🧢 Captain's Log

Sun 01 Oct 1978 🧢 1st XIv Linton Park CC · HomeformDWLWW

There are days when the toss feels like a formality, and Sunday was not one of them. I called correctly, took first knock without a second thought, and for once the decision looked good from the very first over.

We batted our way to 148/9 from the allotted 32, a total built on the sort of patient, old-fashioned club cricket that makes a captain proud. John Ames set the tone with a lovely 56, and Brian Woodcock matched him stride for stride with 55 of his own — two half-centuries in the same innings is not something we manage every week, and I shan't pretend otherwise. Terry Donovan finished unbeaten on 34, shepherding the tail with the calm of a man who had seen it all before. I chipped in with the bat myself, and with 316 runs now to my name this season I find myself sitting third in the 1st XI charts, which I mention once and shall not mention again. Young Jon Harris's 22 deserves its own line too — enough to leapfrog Brian Piper into 23rd on the club's all-time run list, a quiet piece of history made on an otherwise ordinary Sunday.

In the end neither side could find a way through, and honours were shared. A draw is a funny old result — not quite victory, not quite defeat, rather like coming home from the pub having neither won nor lost at darts. But with knocks like these on the board, I'll happily take it.

Sat 30 Sep 1978 🧢 1st XIv Lordswood CC · HomeformDDWLW

Saturday 30 September 1978, and Lordswood CC rolled up as our final visitors of the season. I lost the toss — no great surprise, my coin-calling has never troubled the record books — and we were put in the field first.

The lads did us proud with the ball. Lordswood ground their way to 142/6 off 49 overs, Colin Gardener the chief architect with a well-made 57, nursed along by v- Corbin's unbeaten 24, the pair adding 69 for the third wicket while the rest of us stood about admiring their application. John Bloomfield was the pick of the attack by some distance — 2 for 23 with four maidens, not a run given away lightly, the sort of spell that makes a captain's job look easy. Trevor Back (2-39) and Paul Bowles (1-21) chipped in nicely too.

Set 143 to win, we made rather light work of it. Tim Thirkell — who now leads our 1978 run charts with 644 for the season, and looks in no mood to be caught — carried the innings with a chanceless 74 not out, while Paul Bowles, clearly not content with just bowling well, added a fine 59 of his own. The pair put on 123 for the third wicket and left the rest of the order to watch from the pavilion with cups of tea.

Home by seven wickets with overs in hand — a thoroughly good day for the club, and not a bad note to end September on.

Wed 27 Sep 1978 🧢 Midweek XIv The Mote CC · AwayformWWLDD

Here's the match report:

I'll admit the toss going against us on that Wednesday at The Mote set the tone for a long, patient afternoon in the field. We stuck to our task well enough, though — The Mote posted 198/5 from their 46.4 overs, with John Munn's 45 the backbone of the innings, nicely backed up by Malcolm Bristow's 31 and an unbeaten 31 from Ken Emmett. I managed to find a bit of form with the ball myself, picking up 3-59, while Trevor Back and Allan Cooper chipped in a wicket apiece — Cooper bowling especially tightly, with three maidens to show for his miserly spell.

Chasing 199, we never quite got the wheels turning. Losing our first wicket for just 1 run is not the platform any captain dreams of, and when both Paul Bowles and Malcolm Pay departed without troubling the scorers, it looked grim. Brian Piper, though, played a lovely knock — 60 in all, the innings of the day — with Trevor Back's 23 and an unbeaten 20 from Allan Cooper lending real support. As for my own contribution with the bat, the less said the better: nought, and we shall draw a veil over it. We closed on 155/8 from our 44, short of the target.

So honours shared, and perhaps rightly so — neither side did quite enough to prise the game away from the other. A draw that felt, on reflection, a fair reward for two sides who gave as good as they got.

Sun 24 Sep 1978 🧢 1st XIv AC Anchorians CC · HomeformDDDWL

Sunday, 24 September 1978, and Anchorians came to Linton Park with the sun still hanging on for one last innings of summer. I lost the toss — I generally do — and duly found myself leading the lads out into the field rather than putting my pads on and my feet up.

