🧢 Captain's Log

Sat 30 Sep 1972 🧢 1st XIv BC Bexhill CC · HomeformDLDLW

John Ames set the tone at the toss — I called correctly and never seriously considered doing anything but batting, and by the close of our innings I felt rather vindicated. We finished on a handsome 204/3 from our 34 overs, with John Ames the architect of the innings, motoring past his fifty to 84, well supported by Cliff Anscombe's brisk 45 and John Thirkell's unbeaten 43. A total to make the tea interval taste that bit sweeter.

Bexhill's reply never quite got out of second gear against our attack. They limped to 114/8 from their 46 overs, Martin Grimes (22) and Michael Dawes (20) doing what they could, while poor G Elliott trudged back for a duck. John Thirkell, having already contributed with the bat, did the damage again with the ball, 2-14, while Brian Fuller (2-28, six maides of pure parsimony) and Jon Harris (2-40) kept the squeeze on throughout. I even chipped in with 43 of my own, more through stubbornness than style.

The real headline, though, belonged to John Thirkell, who brought up 16,000 career runs for the club — a landmark that rather puts my own contributions in perspective, and one the tea urn was raised to more than once.

In the end neither side could force matters, and honours were shared. A draw, then — not the result the scoreboard suggests we deserved, but on this form, with Thirkell in irrepressible form and Fuller miserly as ever, we'll take it and look forward to the next one.

Sun 24 Sep 1972 🧢 1st XIv AC Anchorians CC · HomeformDDLDL

We lost the toss on Sunday and were sent in the field, which on a warm September afternoon is rarely the invitation one hopes for. Anchorians settled in and made themselves quite at home, closing on 141/5 from their 46 overs, with T Aitchson unbeaten on 35 and useful support from R Durbridge (29) and G Morris (27). Credit where due — Dick Langridge bowled beautifully for 2-16, Allan Cooper chipped in with 2-35 and five miserly maidens besides, and Nigel Thirkell took 1-21. Poor Cliff Anscombe, meanwhile, had one of those afternoons behind the stumps that goalkeepers dream about forgetting, with 21 byes going begging.

Chasing 142, we made distinctly hard work of it, stumbling to 142/9 off 32.3 overs before getting over the line. John Ames was the mainstay with a fine 46, well supported by Allan Cooper's 24, while Colin Dicker's golden duck rather summed up the nervous energy in the middle order. Still, a win's a win, and by one wicket it doesn't get much tighter than that.

A nod, too, to the record books: Allan Cooper's brace nudged him past Brian Fuller and into 25th on the club's all-time wicket-takers list, while in this season's charts Tim Thirkell sits third with 226 runs and Cooper himself third with 21 wickets. Two points, thoroughly earned, and a night for the lads to sleep soundly — even if Cliff's gloves may need a stern talking-to before next Sunday.

Sat 23 Sep 1972 🧢 1st XIv West Farleigh CC · AwayformWDDLD

23 September 1972 — Away to West Farleigh CC

Lost the toss, sent in to bowl first, and I confess I rather fancied our chances with the new ball. West Farleigh made us work for every one of their 160, mind — Trevor Back (49) and Micky Back (35) put bat to leather with some purpose, and it took the day's finest performance to prise them out. Brian Fuller was a man transformed, snaring five for 19 — a thoroughly deserved five-for, and one that quietly nudges him up to 25th on the club's all-time wicket-takers list, past the redoubtable Ernest Cruttenden. Ron Hickman toiled away nobly for 2-58 with three miserly maidens, and Paul Bowles chipped in with 1-13. Don Fermor, I. Edwards and John P Day all departed for ducks, which tells its own tale.

Set 161 to win, we mustered 158 all out from 49.3 overs — so close you could taste it, and rather too close for my digestion. Paul Bowles led from the front with a handsome 56, well supported by John Thirkell (32) and Paul Brattle (28); I managed 32 myself, more by luck than judgement. Tim Thirkell and Terry Whittaker, alas, joined the West Farleigh duck club.

Beaten by two runs in the end — the sort of margin that has you replaying every single one on the drive home. Bowles continues to lead our run and wicket charts alike, and Fuller's five-for is a fine consolation. We'll be better for it next week.

Sun 17 Sep 1972 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformDWDDL

It was a Sunday to remember for all the wrong reasons on my part, though the side did me proud. Winning the toss on 17 September and electing to bat, we posted a respectable 189/7 from our 45 overs, with John Ames leading the way on 48, well supported by Allan Cooper's 39 and an unbeaten 26 from Dick Langridge. Poor John Thirkell will want to forget his duck, and I dare say the extras column — a generous 26 — did rather more scoring than some of us managed with the bat in hand. As for your correspondent, the less said the better; a duck of my own, and a chastening walk back to the pavilion.

In the field we held our nerve well, restricting them to 95/5 from 21.4 overs before the draw was sealed. K. Batchelor's 25 and W. Jeanes' 24 threatened to run away with it, but Ron Hickman had other ideas, bowling beautifully for 3-32 with three maidens to show for his miserly spell. Allan Cooper (1-20) and Tony Gauna (1-32) chipped in handsomely, while poor Cliff Anscombe endured a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, 8 byes telling their own tale.

Ron Hickman's afternoon had extra significance, his three wickets nudging him past Herbert Rayner into 17th on the club's all-time list — a fine achievement quietly earned. With Tim Thirkell and Allan Cooper both sitting third in this season's run and wicket charts respectively, the engine room is purring nicely even if the captain isn't. A draw, then — honours shared, and frankly a fair result given my own contribution.

Sat 16 Sep 1972 🧢 1st XIv CA Charles Arkcoll · HomeformLDWDD

Saturday last, we welcomed Charles Arkcoll to Linton Park under grey but obliging skies, and promptly lost the toss — which, as ever, meant leather before willow for us. No complaints; the lads settled into the field with purpose, and Charles Arkcoll were shepherded out for 86 in 29.3 overs, Brian Aiston (25) and Keith Filmer (20) doing the heavy lifting for the visitors while wickets tumbled around them, John Mighall and Vic Wellard both back in the pavilion without troubling the scorer. The afternoon belonged, unquestionably, to Terry Donovan, whose 5-16 was as fine a spell as we've seen this season and thoroughly deserved. Tony Gauna toiled away for 3-34 with four maidens to his name — not a run given away lightly, that man — and Nigel Thirkell chipped in with 2-2, tidy as you like.

Alas, 86 proved beyond us. We subsided to 67 all out in 34.2 overs, our batting never quite finding its rhythm, and poor Mike Iliffe's afternoon summed up by a duck. Nineteen runs short at the death — a margin that stings rather more than the scorecard perhaps suggests, given the bowling that preceded it.

Elsewhere, the season ticks on nicely: Tim Thirkell remains third in the 1st XI run charts with 212, and Tony Gauna fourth among the wicket-takers with 18. As for Saturday — a fine bowling display let down by the bat. We'll dust ourselves off and come back stronger next week.

