and having called correctly at the toss for once, I didn't need asking twice before opting to bat. We laboured to 181/8 from our 53 overs — a total that owed everything to the middle order, with Paul Bowles's 47 and Frank Brattle's watchful 46 doing the heavy lifting. Elsewhere the card made grimmer reading, poor Tim Thirkell trudging back for a duck without so much as troubling the scorer.

Out in the field, though, Bowles was a man transformed. Having done his bit with the bat, he tore through Headcorn's order to finish with a barely believable 7-90, ably assisted by John Thirkell (1-8) and a typically parsimonious Terry Whittaker (1-32, three maidens, not a run given away lightly). Headcorn built their reply around a stylish half-century from C. Smith (64), well supported by R. Groombridge (31) and D. Excell (20), but their innings folded to 155/9 from 47 overs — just short of what they needed, and well short of what our bowling deserved to concede.

Neither side could force the win, and honours were shared on the day. But there was individual reward amid the stalemate: Bowles's seven-for eased him past Stan Wratten and into 17th on the club's all-time wicket-taking list, and he continues to lead both the run and wicket charts for the 1969 season. A draw, then, but one with Paul Bowles's fingerprints all over it — the rest of us merely watched on in admiration.

Wed 06 Aug 1969 🧢 Midweek XIv Gravesend CC · HomeformWLWLD

Well, another Wednesday in the book, and this one had a bit of everything.

We won the toss on a fine 6 August afternoon, and I elected to bat first — the sort of decision that either has them saying "canny skipper" or "same old excuses" come close of play, but on this occasion I'll take the former. The lads put together a tidy 162/8 from our 44 overs, with Benny Bell top-scoring on 34 and John Ames chipping in handsomely with 29. Not a total to frighten anyone in the bar afterwards, but enough, I reckoned, to give the bowlers something to work with.

And work with it they did. Gravesend were given every encouragement to relax by Brian Pothecary, who cruised past his fifty and on to a rather chastening 79 — the sort of innings that has a skipper rearranging his field for the twentieth time and wondering why he bothered. But we had our say too: Dick Langridge was superb, leading the attack with 4-46, Ron Hickman bowled a spell of real discipline (2-33, four maidens — not a run given away lightly), and Terry Donovan weighed in with 1-12. Peter Beynon departed for nought, which I'm reliably informed counts as a highlight for the bowling attack if not for him.

Gravesend closed on 130/9 from their 43, and honours were shared. A draw, then — nobody quite able to force the issue, both sides walking off with pride more or less intact. I'll happily settle for that.

Sun 03 Aug 1969 🧢 1st XIv SC Staplehurst CC · HomeformLDLWD

Sunday, 3rd August, and the coin let us down before a ball had even been bowled — Staplehurst won the toss and, as visitors so often do when the weather's kind, sent themselves in to bat. Not that we minded overmuch; there's a certain honest pleasure in bowling first, even when the opposition make a fair fist of it.

And make a fist of it they did. B Thurlow settled in for a fine 78, with R Munn ticking along nicely to a well-made 67 and M Pontin chipping in 45, the three of them steering Staplehurst to 216/5 off their 49.3 overs — a total that had us thinking rather harder about our tea than we'd have liked. Credit where it's due: Terry Donovan worked hard for his 2-60, Terry Whittaker bowled beautifully tight for 2-65 with five maidens to show for his miserliness, and Paul Brattle picked up a wicket at the bargain rate of 1-8. Whittaker, incidentally, continues to lurk menacingly third in the season's wicket charts with 32 to his name.

Chasing 217, John Ames played the innings of the day — a classy 71 — while Fred Greenfield (33 not out) and Mick Filmer (25 not out) saw us home to a respectable 175/4 from 43 overs, though not quite home enough. Andrew Moss, sitting second in our run charts on 421 for the season, watched from the sidelines as honours were shared.

A draw, then — honest toil rewarded with neither glory nor gloom. Not the stuff of legend, but a thoroughly decent Sunday's cricket all the same.

Sat 02 Aug 1969 🧢 1st XIv ? · AwayformLLDLW

Saturday 2 August 1969, and the road took us out for what turned into honours shared - though for long stretches it looked like it might go either way.

Put into the field, we toiled through 48 overs as they built to 146/6. T. Grenfell was the chief architect, an unbeaten 83 that carried their innings from start to finish, with Pete Worsnop chipping in a tidy 31. Small mercy: J. Hulme departed for a duck without so much as troubling the scorers, which is the sort of small victory a captain clings to on a long afternoon. Brian Relf was the pick of our attack with 1-29, while Ron Hickman (1-30) and Terry Whittaker (1-36) did their bit too - Whittaker in particular bowling a mean line, four maidens testament to a spell that gave nothing away lightly.

Chasing 147, we never quite got the innings moving, subsiding to 110/8 from our 40 overs. Basil Sears led the way with 24, well supported by Benny Bell's 23, but wickets fell steadily enough to keep the required rate forever out of reach.

A word for the season so far: Andrew Moss continues to sit second in the 1st XI run charts with 413 to his name, and Ron Hickman second among the wicket-takers with 43 - both quietly building reputations while the rest of us make up the numbers.

In the end, neither side could force it home, and a draw was a fair reflection of an afternoon where bat and ball each had their say. Not a win, but not a loss either - and in village cricket, that's a result you can walk off with your head held high.

Sun 27 Jul 1969 🧢 1st XIv PC Paddock Wood CC · AwayformWLLDL

Sunday last took us down to Paddock Wood, and if I'm honest my heart sank when their captain called correctly and sent us into the field — village cricket etiquette be damned, nobody enjoys losing the toss. But the lads had their tails up, and how. Benny Bell was in one of those moods where the ball seems to have a satnav of its own, spinning through the Paddock Wood order for a scarcely believable 5-16, while Terry Whittaker bowled with the miserly discipline of a man who's never once bought a round (3-28, four maidens included), and Jon Harris chipped in with 2-6 for good measure. L- Anstead's 27 was the only real resistance; the rest simply couldn't lay a bat on it, with P- Bradshaw and P- Aldridge back in the pavilion before the scorers had sharpened their pencils. All out for 70 in the 32nd over — a proper collapse to watch from the boundary rope with a cup of tea.