They batted with a certain patience that made the afternoon feel longer than the scorebook suggests, closing on 155 for 5 from their 45.5 overs. G. Tappin and Alan Dixon put together a stand of 90 for the fourth wicket that threatened to bat us clean out of the game, finishing unbeaten on 62 and 58 respectively — the sort of partnership that has opposing captains muttering into their tea. Credit to Tony Gauna, who kept plugging away for 3 for 30, and to Allan Cooper, whose 1 for 30 with two maidens thrown in meant nothing was ever quite as cheap as it looked.

With 156 to chase, we barely broke sweat. Brian Piper batted as though he'd been promised the strike all afternoon, cracking a magnificent unbeaten 85, with Trevor Back (30 not out) and Paul Bowles (22) doing the tidying up around him. Job done in 33.2 overs for the loss of a single wicket.

Two footnotes worth framing: Trevor brought up 1,000 runs for the club, and Brian's innings pushed him past Tony Levick into 24th on our all-time run charts. A thoroughly deserved nine-wicket win, and two points banked without ever really looking in doubt.

Sat 23 Sep 1978 🧢 1st XIv West Farleigh CC · HomeformDDDDW

Beaten by 134 runs at home to West Farleigh CC, and I'll spare you the suspense — it wasn't our day.

The toss went against us, so it was into the field we trooped, and their opening pair gave us hope with an early stumble to 0-1. Hope didn't last. Don Fermor settled in for a fine half-century, well supported by Barry Brigden's 44, and the two of them put on 74 for the third wicket to haul West Farleigh up to 176/9 from their 47 overs, Peter Cooper finishing unbeaten on 22. We did have our moments with the ball, mind — Colin Pay was the pick of the attack with 4-42, John Bloomfield and Martin Thompson chipped in with 2-33 and 1-34, and Nigel Thirkell bowled four tidy maidens as Reg Oldfield and Trevor Fermor both trooped back for nought.

Then came our reply, and the less said the better. Six on the board and already a wicket gone set the nervy tone, and what followed was a full-scale collapse, 35-6 crumbling to 42-9 almost before anyone had settled into their deckchair. John Bloomfield and A Donovan both departed without scoring, and we were bowled out for 42 in 36 overs.

Small mercies amid the wreckage — I still lead the run charts this season with 570, and Martin Thompson sits fifth among the bowlers with 18 wickets. But 134 runs is 134 runs, and there's no dressing that up. Back to the nets, lads. We'll be better for it next week.

Wed 20 Sep 1978 🧢 Midweek XIv TT Tonbridge Trade · HomeformDWWLD

Winning the toss on a fine Wednesday evening against Tonbridge Trade, I had no hesitation in taking first knock — the pitch looked too good to leave to chance, and so it proved. We raced to 67 before the first wicket fell, and from there Paul Bowles simply put his head down and batted the rest of us into the shade, finishing unbeaten on a magnificent 110. He found willing company first in D. Rogers, who made a tidy 37 as the pair added 99 for the second wicket — the innings' backbone — and later in Alan Randall's brisk 31. We closed on 199 for 4 from our 41 overs, a total that felt thoroughly satisfactory as we trooped off for tea.

Defending it, Tonbridge Trade never quite got away from us, though they gave it a fair old go. An early stumble to 2 for 1 set the tone, and while Wright battled to an unbeaten 41, well supported by Marsh (27) and King (24), and a sixth-wicket stand of 75 threatened to cause us bother, we kept chipping away. W. Massie departed without troubling the scorers, Alan Wilkes bowled five miserly maidens, Laurie Turner and Paul Bowles chipped in a wicket apiece, and I was fortunate enough to finish with 3 for 27, pick of the bowlers on the day. Poor Jim Hall had a torrid time behind the stumps, 14 byes betraying a lively surface. They closed on 154 for 6 — honours, in the end, honestly shared.