Sun 10 Sep 1972 🧢 1st XIv BC Bexhill CC · AwayformLLDWD

Sunday 10 September saw us motor over to Bexhill CC, coin duly won and battle plan set: bat first and see what the square would give us.

It gave us 150 for 4 off our 49 overs, most of it courtesy of Paul Bowles, who middled his way to 90 not out and, en route, brought up 4,000 career runs for the club — a landmark worth more than one round at the bar. Robert Chance will not want reminded of his contribution, back in the pavilion for a duck before he'd troubled the scorers, but these things happen to the best of us.

In the field we squeezed Bexhill to 147 for 8 from 36.2 overs, J Wisden's 40 the main resistance, with Neil Harding (29) and X Stephens (25) chipping in round him. Tony Gauna was the pick with 3 for 34, Paul Bowles backed up his batting with 3 for 49, and Ron Hickman took 2 for 38, while Allan Cooper strangled the scoring with four maidens and Martyn Cowley, A Hopkins and Robert Saxby all departed for ducks of their own. I managed a modest 19 with the bat, more supporting cast than leading man.

In the end honours were shared, neither side able to force it home. A fair result, and with Bowles now sitting proudly atop both our run and wicket charts for the season, a very good day to be his captain.

Sun 03 Sep 1972 🧢 1st XIv SC Staplehurst CC · AwayformDLLDW

Here's the match report:

There are moments in a captain's life when losing the toss feels like a mercy, and Sunday's trip to Staplehurst was one such occasion — though quite what I was being spared from became clear soon enough. Put in to bowl, we watched C Rogers make merry with 89 well-constructed runs, with A West (30 not out) and P. Holland (29) lending sturdy support as Staplehurst rattled up 201 for 8 from their 49.4 overs. Credit where due, though: Paul Bowles was in devastating touch, spinning his way to 5 for 72 and accounting for both J Munn and B Pudney without troubling the scorers, while Ron Hickman chipped in with 2 for 62 and Tony Gauna bowled three overs so tight you couldn't have posted a letter through them.

Chasing 202, we made a decent fist of it without ever quite threatening to get there, closing on 166 for 8 from our 43. Bowles, evidently not content with his bowling heroics, top-scored with a splendid 68, ably assisted by Allan Cooper (31) and John Thirkell (27); I managed a workmanlike 27 myself, while poor Benny Bell's afternoon began and ended without a run to his name.

There was, at least, a footnote worth savouring amid the toil — Bowles's five-wicket haul nudged him past Dick Langridge into seventh on the club's all-time wicket-takers' list, a achievement that will doubtless be toasted, however modestly, in the bar.

A draw, then — honours shared, pride largely intact, and a long drive home to reflect on what might have been.

Sat 02 Sep 1972 🧢 1st XIv Whitstable CC · AwayformDDLLD

Whitstable, 2 September 1972 — and never let it be said we do things the easy way.

Lost the toss, put out to field, and after Whitstable had crawled to 87 all out in 32.5 overs I confess a certain smugness set in. Rightly so, perhaps: Graham Mountford bowled like a man possessed, 6 for 42 and a five-for thoroughly earned, ably supported by Tony Gauna (2-19) and the ever-parsimonious Allan Cooper, whose 3 maidens on the way to 1 for 23 told their own story. A- Collinson's 26 was the only real resistance the home side could muster.

Then, as is traditional at Linton Park, we set about making a straightforward chase look like open-heart surgery. Wakeford, Tritton and Nutten all departed without troubling the scorers, and poor Jon Harris contributed the golden variety of nothing, but Allan Cooper — not content with his heroics in the field — dug in for 38 to drag us, wheezing and stumbling, over the line by two wickets with 88 for 8 from 36.5 overs. A committee-room finish if ever there was one.

Small mercies and larger footnotes: Cooper's solitary wicket nudged him past Ernest Cruttenden into 25th on the club's all-time list, and he now sits third in this season's bowling table with 18 — Andrew Moss, still imperious with 363 runs, remains out on his own at the top. All told, a scrappy, nervy, thoroughly satisfying afternoon. We'll take it.

Wed 30 Aug 1972 🧢 Midweek XIv Gravesend CC · HomeformLDDDL

From the captain's chair — Wednesday 30 August 1972, Gravesend CC at home.

Lost the toss again, and they had no hesitation putting us out in the field — I'm beginning to suspect my coin-calling is the weakest part of my captaincy. Still, the lads made light work of it. Gravesend were bowled out for 113 in 42.2 overs, with only P Rue, past his fifty on 52, giving us any real bother. Paul Bowles was simply unplayable, running through them with 6 for 36 off seven miserly maidens, ably backed up by Dick Langridge's 3 for 15 and Nigel Thirkell's 1 for 19. Three of theirs departed without so much as a whisker on the scoreboard, which felt almost unfair to watch.

Chasing 113 should have been a formality, and in the end it was, though we made rather more drama of it than necessary, stumbling to 117 for 5 in 25.5 overs. Andrew Moss led the reply with a fine 41, well supported by Alan Crowest's 33, while poor Ray Grayland's duck will not trouble him for long given the result. Twenty-one byes tells you all you need to know about Steve Gower's afternoon behind the stumps — a testing day indeed.

Two notable landmarks amid the runs: Moss's 41 lifts him past George Champion into 14th on the club's all-time run charts, and Langridge's three wickets edge him past Bowles into 7th among the all-time wicket-takers.

A five-wicket win, two points, and thoroughly deserved.

Sun 27 Aug 1972 🧢 Sunday NVKCv TC Troon CC · AwayformLWWWW

Sunday 27 August 1972 saw us make the trip to Troon, and for once the coin behaved itself — heads, and into the middle we went.

We batted first and got ourselves to a respectable 167/9 from our forty overs, built chiefly on a fine 48 from Paul Bowles and 45 from Cliff Anscombe, with Andrew Moss chipping in a handy 25. Not everyone's day at the crease, mind — John Thirkell, Graham Mountford and Ron Hickman all made that lonely walk back for nought, three ducks in one innings being rather more than the club average, and rather more than any of them will thank me for mentioning.

Troon, however, had other ideas. J Spry and B Carter simply declined to get out, cruising to unbeaten fifties of 88 and 74 respectively and seeing their side home at 171/1 in just 35.2 overs — a stand that made our bowling figures look rather more generous than we'd have liked. Graham Mountford was our pick of the attack with 1-39, and Allan Cooper at least kept things tight with two maidens. As for my own contribution, a duck, gracefully drawn under a veil and never spoken of again.

There was a silver lining higher up: Paul Bowles remains top of the 1972 Sunday NVKC run charts with 237, and Graham Mountford sits second in the wickets with 11. Not our day on the field, though — beaten by nine wickets, heads up, and back to the nets.