Chasing it should have been a formality, and if I'm being honest we made rather harder work of it than the target deserved, stumbling to 71-5 in 30.2 overs while poor Cliff Anscombe was put through the wringer behind the stumps, conceding nine byes for his troubles. Andrew Moss kept his head when others were losing theirs, seeing us home unbeaten on 36, and I even found some rhythm myself with three wickets in the field to add to the afternoon's tally.

A five-wicket win, then, and a landmark to toast: Benny Bell reaching 50 career wickets. Untidy in patches, but a win's a win — onwards.

Sat 26 Jul 1969 🧢 1st XIv SC Sibton Park CC · AwayformDWLLD

Saturday 26 July 1969, away at Sibton Park, and having won the toss my finger went up for batting without a flicker of doubt — a decision I stand by, though the scorebook may quietly disagree.

We limped to 107 all out in 47.4 overs, a total that owed almost everything to Terry Donovan, unbeaten on 33 and playing the innings of a man determined to reach a milestone — more of which shortly. Elsewhere the card made for grim reading, with Brian Relf, Ian Cridland and Brian Fuller all back in the pavilion for ducks before they'd had time to loosen their pads. Not our finest hour with the willow.

Sibton, sensing blood, strolled to 108 without loss in just 27.1 overs. J. Law made a classy 59 not out, well accompanied by Geoffrey Kirk's unbeaten 38, and the pair barely broke sweat. My own 18 with the bat felt rather beside the point by the close, and ten byes behind the stumps told a tale of a wicketkeeper having one of those testing afternoons we've all endured.

Amid the wreckage, one shaft of sunshine: Terry Donovan brought up 1,000 career runs for the club, a thoroughly deserved landmark. Mike Iliffe, meanwhile, continues his quietly excellent season, now fourth in the 1969 first-team run charts on 272.

Beaten by ten wickets, then — a chastening day out. Heads up, chins forward, and back to the nets we go.

Sun 20 Jul 1969 🧢 1st XIv SC Sevenoaks Vine CC · HomeformDDWLL

Somewhere in Kent, a groundsman is still repairing the square from what followed.

Sunday 20 July 1969, and Sevenoaks Vine CC arrived at Linton Park for what the log will remember as an afternoon of two honest halves. I lost the toss — no great surprise, my coin-calling remains as unreliable as the Kent weather — and we were sent into the field. Their innings ran the full fifty overs to 192 all out, George Downton the chief architect with a fine 55, well supported by East's 44 and Ellison's 26. Paul Bowles was in irresistible form, running through them with 6 for 76, Ron Hickman chipping in with 3 for 36 and Mike Stephens a wicket, while Jon Harris bowled two tidy maidens to keep things honest. John Miles departed for a duck at our hands, which I mention purely for the record and not out of unseemly delight.

Our reply never quite found its stride, closing on 138 for 8 from our own fifty-two overs. Frank Brattle held things together superbly with an unbeaten 39, Mike Stephens useful alongside him with 29, though poor Robert Chance's contribution began and ended at nought.

A word for Paul Bowles, whose six wickets today edged him past Jack Fryer to 19th on the club's all-time list, and who continues to lead both our run and wicket charts for the season by some distance.

Honours shared, then — a draw that flattered neither side but shamed us not at all.

Sun 13 Jul 1969 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformLDDWL

Sunday 13th July found us hosting, and with first use of the ball I confess I was rather pleased with myself — a decision that looked less clever once the visitors had ground their way to 143 all out from 45 overs, F Swetman unbeaten on 42 and well supported by G Cant (35) and J Boultwood (32). Small mercies: N Herd, B Hopkins and R Mason all departed without troubling the scorers, and Paul Bowles was in irresistible form, ripping through with 6-36. Jon Harris (2-25) and Ron Hickman (2-42) chipped in handsomely, while Terry Whittaker bowled four maidens of the sort that make batsmen mutter darkly to themselves.

A gettable target, we all agreed at tea — and so it very nearly proved. Andrew Moss led the reply with a fine 33, Paul Bowles followed his bowling exploits with 31 more with the bat, and Fred Greenfield chipped in an unbeaten 23, but we stumbled to 145/5 from 44.2 overs and came up five wickets short. Fred also had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, 12 byes escaping his gloves like eels — he'll want that one back.

Not all doom, mind: Bowles's six-for eased him past Robert Wood into 20th on the club's all-time wicket-takers list, and he continues to lead both our run and wicket charts for the season by some distance. But records are cold comfort on a losing afternoon. Heads up, chins high, and back to the nets — there's work to do.

Sat 12 Jul 1969 🧢 1st XIv BK Beverley CC, Kent · HomeformLLDDW

Down by 13 runs, we shook hands on Beverley CC's ground with the usual mix of pride and exasperation that only village cricket can produce. Losing the toss set the tone – Beverley chose to bat and made us graft for every one of their 131, with K Collard proving a stubborn nut to crack on 34 not out, and B Terry (22) and P Shirley (20) chipping in around him. But what a spell from Paul Bowles – 5 for 37 of pure menace, including seeing off poor R Gawler and E Turner without so much as a run between them at 1 for 1. Brian Relf and Terry Donovan tidied up either end with two apiece, and Brian Fuller bowled with the miserly discipline of a man who simply refused to be hit, six maidens to his name.

Chasing 132, we made a fair fist of it without ever quite convincing ourselves. Andrew Moss batted nicely for 29 and Paul Bowles followed his heroics with the ball by getting stuck in for 25, and at 100 for 6 we were still very much in this. Then, as so often happens on a Saturday afternoon when tea has just gone down nicely, the innings fell apart in a heap – 105 for 9 almost before anyone had noticed – and we folded for 118. Eight byes off Jim Hall's gloves rather summed up the day's general untidiness.