Sun 17 Sep 1978 🧢 1st XIv Mersham Le Hatch CC · HomeformDDDDD

It isn't often the toss goes against you and you end up thanking your lucky stars, but that was rather the shape of Sunday's affair against Mersham Le Hatch. I called wrong, they had a bat, and for once I didn't mind one bit — our attack has been in irresistible form all summer and I fancied our chances of making early inroads.

How right that proved. Allan Cooper, spinning it past bat, pad and occasionally common sense, ran through their order for a scarcely believable 5-28, and in doing so quietly slipped past Ron Hickman into 13th on the club's all-time wicket-takers list — no mean feat, that. I chipped in with 2-20 and, if I may say so just the once, kept things tight enough with four maidens to strangle any hope of momentum. Tony Gauna weighed in with 2-31 for good measure. Bruce Campbell's 24 and A Gosling's 22 were the only real resistance, while poor Greig and Moorhead won't be dining out on their golden ducks. All out for 99 in 41.3 overs — a total that never felt like trouble.

Chasing it should have been the easy part, and in truth it never quite was — 101 for 6 took us 43.4 overs of the sort of nervy, low-scoring nudging that keeps a captain's tea lukewarm. Tim Thirkell's 24 led the way, well supported by Malcolm Pay's unbeaten 20, and we scrambled home by four wickets.

Two points, and thoroughly deserved, even if we did our best to make hard work of a modest target. Thirkell continues to top our season's run charts with 558, and with 73 wickets to my name I lead the bowling — though on this evidence, Cooper is closing fast. A fine team effort, if a slightly untidy one.

Sat 16 Sep 1978 🧢 1st XIv SC Southborough CC · AwayformLDDDD

Not out for nought at Southborough on Saturday, and honours finished level.

I called it right and stuck them in — a decision that would keep me warm all afternoon, if not entirely justified by the eventual scoreline. We laboured a touch to 142 for 8 off our 45, saved from mediocrity by Tim Thirkell, who batted right through for an unbeaten 66 while the rest of us came and went around him. Mike Iliffe chipped in nicely with 23 — worth a mention twice over, in fact, since those runs also nudged him past Robert Chance and up to fifteenth on the club's all-time run charts, which is the sort of thing that ought to earn a man a pint regardless of the result.

Defending 142 was always going to be a squeeze, and so it proved. Bryan Greenwood and Peter Young put on a stand of 53 for the third wicket that had me checking my watch rather more than I'd have liked, Greenwood making 45 and Young 31 in support. But cricket has a way of turning, and turn it did — 136 for 6 became 141 for 9 in a hurry, Andrew Harry Steptoe departing without troubling the scorers at all. Tony Gauna did the damage with 4 for 53, and I was pleased enough with my own contribution of 3 for 45, six of my overs going for nothing at all. Malcolm Pay, I suspect, would rather forget the 8 byes that crept through.

A draw, then — honours shared, and nobody quite able to land the final blow. I'll take it.

Sun 10 Sep 1978 🧢 Tour XIv PC Paul CC · AwayformWWWWL

We fell to Paul CC by 8 runs at their place, chasing 159 after being put in.

Sunday 10th September took us out to Paul CC, and it must be said the coin did us no favours — we lost the toss and were sent in to field, which on a fine autumn afternoon felt rather like being asked to mow the neighbour's lawn before your own. Still, the lads set about it with good cheer. Ron Hickman was the pick of the attack, prising out two for 33 and generally making batsmen wish they'd stayed for a second cup of tea, while Paul Bowles and Tony Gauna chipped in with a wicket apiece, Gauna bowling two miserly maidens for good measure. Poor J Bailey departed for a duck at our hands, small mercies. But L Hicks (43) and B Lawry (42) built a platform, Craig Osborne added 35, and Paul CC closed on a stiffish 158 for 6 from their 44.

Chasing 159, we made a fair fist of it. Brian Piper played the innings of the day, a class fifty — 53 well-constructed runs — with Tim Thirkell (41 not out) and Paul Bowles (38) lending sturdy support. Alas, Keith Miller's duck will not trouble the highlights reel. We closed on 150 for 6 from our 45, agonisingly short.