Wed 23 Aug 1972 🧢 Midweek XIv Gravesend CC · AwayformLLDDD

Down by a single run at Gravesend — heads up, back to the nets. We travelled down full of hope, lost the toss, and were duly sent out to field, which on a warm Wednesday is either a blessing or a curse depending on how the legs feel by tea. Gravesend ground their way to 139 all out from 43 overs, P Rue doing most of the damage with 43, well supported by W Carter's 27 and Gaynor Kingston's 20. John Lambert was the pick of the attack — four wickets for 34, four maidens of pure miserliness — with Ron Hickman matching him wicket for wicket (4-36) and Nigel Thirkell chipping in with one for 25. M Youseman, mercifully for us, never troubled the scorers.

Chasing 140, we somehow contrived to fall one run short, bowled out for 138 in the 42nd over — the sort of margin that has you replaying every dot ball on the drive home. Mike Iliffe led the way with 23, R Philips finished unbeaten on 23, and Steve Gower added a tidy 20; I did my bit with 23 of my own. Extras chipped in a generous 29, rather more than either Nigel Thirkell or John Lambert managed, both departing for ducks and the walk of shame that entails.

A cruel one run in it, and no consolation in the run charts either — Iliffe third, Langridge still out in front with the ball. Not our day, but no disgrace in it. Heads up, lads — back to the nets.

Sun 20 Aug 1972 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformDDDLL

Sunday 20 August 1972, and a rare treat: home advantage, a good toss to win, and no earthly reason not to bat first. So bat we did, and while 167 for 9 off our 48 overs was hardly a declaration of intent to the neighbouring counties, it had a certain honest respectability to it. Nigel Thirkell played the innings of the day, a well-crafted fifty worth 60, and found willing company in Paul Brattle's 24 and Terry Whittaker's 23. I contributed a modest 21 myself, more stubbornness than style, but every run counts when you're counting them one at a time.

Defending 167 is never a comfortable afternoon, and the opposition set about it with J- Reader making a fine 47. But this was Paul Bowles's day through and through — five wickets for 51 runs, a five-for richly earned and richly enjoyed by all watching. John Thirkell chipped in with 2 for 29, and Nigel Thirkell, having already done his bit with the bat, proved miserly with the ball too: 1 for 18 and three maidens to boot. The opposition finished on 140 for 9, agonisingly short and agonisingly safe all at once.

Special mention for Terry Whittaker, who brought up 3,000 career runs for the club — a landmark that deserved better than a draw, but there it is. A draw it was, honours shared, neither side quite able to land the killer blow. Frustrating, perhaps, but with knocks and spells like these on show, I'll happily take honours even.

Sat 19 Aug 1972 🧢 1st XIv BC Bowaters CC · AwayformWDDDL

1972 saw us hosting no tie – we travelled to Bowaters, and having won the toss on a Saturday that felt made for batting, I had no hesitation whatsoever in sending us in. Wisdom, for once, was rewarded, more or less: 150 for 8 off 44.3 overs is not a total to frighten anyone, but it had a certain honest, workmanlike charm to it. Tim Thirkell and Nigel Thirkell showed a fine sense of family solidarity with 28 apiece, and Basil Sears chipped in with a tidy 24 — enough, I hoped, to be defended by lunchtime optimism and afternoon guile.

Alas, guile was in short supply. Alf Jewiss set about us with a chanceless 65 not out, Donald Simler kept him honest company with 47, and Ian Bennett saw them home unbeaten on 21. Terry Donovan toiled manfully for his solitary wicket, conceding just 22 and bowling two maidens that suggested better luck than reward, while M. Flint's one for 32 offered what support there was to be had. Poor Jim Hall, meanwhile, endured a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, twelve byes finding their way past him like they had somewhere better to be.

Eight wickets and a good deal of pride the worse for wear, we trudged from the field knowing full well we'd been outplayed rather than unlucky. Still, Basil Sears sitting third in the season's run charts and Terry Donovan fifth among the wicket-takers offer some comfort that the summer isn't entirely lost. We'll be better for it next week — we rather have to be.

Sun 13 Aug 1972 🧢 1st XIv SC Sibton Park CC · HomeformLWDDD

As it stands, gentlemen, when the toss falls your way and you elect to bat on 13 August, one rather hopes for more than twenty. Mustered from 11.4 overs, our total had the structural integrity of a garden shed in a gale — Mike Iliffe, Tim Thirkell and Paul Brattle all walked back for ducks, and I shall not pretend the scorebook made for cheerful reading over tea.

Sibton Park, to their credit, did not need to be asked twice. They knocked off the twenty in 6.5 overs without losing a wicket, which is the sort of chase that leaves a captain studying his shoelaces rather more than the cricket. I myself contributed precisely nothing to proceedings — out for a duck, and the less said about that innings the better; we shall draw a veil over it, as promised, and move swiftly on.

There were, at least, some threads of consolation in the wider season's weave. Tim Thirkell continues to ply his trade near the top of the run charts, fourth with 142 for the year, and Allan Cooper remains a genuine handful with the ball, second in the wicket-takers with seventeen so far. Proof, if nothing else, that not everything about 1972 has gone to pieces.

But on the day itself, there is no dressing it up: beaten without loss, undone by our own batting before Sibton Park had barely broken sweat. Heads up, chaps — it's back to the nets.

Sat 12 Aug 1972 🧢 1st XIv Headcorn CC · AwayformDLWDD

Saturday 12th August 1972, and off we trundled to Headcorn with the sun doing its best village-green impression. I won the toss and had no hesitation in taking first knock — the pitch looked one for batting early and thinking later, and I still maintain it was the right call.

Truth be told, our innings never quite found top gear. Fourteen overs brought us 39 for 1, which is the sort of score that makes a captain study his shoelaces rather rapidly. Basil Sears, though, was a picture of composure throughout, ending unbeaten on 22 and shouldering the lion's share of the scoring almost single-handed while the rest of us admired from the other end.

Out we went to defend it, braced for a long afternoon in the field — and somehow got one. Headcorn were bowled out for nought, a scorecard entry that still raises an eyebrow whenever I glance back at it, and between the two efforts honours were shared: neither side could quite land the knockout blow, and a draw it was.

Basil continues to be the man in form, now sitting third in our 1972 first-XI run charts with 170 for the season — a fine return, and one the rest of us might do well to study. As for the match itself: not a classic for the purists, but a scrap, a stalemate, and, all things considered, a fair result honestly earned.

Wed 09 Aug 1972 🧢 Midweek XIv SC Sennocke CC · AwayformLLLDD

Wednesday 9th August, and off we trundled to Sennocke, the sun (for once) obliging.

Winning the toss, I had no hesitation in taking first knock — a decision I shall now claim full credit for. C. Reader played the innings of the day, 85 crisp and correct runs that put Sennocke's attack thoroughly out of sorts, with Cliff Anscombe chipping in a handy 32 and Dick Langridge seeing us safely home unbeaten on 22. Declaring, or rather simply running out of overs, at 184/4 from our 45.3, we felt we had enough on the board, though not so much that we could put our feet up in the pavilion.