So, 13 runs short and a fair bit of soul-searching on the drive home. Paul Bowles continues to be the engine of this side, now top of both our run and wicket charts for the season – if only the rest of us could keep pace. Not our day. Heads up, back to the nets.

Mon 07 Jul 1969 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformLLLDD

Monday 7th July 1969 saw the visitors roll up to Linton Park, and what a day it turned into. Batting first, we posted a brisk 124/5 from our 16 overs — Robert Chance led the charge with a fine 36, well supported by Benny Bell's 34. Special mention, as ever, must go to poor Cliff Anscombe, who contributed a golden duck to proceedings, though he'd more than make up for it before the day was out.

With the ball, we were positively ruthless. The visitors were bowled out for 92 in just 14.3 overs, C. Palmer's 31 and a. Maddox's 25 the only real resistance, while Mercer, Washington and Young all trooped back for ducks of their own — misery loves company. Ron Hickman was the chief tormentor with a superb 3-8, Benny Bell chipped in with 3-35 on top of his runs, and Frank Brattle took 1-22 for good measure.

The real story of the day, though, belonged to Cliff Anscombe, who brought up his 100th appearance in Linton colours — duck notwithstanding, a landmark worth more than any score. With Paul Bowles still ploughing on at the top of the 1969 run charts and Ron Hickman now well clear at the head of the wickets column, the old firm continues to deliver.

Five wickets the margin, two points the reward, and thoroughly deserved. A grand day for the club, and an even grander one for Cliff.

Sun 06 Jul 1969 🧢 1st XIv AC Aylesford Paper Mills CC · AwayformWLLLD

Sunday last saw us make the short trip to Aylesford Paper Mills, and having called the coin correctly for once, I did what any captain with a shred of optimism does on a fine morning — stuck us in to bat.

It would be flattering to call what followed a batting collapse, since collapse implies we were once upright. Thirteen for one from four overs is not so much an innings as a polite cough before the rain of wickets that, mercifully, never quite came. Quite what the umpires made of it I dread to think, though I suspect the tea urn saw more action than most of our stroke play.

Credit where it's due — Paul Bowles continues to lead our run charts for the season with 514 to his name, a statistic that flatters the rest of us by comparison and reminds the club there is, in fact, a discernible difference between batting and simply standing at the crease looking purposeful.

In the end, honours were shared, a draw wrestled out of the day by two sides equally unable to force the issue — which, given our start, might be the most heroic result we could have hoped for. A stalemate earned rather than a defeat suffered, and on the evidence of four overs, I'll happily take it.

Sat 05 Jul 1969 🧢 1st XIv CA Charles Arkcoll · AwayformDWLLL

Saturday 5th July 1969, away to Charles Arkcoll, and the coin let us down again — losing the toss remains the one skill I've truly perfected as captain. Put into the field, we watched Brian Aiston play a lovely hand of 71, with R Britcher and L Russell both chipping in 36 apiece, as their innings wound its way to 172 for 9 off 41.5 overs. Credit where it's due: Benny Bell was superb with the ball, 4 for 46 and two maidens besides, with Mike Iliffe (2-15) and Brian Relf (1-37) tidying up the rest. Not a total to be sniffed at, but not one beyond us either.

In reply, Basil Sears batted with real composure for an unbeaten 54, well supported by Andrew Moss's 30, as we crawled to 126 for 8 from our 42 overs — enough to hold on, not quite enough to chase down the win. Poor Frank Brattle, meanwhile, will not be troubling the scorers this week, departing for a duck and taking his rightful place in the club's ledger of shame.

One bright footnote amid the day's graft: Paul Bowles's unassuming 6 runs were enough to nudge him past Bob Arnold and into 16th on the all-time run-scorers' list, and he continues to lead our 1969 run charts with 508 for the season — the lad simply cannot stop accumulating.

So, honours shared and a draw to show for our afternoon's toil. Not the stuff of legend, but on a day when neither side could land the killer blow, I'll happily take it and the tea that came with it.

Sun 29 Jun 1969 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformLDWLL

Sunday 29 June 1969 saw us play host, and if the Almanack remembers this one at all, it will remember it as a day the bowling deserved rather better than the batting delivered.

Put into the field, we watched the visitors settle in for the long haul, and settle in they did — 169 all out from 48.1 overs, built around A Vaughan's fifty-and-two, with R Long (34) and D Toze (23) chipping in dutifully. Small mercies came in the shape of D Garrett and M Skelton, both back in the pavilion without troubling the scorers. But the day belonged, unarguably, to Paul Bowles, whose 7-54 was the kind of spell you talk about in the bar for weeks — a five-for and then some, richly deserved. Alan Wilkes toiled away splendidly in support, 3-72 with seven maidens to show for his patience.

Chasing 169, we never quite found our rhythm, folding for 138 in 57 overs. Andrew Moss battled to 43, Robert Chance made a tidy 33, and Paul Bowles chipped in with 22 to add to his bowling heroics — but three ducks, from John Ames, Cliff Anscombe and Dick Langridge, told their own sorry story down the order.

There was a silver lining amid the gloom: Chance's 33 nudged him past Richard Harris into 24th on the club's all-time run-scorers list, while Bowles continues to top our 1969 run charts and sits second in the wickets — a one-man band carrying us through a wobbly season.

Not our day, then — beaten by 31 runs. Heads up, lads; back to the nets.

Sat 28 Jun 1969 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformDLDWL

Sunny Saturday brought the visitors to Linton Park, and winning the toss I did the only sensible thing a captain can do on a good morning — I stuck us in. Whether it was right is a matter for the committee bar, but I still maintain it was. Our innings had its moments of promise and its moments of pure farce: Paul Bowles played the anchor role beautifully for 46, while poor Benny Bell contributed nothing more than a golden duck to proceedings, much to the amusement of the boundary rope. All told we mustered 139 all out from 50.5 overs — a total that felt distinctly middling as we trooped off for tea, unsure whether we'd given ourselves enough to work with.