There was cause for a quiet smile amid the gloom: Thirkell brought up 4,000 career runs for the club, Piper's fifty vaulted him past Frank Taylor into 25th on the all-time run list, and Hickman's brace lifted him past Allan Cooper into 13th among the wicket-takers. Bowles and Gauna, meanwhile, continue to lead the Tour XI's run and wicket charts respectively.

Eight runs short, then — not our day, but no disgrace in it either. Heads up, and back to the nets.

Sat 09 Sep 1978 🧢 Tour XIv PC Perranarworthal CC · AwayformWWWWW

Beaten by 76 runs, but I'll take the honesty of a Saturday like this over false modesty any day. Perranarworthal won the toss, put us in, and made themselves thoroughly at home — 215 for 5 off their forty-five, built on a third-wicket stand of 127 that we simply couldn't buy a breakthrough in. John Hall's 84 was the innings of the day, well supported by M Robins' 52 and John Hurrell's 22. Full credit to Brian Piper, whose 2 for 24 was the pick of the attack, with Tony Gauna chipping in at 1 for 22 and I managed 1 for 37 for my troubles. Paul Bowles bowled with real discipline too — three maidens that cost them nothing.

Chasing 216 was always going to ask questions of our top order, and we didn't answer many of them. Paul Bowles top-scored with a battling 39, Nigel Thirkell weighed in with 28, but from 96 for 4 to 104 for 7 the innings simply came apart at the seams. Keith Miller, Jim Hall and S Miller all fell without troubling the scorers — three ducks is not a tally any captain enjoys reading back. And I confess I completed the set myself; the less said about my own contribution with the bat, the better.

There was, at least, one moment to raise a cheer amid the gloom: Brian Piper brought up 2,000 career runs for the club, a landmark thoroughly deserved and warmly applauded by all. All out for 139, beaten by 76 runs. Not our finest afternoon in the field or at the crease, but the fight was there in patches, and we'll be a better side for having felt this one sting.

Thu 07 Sep 1978 🧢 Tour XIv GC Grampound Road CC · AwayformWWWWW

Skipper's Log — Grampound Road, Thursday 07 September 1978. Lost the toss, got put in the field, and spent the afternoon watching J Hoar cash in with a tidy fifty (56) while C Rosevear (35) and J Warne (31) filled their boots around him. Poor G Johns will want this innings forgotten entirely — back in the hutch without so much as a single to his name. Credit where due though: Tony Gauna ran through them with 3-30, Allan Cooper strangled the scoring with four maidens on his way to 1-12, and Trevor Back weighed in with 1-20. All told, 151/7 from their 45 overs felt, dare I say it, gettable.

And gettable it proved. We wobbled early — 5-1 is never the start a captain wants to explain over tea — but Trevor Angove (49) and Tim Thirkell (38) put together a splendid 92-run stand that did all the heavy lifting and steadied the ship completely. Special mention, if that's the word, for S Miller, whose golden duck will earn him the customary ribbing on the coach home. The extras chipped in a generous 35, which we shall accept without complaint. We got there in 27.4 overs for the loss of five wickets.

A word for Tony Gauna, who with his three scalps has now nudged past Terry Donovan into 9th on the club's all-time wicket-takers list — quietly, but not unnoticed. He and Trevor Angove currently top the Tour XI's bowling and batting charts respectively this season.

Five wickets, two points, and thoroughly earned. A proper afternoon's cricket — the sort that makes the drive home feel a good deal shorter.

Mon 04 Sep 1978 🧢 Sunday NVKCv TC Toft CC · HomeformWWWWW

Toft CC were the visitors, and having lost precisely nothing by winning the toss, I stuck us into the field without a second thought — a decision I felt rather clever about at the time. Toft got off to the shakiest of starts, 3-1 down before some of us had finished our tea, but a battling 64-run stand for the second wicket dragged them back into respectability. A-E Stimson (41) and M. Mulholland (36) did the heavy lifting, though the innings rather fell apart at the end, 102-4 collapsing to 115-7 as the floodgates opened. Nigel Thirkell was chief destroyer with 3-38, Trevor Back chipped in with 2-24, and Tony Gauna bowled with the miserly discipline of a man counting out his own tea money, 1-16 with three maidens. Toft closed on 130/8 from their forty — competitive on paper, gettable in reality.