And so it proved. Sennocke set about the chase with R. Cheeseman the chief architect of their reply, 51 well-made runs, backed up by J. Wharton's 38 and M. Robinson's 31. Paul Bowles bowled beautifully for his 2-50 and leads our wicket charts nicely as a result, while Alf Thorne was a model of miserly restraint — two maidens and 1-19 — and Allan Cooper picked up 1-39. Spare a thought for poor Peter Tapper, sent back for a duck without so much as troubling the scorers. My own afternoon behind the stumps was rather less distinguished, nine byes escaping my gloves like naughty schoolboys.

In the end Sennocke closed on 180/5, five runs shy and one wicket to spare — honours, quite fairly, shared. A draw that satisfied nobody and disappointed nobody, which is, I suppose, cricket's way of telling us both sides deserved better.

Sun 06 Aug 1972 🧢 Sunday NVKCv BC Blunham CC · HomeformWLWWW

Sunday 6th August 1972, and Blunham CC came calling. I won the toss and had no hesitation putting us in to bat — one of those decisions that looks either shrewd or reckless by close of play, and I'm pleased to report it fell on the right side of the ledger. We posted 143/5 from our forty overs, John Ames the mainstay with a fine 39, well supported by Cliff Anscombe's 30 and John Thirkell's 29. Poor Andrew Moss will want this report kept from his mother — a golden duck to his name — but the middle order carried us to a total that felt defendable, if not exactly imposing.

And defend it we did. Blunham fought hard, P Fordham top-scoring with 41 and P Ranson chipping in 21, but our bowling had the last word. Allan Cooper was quite magnificent, 4-18 with three maidens thrown in for good measure — the sort of miserly spell that has opposition batsmen muttering into their tea. Tony Gauna weighed in with 3-24 and Graham Mountford picked up one, while at the other end three Blunham batsmen — Ashwell, Lawson and Watson — departed for ducks of their own, rather evening the score on that front. I even found time to contribute 29 with the bat earlier on, which I mention purely for the record and not out of vanity.

Blunham were bowled out for 121 in 35.4 overs, and we came home 22 runs to the good. A thoroughly satisfying afternoon, and with Allan Cooper now leading the wicket charts and Paul Bowles the runs, the season has a rather promising look about it.

Sat 05 Aug 1972 🧢 1st XIv ? · AwayformLDLWD

Off to face for the lads on Saturday 5th August 1972.

Winning the toss (or perhaps losing it, history is silent on the matter), we were sent into the field, and spent the best part of the afternoon watching our visitors compile 189 all out from 45.5 overs — a total that owed much to Pete Worsnop's well-made 63, with useful support from Stuckey (47) and Grainger (20). Credit where it's due: young Quirk was despatched for a duck without so much as a scoring shot to his name, and M. Flint span a web through the middle order that few could escape, finishing with a splendid 5-34. Fuller (3-39) and Harris (2-31) mopped up admirably at the other end, and 189 always felt a chaseable total on that pitch.

So it proved, more or less. Jim Hall played the innings of the day, a superb 106 that anchored everything, ably supported by Tim Thirkell's unbeaten 53, as we reached 188 for 3 from our 47 overs — one agonising run short of victory, though nobody was counting quite that closely at tea. I contributed a modest 16, and spare a thought for Jim, whose afternoon with the gloves was rather less serene than his afternoon with the bat — 11 byes is not a figure one boasts about in the pavilion. One bright footnote: Mike Iliffe's 16 runs nudged him past Roy Clarke into 21st on the club's all-time run charts, a small piece of history quietly made.

Honours shared, then — a draw when neither side could force the issue, and on reflection, a fair result from a match that had everything but a winner.

Sun 30 Jul 1972 🧢 Sunday NVKCv GC Glynde & Beddingham CC · AwayformWLWW

I called correctly at the toss on Sunday and, with the sun out over Glynde & Beddingham, batting first felt like the only decent thing to do — so batting first it was.

We laboured to 133 for 9 off our forty, which felt about as comfortable as a deckchair with a broken strut. Paul Bowles top-scored with a handsome 45, Allan Cooper saw us home unbeaten on 29, and John Thirkell chipped in a useful 22. Andrew Moss, alas, walked back for a duck, and the Duck Club ledger duly noted his name — condolences, old boy, the tea urn awaits.

With the ball, though, we were a different proposition entirely. Glynde & Beddingham folded for 74 in just 31.3 overs, only Graham Baker showing any real fight with 23. A McBrown and M Seabright departed without troubling the scorers, joining Andrew Moss on the Duck Club roll of honour. Ron Hickman was quite magnificent, running through them with 5 for 23, backed superbly by Tony Gauna's miserly 2 for 17 — four maidens, not a run given away lightly — and Graham Mountford's 1 for 11. I even managed 22 myself, for what little that's worth alongside such bowling.

A fine win by 59 runs, then, and Paul Bowles and Graham Mountford continue to lead the season's charts with bat and ball respectively. Onwards we go, tea and modesty intact.

Sat 29 Jul 1972 🧢 1st XIv SC Sibton Park CC · AwayformWLDLW

We won the toss for use of the ball, but that's about as much as went our way against the coin all day.

Sibton Park won the toss, elected to bat, and made themselves thoroughly at home. Nick Guy played the innings of the day — 81, the sort of knock that makes a captain wish the boundary rope were a good deal further away — with Rawlings (29 not out) and Butcher (27 not out) polishing things off nicely to leave them 205/7 from their 43. E- Impett came and went without so much as a sniff, bless him, and honour was largely restored by Nigel Thirkell, who bowled with real discipline for 2-23 including two maidens — not a man in a giving mood. Langridge and Gauna weighed in with two apiece, at rather more expense, but wickets are wickets.

Chasing 206 was always going to ask questions of the top order, and by and large the top order didn't much fancy answering them. Jon Harris held things together superbly with an unbeaten 34, well supported by Mike Iliffe's 25, and I contributed a modest 25 of my own before retiring to the safety of the boundary. We closed on 113/8 from our 45 — short of the target, but with wickets enough in hand to see out the overs and deny them the win.

A quiet word of pride: Mike Iliffe's 25 nudges him past Don Clayton into 22nd on the club's all-time run-scorers list, while Nigel Thirkell's ten wickets keep him handily placed 4th in this season's bowling table.

In the end, honours shared and a draw neither side could quite force — which, on a day when the bat rather outshone the ball, felt about right.