As it turned out, we had rather more than enough. Terry Whittaker simply ran amok with the ball, returning the sort of figures — 8 for 8, with three maidens thrown in for good measure — that get talked about long after the teas have gone cold. I chipped in with 8 wickets myself, finding some unexpected rhythm, and Paul Bowles backed it all up with 1 for 21. Moorekite, Craft and Excell all departed without troubling the scorers, and the opposition were bowled out for a paltry 31 in just 14.3 overs.

And yet — cricket being cricket — we still contrived to lose by 108 runs, a scoreline that makes sense to nobody who wasn't there and precious little to those of us who were. Paul Bowles continues to lead our run charts for the season, Terry sits proudly second in the wickets, and we shall be very much better for this one next week.

Thu 26 Jun 1969 🧢 1st XIv ? · AwayformDDLDW

Thursday 26 June 1969, and out we went, ball in hand, hoping the pitch had more mercy in it than the forecast did.

We made early inroads, and if young G. Shepherd remembers this match at all it'll be for the wrong reasons - back in the pavilion without so much as a nudge for a run. Terry Whittaker was in imperious form, 3-20 of pure village-green menace, with Benny Bell (2-15) and Ron Hickman (1-39) tidying up round him. Only Mountford, with a gritty 28, threatened to take the game away from us, but 77/6 off sixteen overs felt, at tea, like a total we could chase down without undue panic.

Panic, of course, is exactly what club cricket specialises in. Robert Chance (23) and John Ames (21) built the foundations sensibly enough, and for a while 78 looked a formality rather than a target. Poor Mike Iliffe won't want reminding of his contribution - a duck to file alongside Shepherd's - and between the two ducks and a flurry of other departures, we contrived to finish five down and one run short, at 78/5 off 13.3 overs.

Beaten by a single run - the sort of margin that makes you replay every dot ball on the walk home. Paul Bowles continues to purr along at the top of our season's run charts with 434, and Ron Hickman's 34 wickets remain the envy of the division, so the class is there. We just need to remember how to finish. We'll be better for it next week.

Wed 25 Jun 1969 🧢 Midweek XIv ? · HomeformLWLWL

Wednesday 25 June 1969, and having called correctly at the toss, I saw no reason to do anything other than bat — a decision I stand by, whatever the scorebook says about our lower order. We limped, then rallied, to 166/8 from our 53 overs, thanks in no small part to Paul Bowles, whose well-crafted 84 was the innings' backbone, with John Thirkell's 31 lending sturdy support. Less gloriously, Terry Whittaker and Percy Brattle both made the long walk back without troubling the scorers — the ducks quacking loudly in the away dressing room afterwards.

Defending 166 is never a comfortable afternoon's work, and so it proved, as the visitors ground their way to 124/8 from 46 overs, R. Langridge's unbeaten 36 the chief obstacle, ably assisted by Steve Gower's 25. Happily, Terry Whittaker atoned handsomely for his golden duck with the bat by ripping through with 3-5, Paul Bowles chipping in with 2-35 (six miserly maidens to his name) and John Thirkell adding 1-5, while R. Pocock departed for a duck of his own at our hands. Poor Cliff Anscombe had a torrid time behind the stumps, nine byes escaping his gloves, though I did my bit with 31 of my own.

A red-letter day nonetheless: Paul Bowles brought up his century of career wickets and vaulted past Cliff Anscombe into 17th on the all-time run-scorers' list. In the end honours were shared — a draw, and on this occasion, a fair one.

Sun 22 Jun 1969 🧢 1st XIv HC Hartley Country Club CC · HomeformWDDLD

Sunday 22 June 1969, and Hartley Country Club came calling. I lost the toss — no great surprise there, my coin-calling has been shocking all summer — and we were put into the field.

They rattled along to 124 all out in 50.5 overs, with A Lush top-scoring on 35 and useful runs from B Smith and C Young, both 20. But the ball was doing enough for our attack to keep matters in hand. Paul Bowles bowled beautifully for 4-66, Dick Langridge chipped in with 3-21, and Ron Hickman was positively miserly, 2-16 including seven maidens — the sort of spell that has batsmen muttering into their gloves.

With 125 to chase, we got there in some comfort, 126/4 off 38.3 overs, for the loss of six wickets. Paul Bowles again led the way with 30, well supported by John Thirkell's unbeaten 25 and Frank Brattle's 22, while I managed a modest 25 of my own. Poor Richard Ashby had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, nine byes conceded, though nobody's holding that against him.

A word on the milestones: Paul Bowles's 30 today saw him move past Roy Clarke into 18th on the club's all-time run charts, and he continues to lead our 1969 run tally with 428, while Ron Hickman remains top wicket-taker with 33.

Six wickets to the good, two points banked, and a thoroughly satisfying afternoon's work.

Sat 21 Jun 1969 🧢 1st XIv HC Hythe CC · HomeformWWDDL

Saturday 21 June 1969, and Hythe CC came calling. I lost the toss — as is traditional these days — and duly took the field wondering whether the sun or my luck would break first. Neither did, particularly, but there was plenty to admire as Hythe ground their way to 150 for 8 off their 43 overs, Tim Dearman batting with real class for an unbeaten 54, nursed along by Dan Smith's equally patient 43 not out. B- Thomason, mind you, came and went without so much as a nibble — out for a golden duck, poor chap. It fell to Terry Whittaker to do the real damage: 6 for 53 off a miserly eight maidens, the sort of spell that has batsmen muttering into their gloves, with Brian Relf chipping in usefully at 2 for 21.

Chasing 151, we replied with 141 for 6 from our 37, never quite getting there but never quite losing either. Mike Iliffe was the man of the innings, a fine 53, well supported by Paul Bowles's 22 — Bowles continuing his extraordinary season and now sitting proudly atop the 1st XI's run charts with 398 for the summer. I contributed a workmanlike 18, and allowed myself a quiet smile with the ball too, taking 6 wickets for the captain's cause. Ten byes did rather suggest poor Jim Hall was having one of those afternoons behind the stumps — we shall say no more about that over tea.