And gettable it proved. We wobbled our way to 131/6 in 37.2 overs, saved chiefly by Nigel Thirkell, who having done the damage with the ball then did the damage with the bat too, finishing unbeaten on 51. Paul Bowles supported nicely with 22, and between them they saw us home by four wickets — never quite serene, but never in serious doubt either.

A fine afternoon all round, capped by Brian Piper bringing up his 100th appearance in Linton colours — a landmark deserving of rather more than the polite ripple of applause it got. Thirkell, meanwhile, continues to lead both the county's run charts and, in spirit at least, this club. Two points, thoroughly earned, and a thoroughly good watch.

Sun 03 Sep 1978 🧢 1st XIv Staplehurst CC · AwayformWLDDD

Sunday saw us make the trip to Staplehurst, and having called correctly at the toss I had no hesitation in taking first knock — a decision I stood by right until the last man was despatched, and probably for some while after too. We limped to 143 for 8 from our 45 overs, a total that owed everything to Jim Hall's watchful 40, with Malcolm Pay chipping in 28 and myself unbeaten on 24 at the close. Less happily, both Keith Miller and David Iliffe were back in the pavilion without troubling the scorers — the sort of pair that makes a captain suddenly very interested in his shoelaces. Still, one bright footnote: Jim's 40 nudged him past George Champion and up to 20th on the club's all-time run-scoring list, which is the kind of thing that gets a nod in the bar even on a quiet day.

Defending 143 always asks questions, and for once we had some answers. Staplehurst stumbled early to 8 for 1, and though B. Streatfield fought hard for his 33 and W. Willets held firm for an unbeaten 23, they never quite got away from us, finishing 98 for 7 from their 47. I found some rare rhythm with the ball, finishing with 5 for 33, while Allan Cooper (1-18) and Tony Gauna (1-30, six miserly maidens) kept the screws tight throughout.

So honours were shared, a draw when neither side could quite force the door. With Malcolm leading our run charts and yours truly topping the wickets column for the season, I'll call that a fair afternoon's work — not a win, but not a bad one to write home about either.

Wed 30 Aug 1978 🧢 Midweek XIv Gravesend CC · AwayformDDWWL

Wednesday the 30th of August took us down to Gravesend, and after losing the toss I found myself leading the lads into the field rather than out to bat — never my first choice, but there it is. What followed was a lesson in patient batsmanship from our hosts: Colin Myers and Stuart Waterton both brought up unbeaten centuries, 108 and 100 respectively, and by the time they declared us mercifully released at 243/2 off fifty overs and change, my bowling figures had swollen a touch more than my ego could comfortably bear. James Skinner did the honest toil up front, snaring one for 43 with three tidy maidens thrown in, and I chipped in with a wicket of my own for 49 — one apiece, though I'll confess his three maidens rather put my figures in the shade.

Chasing 244 was always going to be a stretch in the overs available, and so it proved, though not without some proper defiance. Brian Piper played the innings of the day, 61 not out and unmoved by anything Gravesend could offer, while James Skinner backed up his bowling with a composed 27 not out and Paul Bowles chipped in a useful 26. We closed on 144/5, well short but far from disgraced.

So a draw it was — honours shared, and on this occasion the fairest result going. Piper continues to lead our run charts for the season with 127, and I'll allow myself a quiet word that sixteen wickets still has me atop the bowling table. Not a win, but a day that did the club proud all the same.

Mon 28 Aug 1978 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · AwayformDWLDD

Monday found us on the road to Bearsted, where the coin let us down and we were put into the field first — no bad thing, since we've had worse invitations. Bearsted battled to 143 all out from 58.1 overs, Colin Fleetwood top-scoring with 32 and Chris Collett close behind on 31, the pair steadying things after an early wobble that saw them slip to 1-1 before a stand of 55 for the second wicket put the innings back on an even keel. Credit to the attack throughout: Paul Bowles was pick of the bowlers with 3-28, Allan Cooper chipped in with 3-29, and I managed 2-27 with ten maidens to keep things tight at my end — the sort of spell where the figures do the boasting for you. Anthony Cornwell, for his part, went back to the pavilion without troubling the scorers at all.