Mon 24 Jul 1972 🧢 Midweek XIv BC Birkenhead Grasshoppers CC · HomeformDLLLD

Monday, 24 July 1972, and Birkenhead Grasshoppers came to Linton Park with the sun out and, alas, all the luck at the toss — they won it and had first knock, leaving us to labour away with the ball. Labour we did, though, and how. Dick Langridge turned his arm over like a man possessed, spinning through the Grasshoppers for a marvellous 5-36, with Alan Wilkes miserly and menacing at the other end for 4-60, seven of his overs maidens — not a run given away lightly, as they say. J Costain's 39 and G Cropper's 33 were the only real resistance, poor L Atwell trudging back without so much as troubling the scorers, and the visitors were all out for 137 from 50.2 overs. A fine effort in the field, and Dick's five-for nudges him past Paul Bowles into 7th on the club's all-time wicket-takers list — a landmark not to be passed over lightly.

Our reply was, in the finest tradition of these things, watchful rather than glorious. B Milne top-scored with a tidy 27, John Thirkell chipped in with 21 — enough to keep him clear at the top of the 1972 Midweek XI run charts on 71 for the season — and I managed 21 myself, more through stubbornness than style. We closed on 118/8 from our 42 overs, the required rate never quite within reach nor the wickets quite falling fast enough for Birkenhead to force it either.

So honours shared, and a draw that pleased nobody and offended nobody — the fairest sort of English cricketing compromise. A good day's toil with the ball undone by our own top-order caution, but Dick's landmark gives us something to raise a glass to in the pavilion regardless.

Sun 16 Jul 1972 🧢 Sunday NVKCv SC Sheldwich CC · AwayformWLW

The coin obliged me on Sunday, and with the sun doing its level best over Sheldwich, I had no hesitation in sticking us in — a decision I felt rather clever about right up until I was walking back to the pavilion myself, out for a golden blob. A captain, they say, must lead by example; on this occasion I led by example of exactly what not to do.

Fortunately the rest of the side had rather more sense. We were bowled out for 141 in 39 overs, a total that owed everything to Paul Bowles, whose well-crafted 57 was the innings' backbone, with Andrew Moss chipping in a tidy 23. John Thirkell and Ron Hickman both contributed ducks to the cause, which is one way of describing it.

Defending 141 always looked a stiff ask on paper, but Allan Cooper had other ideas, ripping through Sheldwich for 3-23, with Ron Hickman (2-20) and John Thirkell (2-31) doing rather better with the ball than they had with the bat. Graham Mountford, meanwhile, bowled three maidens and barely gave a run away. Brian Newman's 42 and D. Hobbs' 25 threatened to haul Sheldwich home, but they folded for 118 in 36.2 overs, Robert Heward departing without troubling the scorers.

A fine win by 23 runs, then, and Paul Bowles and Graham Mountford continue to lead our season's run and wicket charts respectively. As for the skipper — well, nobody's perfect. Onwards.

Sat 15 Jul 1972 🧢 1st XIv FC Folkestone CC · AwayformLWLDL

Saturday last took us down to Folkestone, and having lost the toss – as is now customary – we were asked to field first, which on a warm July afternoon felt rather less of a punishment than usual.

Folkestone battled to 137 all out in 53.5 overs, Stan Purcell top-scoring with 40 and Anthony Goldsmith unbeaten on 32, while Adrian Bray and Keith Riddalls both trudged off for ducks at our hands. The day belonged to Brian Fuller, whose 5-56 (with eight miserly maidens thrown in for good measure) was thoroughly deserved, ably backed up by John Thirkell's 4-54. Between the two of them there was precious little room for Folkestone to breathe.

Chasing 138, we got home in some style at 141/5 from 35 overs. Andrew Moss played the innings of the day with a fine 60, supported by Stan Wratten's 31 and John Thirkell's unbeaten 30 – not a bad afternoon's work with the bat to follow his four wickets in the field. I contributed a watchful 30 myself, and picked up 4 wickets to boot, though poor Fred Greenfield will want this report to end here, having bagged the ledger's second duck of the day. Worth noting too that Moss's 60 eased him past Gordon Fenner into 15th on the club's all-time run-scorers list – a quiet piece of history amid the chaos.

Two points banked, five wickets to spare, and Fuller and Moss continuing to lead our season's bowling and batting charts respectively. A thoroughly satisfactory day out, and one the drive home felt considerably shorter for.

Wed 12 Jul 1972 🧢 Midweek XIv ? · HomeformDDLLL

Captain's Log — Wednesday 12th July, 1972. We played hosts today, and won the toss to send the visitors in first, a decision that looked shrewd for about an hour and rather less shrewd once D. Tolhurst got his eye in. He carved out 75 of real substance, and with C. Reader chipping in 23 and Steve Gower 20, their total swelled beyond what I'd have liked. Small mercies: J. Inkpen departed without troubling the scorers, and it was Nigel Thirkell who did the heavy lifting with 4-49, backed up nobly by brother John Thirkell's 3-51 and Terry Donovan, who bowled with the meanness of a man guarding his allotment — 1-16 and five maidens to show for it.

Our reply was, shall we say, a study in application rather than flair. We limped to 107 for 9 off our forty overs, John Thirkell again the mainstay with 29 well-considered runs, while poor Allan Cooper's afternoon began and ended without scoring. I managed 29 of my own with the bat and found some rhythm with the ball to claim three wickets, which at least gave me something to write home about.

John Thirkell continues to lead our 1972 Midweek charts both with bat and ball, and on this evidence long may it continue. In the end neither side could quite land the decisive blow, and honours were shared — a draw that felt, in the best village tradition, entirely fair to both sides.

Sun 09 Jul 1972 🧢 1st XIv AC Aylesford Paper Mills CC · HomeformDLWLD

Here's the match report:

There are moments in a captain's life when the toss falls your way and instinct simply says "bat" — Sunday against Aylesford Paper Mills was one of them, and I like to think I got it right. The lads set about building something respectable, and it was Paul Bowles who caught the eye, easing past his fifty on the way to a fine 52, with Andrew Moss chipping in handsomely alongside him with 42. We closed on 146/6 from our 40.3 overs — not a total to frighten anyone, perhaps, but enough, I felt, to give our bowlers something to work with.

Alas, cricket has a habit of humbling the optimist. John Atkins simply refused to be shifted, ghosting to an unbeaten 81 and carrying the Mills innings almost single-handedly, with useful support from R- David (27 not out) and Alan Perriman (24). Paul Bowles, having done his bit with the bat, then top-scored with the ball too, taking 1-34, while Allan Cooper toiled away with admirable miserliness — six maidens and a wicket for his troubles. Aylesford eased home by eight wickets with overs in hand, and there's no dressing that up.

One bright note amid the gloom: Robert Chance's 17 runs nudged him past Frank Taylor and into 18th on the club's all-time run-scorers list, which is the sort of thing that keeps a losing dressing room smiling. Andrew Moss continues to lead our 1972 run charts with 293, and Allan Cooper the wickets with 16. As for the rest of us — well, we'll be better for it next week.

Wed 05 Jul 1972 🧢 Midweek XIv ? · HomeformLDDLL

As the club were beaten by six wickets, I chose to bat first and made good.