So, honours shared, and a draw that satisfied nobody and disappointed nobody. A fair result, all told, for a day when both sides gave as good as they got.

Thu 19 Jun 1969 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformDWWDD

Not our finest hour at Linton Park on Thursday, but here's how it read.

Winning the toss (or being sent in, take your pick), we put ourselves in the field and made a decent fist of it. They limped to 68/8 off their sixteen overs, with only K Kemsley showing any real fight, unbeaten on 20 while wickets fell around him. Ron Hickman was magnificent, 3-14 of hostile, probing stuff, well supported by Benny Bell's 3-18 and a wicket apiece for Terry Whittaker. For a while there it looked rather like our day.

Then we batted. A Fox and Terry Whittaker departed without so much as a nibble at the scorebook, and John Thirkell joined the club's ever-growing golden-duck society. As for your captain, I shall simply say I made nought and leave it there — some innings are best consigned to the mists of a Thursday evening. Only Andrew Moss showed any sense, compiling a watchful 23 not out that at least gave us something to point to. We closed on 72/5 from our fourteen, five wickets shy of the target and rather short of glory.

So it's a five-wicket defeat, and back to the nets it is. Small mercies: Paul Bowles continues to lead our run charts with 376 for the season, and Ron Hickman's 31 wickets keep the bowling honours firmly in his cap. The rest of us have some catching up to do.

Sun 15 Jun 1969 🧢 1st XIv BC Bobbing Court CC · HomeformLDWWD

We drew Bobbing Court at home on Sunday, and I'll confess winning the toss and electing to bat felt like the easy part of my day — the hard part was watching the lads try to turn a promising total into a commanding one. We got there in fits and starts: John Thirkell led the way with a fine 45, Dick Langridge chipped in a tidy 28, Terry Donovan added 26, and I managed 45 myself, wondering all the while whether I ought to be back in the pavilion with the scorebook rather than out in the middle. Poor Frank Brattle will want no reminding of his contribution — a duck, and not the friendly sort we keep by the pond. All told, 172/9 from 48.4 overs, which felt about right for the conditions.

Bobbing Court's reply never quite threatened, thanks in no small part to Ron Hickman, who turned in a spell for the ages — 7-33 with nine maidens, bowling as though he had personal business with every batsman in their order. Terry Donovan backed him up nicely with 2-23, and only A Williamson, with a defiant 28, gave their innings any shape at all. They finished on 95/9 from 46 overs, well short but not quite dismissed, and so honours were shared.

A word for the ledger, though: Dick Langridge brought up 1,000 career runs for the club, which rather puts my own afternoon in perspective. A draw it may have been, but on days like this, that's no bad result at all.

Sat 14 Jun 1969 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformDLDWW

Saturday 14th June, and a rare treat — sunshine, home advantage, and a toss won and correctly called. I put us in to bat, and for once the decision looked shrewd rather than lucky, as we posted a handsome 188 for 3 off our 43 overs. The innings belonged to Paul Bowles, whose unbeaten 96 was a masterclass in calm accumulation while the rest of us admired from the boundary — well supported by Mike Iliffe's 48 and Frank Brattle's 26, the sort of middle-order stiffening that lets a captain enjoy his tea rather than chew through it.

In the field we set about defending it, and the bowlers did their bit to keep the visitors honest. They crawled to 106 for 8 off their 46, Jim Archer the only one to really trouble the scorebook with 23. Paul Bowles, not content with his runs, turned his arm over for 3 for 42, Terry Whittaker chipped in with 2 for 18, Derry Evans took one, and Brian Fuller bowled with the miserliness of a man guarding the last biscuit in the tin — four maidens' worth. In the end the opposition simply couldn't be shifted for quick enough runs, and honours were shared.

A word, too, for Paul Bowles, whose 96 eased him past Len Conway into 20th on the club's all-time run-scorers list — and who now sits proudly atop the season's run charts and second in the wickets, doing rather more than his fair share for one Saturday's work. A draw, then, but a thoroughly satisfying one — we'll take it, and toast Bowlesy on the way home.

Mon 09 Jun 1969 🧢 1st XIv PC Primrose & Len CC · HomeformLDLDW

Monday last, Primrose & Len CC rolled up for what turned into rather a splendid afternoon. I won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first — one of those decisions that looks shrewd purely because it came off. We closed on 113/4 from our sixteen overs, built around a handsome fifty from Cliff Anscombe, 52 in the end, with John Thirkell playing the perfect foil for 30. I chipped in with 30 myself, more by accident than design.

Defending totals in this format always feels like holding a lead balloon, but the lads kept their nerve. Primrose & Len replied with 98/6, S Day the chief nuisance with 26, well supported by A Wright, unbeaten on 23, and H Saunders with 21. D Barnard's afternoon began and ended without troubling the scorers — a golden duck to our name. Ron Hickman did the real damage, 2-38, with Terry Donovan chipping in at 1-32. I'll draw a discreet veil over our wicketkeeping, which leaked 13 byes and rather more of my composure than I'd like to admit.

A word for the record books: Cliff's fifty eased him past Roy Clarke into 17th on the club's all-time run-scorers list, while John Thirkell now sits 2nd in this season's 1st XI run charts on 234, and Ron Hickman leads the wicket-takers with 21.

We got home by 15 runs. A thoroughly good day for the club.

Sun 08 Jun 1969 🧢 1st XIv HC Hartley Country Club CC · AwayformDLDLD

Sunday the 8th of June found us on the road to Hartley Country Club, and having called it right at the toss, I didn't dither for a second — on a day like that, you bat. And bat we did, to the tune of 176 for 6 off our 44, with Paul Bowles playing the innings of the afternoon, 61 in front of his own supporters' club, ably assisted by John Thirkell's 34 and Robert Chance's 31. Spare a thought, though, for poor Fred Greenfield, back in the pavilion for a duck before his pads had warmed up — the walk of shame performed with great dignity, as ever.