Our reply never quite got away from us. An early wicket with just 2 on the board had the makings of a nervous afternoon, but Stan Wratten's 41 and Nigel Thirkell's 29 gave the innings some backbone, and it fell to the lower order to see us home, the seventh-wicket pair adding a vital 51 to drag us to 135 for 7 from our 49 overs. Poor Jim Hall departed for nought, though he'll find sympathetic company in that particular club this season.

With Tim Thirkell still sitting second in the club's run charts and my own wicket tally now up to 63 for the year, honours were shared at Bearsted. A draw earned rather than given, and no bad way to spend a Bank Holiday.

Sun 27 Aug 1978 🧢 1st XIv OC Old Anchorians CC · HomeformDDWLD

I chipped in with 33 not out, though I'll be the first to admit the toss wasn't kind — Old Anchorians won the coin flip and took first use of what looked a perfectly decent strip. We toiled away in the field for our fifty overs while R Fisher played the innings of the day, 48 well-crafted runs, with I Barratt (40) and C Heather (30) chipping in either side of a stand of 57 for the third wicket that really did for us. I led from the front with the ball, 2 for 52 for my troubles, and had good company from David Iliffe, whose 1 for 5 was the pick of the bowling, and Allan Cooper, tidy as ever with 1 for 56 and four maidens to show for his parsimony. 183 for 5 felt about right.

Chasing it, David Carden set us off nicely with 33, and I was glad to add my own 33 not out alongside a watchful 21 from Brian Piper, our opening pair putting on a crucial 54 before the middle order rather lost the plot — 54 for 1 became 56 for 4 quicker than you could say "tea's ready." Credit to the last wicket for a defiant 40 that gave the scoreboard some dignity, even if Malcolm Pay, Trevor Back and Giles Daubeny will each be nursing a duck and a bruised ego for the drive home.

121 for 8 from our fifty-two overs left us short, but a draw was the fair result on the day — honours shared, nobody quite good enough to force the issue. I'll take that, and a cup of tea, and call it a job not badly done.

Sat 26 Aug 1978 🧢 1st XIv SC St Lukes Maidstone CC · HomeformLDDWL

Skipper's Log — Saturday 26 August 1978, versus St Lukes Maidstone CC

Won the toss, elected to bat, and for once nobody in the pavilion muttered about my judgement. Ken Webb played the innings of a lifetime, 95 dropping just short of the ton he thoroughly deserved, while Malcolm Pay ground out a fine 64 alongside him — the pair adding 152 for the third wicket while the rest of us admired the view from the boundary. A generous 25 extras rounded us out to a handsome 197 for 4 off 44.1 overs, the sort of total that lets a captain enjoy his tea rather than gnaw at the biscuits.

Out in the field, St Lukes wobbled early — 6 for 1 set a tone their top order never quite shook off, and W- Hunt, Ron Aiston and C- Vanns all trooped back without so much as a squeak of the bat. I found some rhythm I didn't know I still had, spinning my way to 7 for 67 with nine maidens thrown in for good measure — the sort of afternoon a slow bowler dreams about on the walk home. David Iliffe and Terry Donovan chipped in with a wicket apiece, while Micky Beckwith's defiant 46 and B- Mitchell's 26 were all that kept St Lukes afloat, closing on 115 for 9.

With Malcolm still topping our season's run charts and my own tally now on 59 wickets for the summer, honours were nonetheless shared — a draw, for want of one more over. Not a bad afternoon's work, even if I say so myself.