Wednesday the 5th of July, and I called correctly at the toss for once in my life — a small mercy, given how the rest of the afternoon went. No hesitation in choosing to bat, and 138 for 8 off our 42 overs felt about right for the surface, even if it never quite threatened to run away from us. Paul Bowles held the innings together with a watchful 34 not out, Mike Iliffe chipped in a tidy 28 and John Thirkell 21, while poor Tim Thirkell walked back for a golden duck — these things happen to the best of families, and indeed did, twice over, in the same one.

In the field we fancied our chances of defending it, and for a while we did. Paul Bowles bowled beautifully, three maidens and 2 for 48, with John Thirkell and Ron Hickman chipping in a wicket apiece, but W Creed had other ideas, seeing them home with an unbeaten 46, well backed by D. Annal's 33 and M Smith's 27. Jim Hall had a torrid time behind the stumps, ten byes conceded telling their own story, while I did what I could with the bat, 21 runs, and rather less with the tactics.

Two things to raise a glass to regardless: John Thirkell brought up his 700th appearance in Linton colours, a staggering innings of loyalty in itself, and Mike Iliffe's runs saw him leapfrog Fred Greenfield into 23rd on the all-time list. Beaten by six wickets, then, but not beaten in spirit. We'll be better for it next week.

Sun 02 Jul 1972 🧢 1st XIv SC Sevenoaks Vine CC · HomeformWDLWL

Sunday the second of July found us hosts to Sevenoaks Vine, and the coin fell their way — asked to bowl first, which on a ground like ours generally means a long, hopeful afternoon in the field. So it proved, up to a point. They ground their way to 158 for 9 off 49.4 overs, Ian Haffenden the chief architect with 41, well backed by D. Perry's 30 and George Downton's 24. Nigel Cannon, mercifully for our figures, departed for a duck without so much as scuffing the scoreboard.

The story of the innings, though, belonged to Allan Cooper, who spun a web through the middle order for a magnificent 5 for 58, five of his overs going for nothing at all — the kind of unplayable, metronomic spell that makes a captain feel he needn't have bothered with a plan. Nigel Thirkell chipped in with 2 for 48 and Tony Gauna with 1 for 31, and between them they kept Sevenoaks to a target that felt gettable rather than gruelling.

And gettable it proved, John Ames playing the innings of the day with an unbeaten 53 as we cruised to 94 for 2 off 26 overs — untroubled, unhurried, and rather pleased with ourselves. Alas, time rather than talent denied us the finish, and honours were shared.

A draw, then — not the result the bowling deserved, but with Cooper now up to 15 wickets for the summer, few of us left the ground in anything but good spirits.

Sat 01 Jul 1972 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformLWDLW

Saturday 1st July 1972, and we welcomed the visitors to Linton Park under skies that, for once, gave nothing away — which is more than could be said for our fielding effort, mostly.

Put in first, the lads set about their opponents with real purpose. Nigel Thirkell was in magnificent, miserly form, snaffling 4-18, while Brian Fuller (2-14) and Terry Donovan (2-18, with four maidens to his name — barely a run escaped the man) squeezed the innings dry between them. D. Pound top-scored with a stubborn 45, ably assisted by B. Seager's 26, but with G. Shepherd, G. Walkling and M. Sykes all departing without troubling the scorer, the visitors were shot out for 92 in 38.5 overs. A very satisfactory morning's work.

Chasing such a modest total should have been a formality, and for a while it looked it, largely thanks to Basil Sears, who compiled a handsome fifty — 60 in all — with the sort of calm authority that's put him third in this season's run charts. Alas, the rest of us conspired to make hard work of easy sums; Jim Hall's golden duck rather set the tone, and wickets kept tumbling until we stumbled to 93/6 off 27.5 overs, winning by the skin of our teeth but somehow contriving to lose by four wickets in the scorecard of memory as much as anything else.

A funny old game, cricket — bowled out the opposition for next to nothing and still found a way to make the run chase a nail-biter. The bowling was the story of the day, Fuller's season haul now standing at fifteen. We'll be better for it next week.

Sat 24 Jun 1972 🧢 1st XIv HC Hythe CC · HomeformWLWDL

A gloriously English Saturday, this. Toss lost, decision made for us, and Hythe CC settling in to bat under skies that, for once, behaved themselves.

They ground their way to 165/6 off 48 overs — a proper occupation of the crease. G. Newrick led the charge with a fine 63, well supported by J. Elston's unbeaten 46 and G. Willsher's 38. Credit where due to Terry Donovan, who bowled beautifully for 3-42, three of those overs maidens — not a run given away lightly, as they say, and Hythe's batsmen will have felt every one of them. Brian Fuller chipped in gamely with 3-71, and I. McGhie and Paul Goddard both departed without troubling the scorers — ducks apiece, poor souls.

Set 166 to win, we made rather light work of it, romping home on 169/4 with two overs and more to spare. Andrew Moss was imperious — 85 not out, a proper captain's innings even though it wasn't mine — with Mike Iliffe a sterling 35 alongside him. I contributed a modest 19, more nurdle than flourish, but every run counts in this game. Worth noting, too, that Iliffe's 35 nudges him past Len Conway into 24th on the club's all-time run charts — a quiet piece of history amid the chase. Moss now sits proudly atop this season's run charts with 251, and Fuller second in the wicket-takers with 13.

Two points, six wickets to spare, and a job thoroughly well done. Tea was, I'm reliably informed, rather good too.

Sat 17 Jun 1972 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformWWLWD

Skipper's Log — Saturday 17 June 1972.

We hosted them at home with first use of the ball, and for a good while it looked rather promising. They limped to 89 all out in 31.4 overs, with only K. Patey-Jnr (31) and L. Marks (21) offering much resistance — and K. Patey and R. Doe departing without troubling the scorers at all. Brian Fuller was magnificent, 3-23 and metronomic with it, while Ron Hickman bowled five maidens on his way to 3-27, and Tony Gauna weighed in with 2-28. Barely a run was given away without a fight; it was the kind of bowling performance that has you dreaming of an early tea and a comfortable win.

Which only goes to show what a funny old game this is. Chasing what should have been a modest target, we contrived to make hard work of it, stumbling to 90 for 7 off 38.4 overs — Mike Iliffe's watchful 20 and my own 20 the only scores of any substance, the rest of the order apparently deciding that batting was somebody else's job. We got there in the end, but not before several of us had aged visibly in the process.

Elsewhere in the parish, Andrew Moss continues to purr along nicely, second in the season's run charts with 166, and Brian Fuller sits third among the wicket-takers with 10 — small consolation on a day when the bat let the ball down badly.

Not our day, in the end — beaten by three wickets after doing all the hard work with the ball. Heads up, lads; back to the nets.

Sun 11 Jun 1972 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformLWWLW

Sunday 11th June, and we welcomed the visitors to Linton Park under skies that, for once, didn't threaten us with anything worse than a bit of English indecision.