Out in the field we set about defending it, and the lads did us proud. Hartley battled to 136 all out in 42.3 overs, C Young top-scoring with 36 and getting handy support from B Smith and D Fountain, but Paul Bowles simply would not be denied — 9 for 52 of pure witchcraft with the ball, the sort of spell you dine out on for years. Dick Langridge did his bit too, tight as you like with four maidens and a wicket to show for it, while I managed to scratch together 34 of my own down the order.

A red-letter day all round: Bowles moved up to 21st on both the club's all-time run and wicket lists in the same afternoon, and now sits handsomely atop this season's run charts. We came home 40 runs to the good — a very good day for the club indeed.

Sat 07 Jun 1969 🧢 1st XIv RC Rumwood CC · HomeformLDLDL

From the captain's chair — Saturday 07 June 1969. We hosted Rumwood CC, and if you like your cricket cautious you'd have loved it.

Batting first, we shuffled our way to 149 all out from 54 overs — the sort of total that suggests either a slow pitch or a slower batting side, possibly both. Frank Brattle led the way with 30, backed up nicely by Mike Iliffe with 29 and Mike Stephens with 25, while the rest of us contributed the traditional mixture of good intentions and short stays at the crease. I managed 17 myself, which felt like a small personal triumph even if nobody else noticed.

Defending 149 is never a comfortable afternoon, and Rumwood set about making us sweat for it, reaching 113 for 5 from their 45 overs. J. Pearson stood firm for 38 not out, well supported by Don Clayton's 29, and for a while it looked as though our modest total might simply be swallowed whole. But the bowlers kept us in it — Ron Hickman doing the real damage with 2 for 30, Terry Donovan and Mike Stephens chipping in with a wicket apiece, and Brian Fuller bowling with the miserliness of a man guarding his allotment, five maidens and barely a run conceded.

In the end neither side could force the issue, and honours were shared. Frank continues his quiet climb up the season's run charts, Ron sits proudly atop the wickets column, and we go home with a draw that felt, on the day, rather like a point won.

Mon 02 Jun 1969 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformLLDLD

Not our finest quarter of an hour with the bat still to come, but by heavens the ball did the talking. Winning the toss and asking them to bat, I'll admit I fancied our chances, though even I didn't expect them to fold quite so meekly for 98 in under sixteen overs. B Aiston's 25 was the only real resistance; everything else dissolved in the face of Ron Hickman, who span a web through their order figures of 7 for 17 that will be talked about in the clubhouse for weeks. Terry Whittaker and Benny Bell mopped up the rest, each helping themselves to a wicket, and there was a warm ripple of applause when Ron's tally ticked over to fifty career wickets — a landmark thoroughly deserved.

Chasing 99 should have been a formality, and that it wasn't tells you everything about the peculiar torment of village cricket. R Venner and K Boorman departed without so much as troubling the scorers, and though Paul Bowles played the innings of the day with a fluent 31, we subsided to 86 for 5 from our sixteen overs and fell agonisingly short by 12 runs. Nine byes in the reckoning suggests Benny Bell will not look back on his afternoon behind the stumps with any great fondness.

So: heads up, and back to the nets. Paul continues to lead our run charts with 199 for the season, and Ron sits proudly second among the wicket-takers with 17 — small consolations on a day when, quite simply, the bat let the ball down.

Sun 01 Jun 1969 🧢 1st XIv HC Hythe CC · AwayformDLLDL

Skipper's Log — Sunday, 1st June 1969, away to Hythe CC.

Won the toss, and there was never really a debate in my head — we batted. A watchful knock all round saw us to 153 for 7 off our 53, with John Thirkell leading the way on 41, John Ames close behind with 40, and Andrew Moss chipping in a handy 25. I'll confess to a small personal satisfaction in adding 41 of my own, though I'll leave others to judge whether that was captaincy or simply refusing to get out for the sake of appearances.

In the field we set about them properly. Terry Donovan was magnificent, 4 for 22 and looking, if anything, rather too pleased with himself by the end — not unreasonably, since it carries him past Frank Taylor and up to 8th on the club's all-time wicket-takers list. Mike Stephens (2 for 50) and John Ames (1 for 13) did their bit, Ron Hickman bowled three miserly maidens that must have felt like penance to face, and we sent M Jackson and Haine back for ducks. Hythe fought hard through G Willsher (32), Tim Dearman (31) and R Apps (20) to close on 122 for 8 off 46, just short of what they needed and just out of our reach.

So honours shared, and rightly so — neither side quite had the legs to force it home. A fair result, a good workout for Thirkell's bat and Donovan's arm, and a pleasant enough Sunday's cricket for all that.

Sat 31 May 1969 🧢 1st XIv ? · AwayformLDLLD

Saturday 31 May 1969, away from home, and I won the toss and elected to bat — the right call, I still maintain, whatever the scorebook might suggest by close of play. Alas, our top order treated the crease as something to be visited rather than occupied: Benny Bell, Basil Sears and Derry Evans all contributed golden ducks, and we were bowled out for a distinctly modest 62 in 39.3 overs. Not our finest hour with the willow, though I like to think it built character, if nothing else.

With the ball, however, we were a different proposition entirely. Mike Stephens produced the spell of the season — 7 for 35, including six miserly maidens — bowling with a discipline that bordered on the monastic. John Thirkell chipped in admirably with 3 for 20, and I confess to a quiet satisfaction at picking up three wickets myself. D. Hitchin departed for a duck of his own, and only a resolute 24 from A. Mitchell kept the opposition in it at all. We had them 60 all out in 34.5 overs — agonisingly, just two runs shy of parity.

So: heroics with the ball, humility with the bat, and defeat by the narrowest of margins. Paul Bowles continues to lead our 1969 run charts with 168, and John Thirkell tops the wickets with 17 — the season's engine room, evidently, running rather better than the top order. Heads up, lads — back to the nets, and next time let's try scoring before we start bowling quite so well.