Put into the field first, we watched them accumulate to 140/6 off their 41 overs, Baker the chief architect with a well-made 40, Pocock chipping in 35 and Ufton seeing them home unbeaten on 25. Poor Reader departed for a duck at our hands, which was some small consolation for the toil elsewhere. It was Ron Hickman who did the real damage with 2-14, Terry Donovan and David Lowen lending willing support, and Paul Bowles bowling as tight as a Sunday collection plate with three maidens to his name.

Our reply of 128/8 from 39 overs never quite had the legs to chase down the target, though Bowles again led from the front with 41, backed up by Stan Wratten's 24 and Cliff Anscombe's 22. Andrew Moss endured the walk of shame for a duck, and Anscombe, having done his bit with the bat, then let through nine byes behind the stumps — the sort of afternoon best forgotten over a pint. Bowles, meanwhile, continues to lead the county in both runs and wickets this season, showing the rest of us up rather splendidly.

Amid it all, Basil Sears brought up his 400th appearance in Linton colours — a landmark that rather puts our efforts into perspective. In the end honours were shared, and a draw felt about right: nobody quite deserved to lose, and nobody quite earned the win.

Mon 29 May 1972 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · HomeformDLWWL

Monday, 29 May 1972, and Bearsted CC came calling at Linton Park. The coin obliged me for once, and with a rare flash of tactical clarity I sent us in to bat.

It was Paul Bowles and Cliff Anscombe who did the heavy lifting, each compiling a fine half-century — 58 apiece — while I chipped in a workmanlike 20 to help us along to 190 all out from 57.3 overs. Not everyone enjoyed the stroll to the crease, mind: Nigel Thirkell, Dick Langridge and Alan Cradduck all made the sorrowful walk back for nought, joining the club's less illustrious ledger.

If 190 felt merely respectable, our bowling made it look positively regal. Bearsted lost a wicket before a run was troubling the board and never recovered their composure, sliding from 24-2 to 32-5 in the twinkling of an eye, with Colin Fleetwood, Dave Bromley and Bryan Elswood all departing for ducks of their own. Paul Bowles was quite unplayable, spinning his way to 8-14 with four miserly maidens, well supported by Tony Gauna (1-9) and Nigel Thirkell (1-16), as Bearsted folded for 59 in 28.3 overs. Cliff Anscombe had a trickier afternoon behind the stumps, 10 byes slipping past him, though his bat had already done more than enough — that 58 easing him past Maurice Fenner to 11th on the club's all-time run-scorers list, while Paul Bowles's eight wickets carried him past Terry Donovan into 8th among our leading wicket-takers. Up in the season charts, Andrew Moss still leads our run-getters with 159, and Bowles now tops the bowling with 13.

A thumping win by 131 runs. Onwards we go.

Sun 28 May 1972 🧢 Sunday NVKCv High Halstow CC · AwayformWL

Sunday 28 May 1972 saw us take the road to High Halstow, and winning the toss I had no hesitation in electing to bat — a decision I'm rather pleased to say vindicated itself. We compiled 138/8 from our 39 overs, built on Basil Sears's watchful 35, with Brian Rothwell (33) and Fred Greenfield (28) both playing their part. Not every man's name will grace the honours board this week, mind — Tim Thirkell's golden duck being the exception that rather proves the rule.

With the ball, we set about High Halstow with real purpose. They were dismissed for 70 in 30 overs, F Unsure's 24 the only real resistance, ably supported by Tony Gauna's 21 — though quite what Tony was doing helping the opposition to runs when he was busy dismantling them with the ball I couldn't say. C Unsure and H Unsure both departed without troubling the scorers. Tony Gauna was the chief destroyer with 2-12 and two miserly maidens, well backed by Nigel Thirkell (2-13) and Allan Cooper (2-14) — not a run given away lightly indeed.

There was much to toast in the clubhouse besides the scoreline: Graham Mountford brought up his 100th career wicket, Fred Greenfield's 28 eased him past Len Conway to 23rd on our all-time run-scorers' list, and both men sit handsomely in this season's Sunday charts — Fred third with 40 runs, Graham leading the wickets column with 7.

A fine win by 68 runs, then, and thoroughly deserved. Onwards.

Sat 27 May 1972 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformLDLWW

Saturday 27 May 1972, and a rare privilege for your correspondent — home advantage and the coin agreeing with me for once. I called it right, took first use of a decent-looking pitch, and put us in.

Truth be told, 145/9 from our fifty overs was a scrappy sort of total, but a useful one. Basil Sears played the innings of the day, 58 of good honest runs, and found willing company in Fred Greenfield (25) and Charlie Le Milliere (21) while the rest of us rather made up the numbers. Poor Tim Thirkell will not thank me for mentioning his duck, but a captain's log must be an honest one.

Defending 145 always asks questions of a side, but the lads answered them handsomely. Their reply folded for 83 in 42.4 overs, C. Quirk's 35 the only real resistance, while S. Williams and Geoff Dearing both departed without troubling the scorers at our hands. Benny Bell was superb, 3 for 12, with Graham Mountford (3-18, five maidens — miserly barely covers it) and Brian Fuller (2-27) chipping in gleefully around him. It rather felt, by the mid-innings drinks break, that the match had got away from our visitors entirely.

A fine win, then, by 62 runs, and one to send us back to the pavilion with the tea urn glowing and spirits high. Andrew Moss continues to lead our run charts this season with 140, and Brian Fuller now sits second among the wicket-takers with seven — form, it seems, is not entirely deserting us. A thoroughly satisfactory Saturday.

Sun 21 May 1972 🧢 1st XIv PC Paddock Wood CC · HomeformWLDLW

Sunday 21 May 1972, and Paddock Wood came calling. Lost the toss, asked to bowl first — not the worst hand to be dealt on a good drying pitch, as it turned out.

What followed was as clean a demolition as this scorebook has seen. Allan Cooper, steaming in with a control bordering on the sadistic, took 5-12 from eight maidens — the sort of spell that has visiting openers muttering to themselves on the walk back. Paul Bowles chipped away at the other end for 3-11, and Tony Gauna picked up one for good measure. Paddock Wood were skittled for 38 in 26.1 overs, never remotely at the races.

Chasing that meagre total should have been a formality, and while we made hard work of it in the manner so beloved of this club, we got there — 39/5 off sixteen overs, J. McKerracher, P. Crouch and M. Padgham all back in the pavilion without so much as a run to show for their trouble. A touch more composure with the bat and we'd have saved ourselves the palpitations, but a win's a win, and nobody asks how pretty it was when it's in the book.

A word too for the ledger: Paul Bowles's three wickets nudge him past Tony Snell and into 9th on the club's all-time list, which is the sort of thing that gets a quiet nod at the bar. Andrew Moss continues to lead our run charts this summer, Allan Cooper now tops the wicket charts — and on this evidence, deservedly so.

Five wickets, two points, and thoroughly earned. We'll take it.

Sat 20 May 1972 🧢 1st XIv Headcorn CC · HomeformDWLDL

Skipper's Log, 20 May 1972 — Headcorn CC at home, and lost the toss for the umpteenth time this season, which as any village skipper knows means one thing: pad up and pray, or in our case, bowl and hope. Happily hope carried the day. Brian Fuller was in irresistible mood, spinning a web through the Headcorn order for 5-24, with Terry Donovan (3-15) and the ever-parsimonious Graham Mountford (2-21, four maidens and not a run to spare) mopping up the rest. Only Chapman, with 24, offered any real resistance; Bourne, Caselton and Westrop trooped back for ducks, and Headcorn were all out for a modest 75 from their forty overs.

Chasing was a formality in the end, though I did my level best to make it interesting by contributing a golden blob — leadership by example, they say, though on this occasion the example was strictly in what not to do. Fortunately David T Lowen batted with sense and calm for an unbeaten 44, and we cantered home at 79/4 in 28.5 overs.

Two footnotes for the club historians: Fred Greenfield's useful 16 eased him past Mike Iliffe to 24th on the all-time run charts, while Terry Donovan's three wickets lifted him past Tony Snell into 8th among our wicket-takers. Andrew Moss and Brian Fuller continue to lead the 1972 charts with bat and ball respectively.

A fine six-wicket win, then, ducks and all. Onwards.

Sun 14 May 1972 🧢 Sunday NVKCv SC Stoke and District CC · HomeformW

1972 will always be remembered as the year we did the double over in cynical Sunday attire, but truthfully this was one of those afternoons where everything simply came off. Winning the toss on a Sunday when the sun deigned to make an appearance, I had no hesitation in batting first — a decision that felt bold at the time of calling and merely sensible by close of play. Mike Iliffe led the way with a fine 44, and Paul Bowles chipped in with a steady 22, taking us to 141/7 from our forty overs. Not a total to have Stoke and District quaking in their whites, perhaps, but enough, as it turned out, to be going on with.

And what a bowling performance it turned into. Stoke were bundled out for a mere 63, undone principally by Paul Bowles, who followed his runs with the ball to claim a thoroughly deserved five-for. Tony Gauna and Graham Mountford lent willing support with a wicket apiece, and there were ducks all round for Bill Rainer, A Brice and A Theobald at our hands — only A Burge, unbeaten on 24, kept his side from complete ruin. A 78-run win, and Bowles's name etched twice into the scorebook in the same afternoon.

There was more to raise a glass to besides: Robert Chance brought up 2,000 runs for the club, Mike Iliffe's 44 lifted him to 24th on our all-time run charts, and Graham Mountford's solitary wicket edged him into 23rd among our wicket-takers. Bowles, meanwhile, sits proudly atop both the season's run and wicket charts. A thoroughly good day at the office — heads up, and back to the nets we go, if only to work out how to do it again.

Sun 07 May 1972 🧢 1st XIv BC Bobbing Court CC · AwayformDDWLD

From the captain's chair — Sunday 07 May 1972. We travelled to Bobbing Court CC on a day that, in hindsight, we might have done better to spend in the deckchairs.

I won the toss and, with the usual mix of confidence and misplaced optimism, chose to bat. It did not go especially well. We were bundled out for 97 in 47.5 overs, a total that flattered nothing, and poor Alan Cradduck will not thank me for recording that he departed for a golden duck. There is little to dress up about a batting card like that — we simply never got going.

Still, we came out to bowl with our tails only partially between our legs, and for a good while it looked like we might drag something extraordinary out of the afternoon. Allan Cooper was magnificent, snaring 3-41 with three miserly maidens thrown in for good measure, and Tony Gauna chipped in with 1-17 to keep the pressure on. But 97 was never going to be enough against Bobbing Court's top order, and Rick Bourne's composed 30, with Graham Piesley unbeaten on 23, eased them home at 99/4 from 32 overs.

So, a six-wicket defeat, and a batting effort that leaves plenty of room for improvement. On the bright side, Andrew Moss continues to top our season's run charts with 114, and Allan Cooper now leads the wickets column too — small consolations, but consolations nonetheless. Verdict: outbowled our own batting, and we'll need the bat to catch up with the ball if next week is to go our way.

Thu 04 May 1972 🧢 Sunday NVKCv Leeds & Broomfield CC · Awayform—

Thursday 04 May 1972, and the road took us out to Leeds & Broomfield CC in what I can only describe as a match played very much on a knife-edge, though the knife in question seemed permanently blunted at both ends.

Losing the toss and being asked to field first is never how you'd script the afternoon, but the lads dug in when it came to our own knock, limping to 88/8 from the 20 overs. Paul Bowles was the shining light with a top score of 37, carrying rather more than his fair share of the load, while John Thirkell, Mike Iliffe and Benny Bell all fell for ducks — a trio of blobs that did nothing for the collective blood pressure. I shall say only this of my own contribution: nought. A veil, please, drawn firmly over it.

With the ball, though, we found our range. Leeds & Broomfield replied with 81/8, Bill Cummings doing the bulk of their scoring with 28, but Graham Mountford was magnificent, ripping through with 4-31, well backed by Allan Cooper's tidy 3-26 — two maidens and all — and a wicket for Paul Bowles too, proving himself the man for all trades on the day.

Seven runs the margin, and not a run to spare. A scrappy, nervy, thoroughly typical afternoon of village cricket — and a very good day for the club.

Sun 30 Apr 1972 🧢 1st XIv AC Aylesford Paper Mills CC · HomeformWDDWL

Sunday 30th April, and Aylesford Paper Mills CC rolled up to find themselves winning the only toss that mattered — ours went astray as usual, and they chose to bat, leaving us to spend the afternoon chasing leather round the outfield. To their credit, John Atkins and Richard Hills batted like men who'd read the fixture list and decided not to be troubled by it, both easing serenely past their fifties (55 not out and 52 not out respectively), with Peter Medhurst chipping in a brisk 40. They declared us down to size at 186/2 from their 48 overs. Paul Bowles kept plugging away for 2-45, and John Thirkell bowled with the sort of miserly discipline that suggests he counts every run conceded as a personal affront, delivering two maidens for his trouble.

Set 186 from 40, we replied in the finest tradition of not quite getting there but not being far off either. Andrew Moss played the innings of the day, 96 well-constructed runs that had the tea urn practically boiling over in anticipation of his hundred, ably backed up by Paul Bowles's fine 63. We closed on 185/4 — one run short, which is either heartbreaking or hilarious depending on how many pints you've had by the time you read this. Worth noting Moss's 96 also nudged him past Tony Levick into 16th on the club's all-time run-scorers list, a milestone he wore with typical modesty.

So, honours shared, a draw when neither side could quite force the door open. Frustrating to fall one run shy, but with knocks like that from Moss and Bowles, there's precious little to grumble about.