Mon 26 May 1969 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · HomeformDLDLL

Monday 26 May 1969 — Bearsted CC visited, the coin obliged, and I had few qualms about batting first on a pleasant afternoon at Linton Park.

We rattled up 162 all out in 65 overs, John Thirkell the undoubted architect with a rich 78, well past his fifty and worth the walk down for a cup of tea to watch. Andrew Moss chipped in a handy 24, though the card wasn't without its blemishes — both Mike Iliffe and Percy Brattle departed without troubling the scorers, ducks the pair of them, which rather spoiled an otherwise respectable total.

With the ball we set about defending it, and Bearsted replied with 150 for 8 from their 61 overs — never quite enough, but Gordon Hawkins gave us an uncomfortable spell with a chanceless 81, ably supported by Colin Fleetwood's 20. K Willson, at least, joined our duck club without scoring. It was Dick Langridge who did the real damage, 3 for 34, with John Thirkell (2-14, and four maidens besides — not a run given away lightly) and Terry Donovan (1-21) chipping in usefully. Poor Percy Brattle had a torrid time behind the stumps, 9 byes going begging, which I shall put down to a tricky afternoon rather than any lasting affliction.

A personal 78 was, I confess, most satisfying, and a nod too for Paul Bowles, whose solitary wicket eased him past Don Hartridge to 22nd on the club's all-time list — one for the mantelpiece. In the end honours were shared, a draw when neither side could force the issue, and on this evidence, entirely fair.

Sun 25 May 1969 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformWDLDL

Sunday last, 25 May 1969, saw us at home to face a side who, on paper at least, gave us every reason to feel rather pleased with ourselves. Put into the field first, we did our jobs nicely — M. Foster's 43 was the only real resistance as they were bundled out for exactly 100 in 41.4 overs. John Thirkell was magnificent, plundering 5-18 in a spell that will live long in the memory, with Paul Bowles (3-31, three maiders of it) and Ron Hickman (1-19) mopping up admirably.

With the bat we set about our reply in fine style, reaching 103/1 from 32.2 overs. Paul Bowles, sparing nothing after his morning's bowling, struck a splendid unbeaten 52, with Robert Chance a fine foil on 33 not out. I even found a bit of rhythm myself with the ball, taking 5 wickets on the day — not that I'll let anyone forget it.

There was much to raise a glass to besides: Paul Bowles's hundredth appearance in Linton colours, and his 52 runs nudging him past Fred Greenfield into 22nd on the all-time run-scorers' list. He now leads our 1969 run charts with 147, while Thirkell tops the wicket-takers with 12.

And yet, for all that, it wasn't our day — we finish down by nine wickets. Heads up, chins high, and back to the nets we go.

Tue 20 May 1969 🧢 1st XIv West Farleigh CC · HomeformDWDLD

Beaten by 43 runs, but not before Ron Hickman gave West Farleigh a proper fright.

Tuesday the 20th, and hosting West Farleigh CC, I lost the toss — a coin that has developed a distinct grudge against me this season — and duly found ourselves in the field. Their 101 all out from 16 overs looked, for a while, like being a good deal worse, with Don Fermor's 44 and Colin Clark's 21 the backbone of it. But Ron Hickman was in irresistible form, tearing through them for 6-29, with Terry Donovan (2-25) and John Thirkell (1-21) mopping up what he left behind. Reg Oldfield and Peter J Day went for ducks, which they will not thank me for mentioning, but 101 felt, at the change of innings, like a target well within our compass.

It was not to be. Our reply limped to 58/7 from our 16 overs, a chase that never found its rhythm, Andrew Moss's watchful 20 standing rather lonely at the top of the card. Mike Iliffe, Dave Hales and Tim Thirkell all took the long walk back for nought, which brings the season's Duck Club membership to a healthy tally, and there is now, I fear, talk of a waiting list.

Andrew Moss continues to lead our run charts with 98 for the summer, and Ron Hickman's 9 wickets make a fine case for bowling him from both ends if the rules would only allow it. As for the result — 43 runs is 43 runs, and no amount of Kentish sunshine will dress that up. We'll be better for it next week.

Mon 12 May 1969 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformDDWDL

Won the toss on a fine Monday evening and, for reasons that seemed sound at the time, decided we'd have a bat. The visitors can have few complaints about that decision by the close, though whether it was shrewd captaincy or simply blind optimism I shall leave for the committee to debate over their pints.

What followed was a brisk little innings — 59 for 1 in just 8.1 overs, the kind of scoring rate that leaves the tea ladies scrambling to get the urn on in time. Cliff Anscombe played the anchor role to perfection, ending unbeaten on 27, while Andrew Moss gave him fine company with 25 not out of his own. Between them they made the rest of us look rather superfluous with the bat, which is not an unfamiliar feeling on this ground.

We turned to defend our total with the usual mixture of hope and hollering, and the visitors gave as good as they got, for neither side could quite land the decisive blow. A draw, then — honours shared, and perhaps no bad thing given the effort both XIs put in under a gathering evening sky.

Special mention to Andrew Moss, who continues his fine form and now sits second in our 1969 run charts with 78 to his name. A tidy evening's work all round: not a win, but no disgrace either, and the sandwiches were gone before the last ball was bowled — always the truest measure of a good match.

Sun 11 May 1969 🧢 1st XIv Gore Court CC · AwayformLDDWD

Sunday last saw us motor down to Gore Court, spirits high and kit bags heavier than our top order's bats. I lost the toss — no great surprise there, my coin-calling remains as reliable as the Kent weather — and we were sent into the field, which at least meant the tea urn wasn't my first concern of the afternoon.

Gore Court ground out 159 all out in 55.4 overs, with Brian Allsworth (39) and E Smith (30) doing most of the damage before Mike Stephens turned the screw with 3-47, well backed by Dick Langridge's 3-54 and a typically frugal spell from Benny Bell — 2-18 and four maidens that must have felt like interrogation by dot ball. M Wright fell for a duck early, which set the tone rather better than our own reply would manage.

We slipped to 0-1 before we'd even settled our nerves, and John Ames and John Thirkell both departed for golden ducks — as, I must confess with all the dignity I can muster, did your correspondent. The less said, the better. Cliff Anscombe (34), Fred Greenfield (30) and Andrew Moss (23) fought the good fight, but 124 all out in 45.4 overs left us 35 runs shy at the close.

A defeat, then, but not a disgrace — Frank Brattle continues to prosper in the season's run charts and Mike Stephens leads the wickets, so the engine room hums even when the captain doesn't. We'll be better for it next week.

Sun 04 May 1969 🧢 1st XIv BC Bobbing Court CC · AwayformWLDDW

Sunday the 4th of May found us on the road to Bobbing Court, and I lost the toss in the manner to which I've grown accustomed — the coin, as ever, has never once liked me. They elected to bat, leaving us to toil away in the field, and toil we did, dragging things back from what might have been a proper mauling. Robinson made a composed 52 not out, with Webb and Wallace both chipping in 48 apiece, and by the time their innings closed on 169 for 3 from their allotted 47 overs, the scorebook made for grim reading. Credit where it's due, though: Dick Langridge bowled tidily for his 2-52, Benny Bell chipped away with 1-40, and Terry Donovan, tight as a drum, squeezed out two maidens when boundaries were the order of the day everywhere else.

Our reply was, shall we say, a more modest affair. Frank Brattle again showed why he's second in the season's run charts, top-scoring with a gutsy 40, and Benny Bell offered fine support with 33. Beyond that, the cupboard was rather bare — Stan Wratten, Fred Greenfield and Dick Langridge all departed for ducks, three quacks in a single card being more ornithology than batting, and we limped to 101 for 9 off our 44 overs with the last pair required to see out the innings.

So honours shared, a draw wrenched from the jaws of what could easily have been worse. Not our finest hour with the willow, but the bowlers kept us in the contest, and a share of the spoils on a tricky day counts for something. We'll take it, and live to bat again another Sunday.

Sat 03 May 1969 🧢 1st XIv CC Chiddingstone CC · HomeformDWLDD

Saturday 03 May 1969, and we welcomed Chiddingstone CC to Linton Park under skies kind enough for cricket. I called correctly and, with the confidence of a man who'd forgotten what our top order can do to a Saturday afternoon, stuck us in. Wisdom prevailed: 155 for 5 off our 47, built around a lovely, unhurried 77 not out from Paul Bowles, with Terry Whittaker (23) and Mike Stephens (22) filling in the mortar. Poor Basil Sears will not want reminding of his duck, but every side needs a sacrifice to the cricketing gods.

Defending it, we found Chiddingstone rather less at home. They were bowled out for 72 in 28.1 overs, Derek Hatt's 29 the only real resistance, while J King and Bill Hollands both departed without troubling the scorer. Paul Bowles, not content with his runs, took 4 for 10 with the ball, Mike Stephens chipped in with 4 for 13 and three tidy maidens, and Terry Whittaker mopped up with 1 for 7. Jim Hall had a wretched time behind the stumps, ten byes going begging, but nobody much minded by tea.

There was history made too — Whittaker's runs eased him past George Champion into 11th on the club's all-time run list, and Bowles's four wickets pushed him past J Donovan into 25th among our leading wicket-takers, with both men also topping the 1969 charts in their respective disciplines.

An 83-run victory, then, and a thoroughly good day for the club — Basil's duck notwithstanding.

Sun 27 Apr 1969 🧢 1st XIv PC Paddock Wood CC · HomeformLDWLD

Sunday last, and Paddock Wood came calling with the sun doing its level best to make village cricket look like it does in the paintings. I called correctly at the toss and had no hesitation in taking first knock — the square looked true, and I fancied runs were there for the taking if we applied ourselves. Applying ourselves proved the operative phrase: 112/8 from our 39 overs was more a grind than a gallop, though Stan Wratten batted with real sense to finish 40 not out, marshalling what support he could find at the other end. Not a total to frighten anyone, but enough, I hoped, to give our bowlers something to work with.

And work with it they did. Terry Donovan set about Paddock Wood with real intent, his opening burst yielding 1 for 2 as the visitors stumbled to 8/1 from just over five overs — for a heady moment we dared to dream of victory rather than survival. Alas, the innings tightened thereafter and neither side could land the decisive blow, honours finishing shared.

A quieter footnote, but one worth recording: Cliff Anscombe's 16 runs eased him past Len Conway into 19th on the club's all-time run-scorers list, a reminder that this old club's ledger keeps quietly turning even on days when the scoreboard doesn't sing.

A draw, then — honest, hard-fought, and not without its pleasures. We'll take it, and go again next week.

Sat 26 Apr 1969 🧢 1st XIv West Farleigh CC · AwayformLLDWL

Saturday 26 April 1969, and the coach turned its nose towards West Farleigh CC in reasonable spirits. Losing the toss meant a long afternoon in the field, and so it proved — West Farleigh ground their way to 173 all out from 45.4 overs, with Micky Back (34) and Don Fermor (34) doing most of the damage and Reg Oldfield (25) chipping in. It could have been worse but for John Thirkell, who bowled like a man possessed for 6-58 — a thoroughly deserved five-for, or rather six — with Terry Whittaker miserly in support, 4-52 and a couple of maidens for good measure.

Chasing 174 with fifty overs to play with, we never quite got the rhythm going, closing on 137/9. Mike Iliffe (37) and John Thirkell (35) held things together, and I managed to find some form myself with 35 of my own, plus six wickets with the ball to make it a rather busy Saturday. Poor Paul Bowles, though, will not remember the day so fondly — a golden duck and the walk of shame that goes with it.

A word of celebration amid the graft: John Thirkell brought up 300 career wickets, a landmark that deserves rather more than a passing mention in these pages.

So, honours shared and a draw to show for our efforts — not the result the effort deserved, but with Thirkell in this sort of form, there'll be sterner tests ahead that we're better placed to win.