Wed 23 Aug 1978 🧢 Midweek XIv Gravesend CC · HomeformWDDWW

Skipper's Log — Wednesday 23 August 1978

Winning the toss on a Wednesday is a rare enough treat that I felt duty-bound to make something of it, so I put Gravesend CC in the field first. We shuffled to 154/8 from our 43 overs — not exactly Lord's, but Paul Brattle's 34, with Brian Piper (33) and Malcolm Pay (26) chipping in nobly, gave us something to bowl at. Worth noting: those runs of Paul's quietly nudged him past Frank Brattle and into 8th on the club's all-time run charts, which is the sort of thing that gets a polite round of applause in the bar even if nobody quite remembers the historical context.

Defending it, we scrapped hard. I managed to find some rhythm with the ball and finished with 3-54, with M. Lunt (2-42) and R. King (1-27) offering fine support, and John Lambert typically miserly with his two maidens. Les Curtis, though, had other ideas, top-scoring with 43 and getting good company from Stuart Waterton (31) and K Dubbins (29) as Gravesend eased home on 155/6 with 40.3 overs gone. Poor Malcolm had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, 13 byes escaping his gloves like they had a train to catch.

Not our day, then — beaten by four wickets. Still, I lead the wicket charts this season with fifteen, Trevor Back leads the run charts, and there's nothing a losing side needs more than a stiff net session and a shorter memory. Back to the nets, heads up.

Sun 20 Aug 1978 🧢 Sunday NVKCv AC Aston Rowant CC · HomeformWWWWW

I called correctly at the toss on Sunday and, with a bit of cloud cover about, needed no second thoughts about bowling first against Aston Rowant. Whether it was the right call is still open for debate down at the bar, but it certainly didn't hurt: an early wicket at 4-1 (J Howell for a duck, poor chap) had them rocking before they'd found their bearings. Neil Lambourne top-scored with a fine 46, and got useful support from C Gilbert (29) and L Morgan (21), but they never quite escaped from behind the eight ball, closing on 150/9 from their 40 overs. Nigel Thirkell led the attack beautifully with 2-31, I chipped in with 2-32, and Allan Cooper bowled with real discipline for 1-23 and three maidens — miserly doesn't begin to cover it.

With 151 to chase, our openers set about the job properly, putting on 73 before the first wicket fell — the kind of platform that makes a captain's afternoon rather pleasant. Paul Bowles played the innings of the day, a well-crafted 62, and in doing so brought up 10,000 career runs for the club — a landmark that deserved every one of the claps it got. Nigel Thirkell finished unbeaten on 42 and Paul Brattle chipped in a handy 31 as we cantered home to 151/3 in 38.1 overs.

A seven-wicket win, a career milestone, and tea that went down rather well. Can't ask for much more than that. Onwards.

Sat 19 Aug 1978 🧢 1st XIv BC Bobbing Court CC · HomeformDLDDW

Saturday the 19th of August found us hosting Bobbing Court CC, and when the coin fell kindly I had no hesitation in asking us to bat first — a decision that looked rather shrewd once Paul Brattle set about the bowling for a fine 77, with Tim Thirkell purring along unbeaten on 64 in support. The pair put on 101 for the fourth wicket, the sort of stand that lets a captain sit back with his tea, and we closed on a healthy 167 for 4 from our 45 overs.

Chasing that total, Bobbing Court made a solid fist of it. G Davis anchored proceedings with a well-made unbeaten 58, helped along by Roy Weller's 29 and Damien Hudson's 20, the openers putting on 52 before we found a breakthrough. For a spell it looked very much ours: 135 for 5 became 145 for 8 in a hurry, with C Lurcock and Ian Christie both sent back without troubling the scorers, and I found some rare purchase from the pitch, spinning my way to 7 for 49 with five maidens thrown in for good measure. Ian Brattle chipped in with 1 for 33.

But cricket has a cruel sense of humour, and Bobbing Court somehow squeezed home by a single wicket. Small consolation that Tim continues to lead our 1978 run charts with 451, and the wickets column now reads 52 for the season. Not our day, gentlemen — heads up, and back to the nets.

Wed 16 Aug 1978 🧢 Midweek XIv WC West Kent Wanderers CC · HomeformDWDDW

Right of reply to West Kent Wanderers — a good day at the office, this one, and rarely does a captain get to say that without wincing.

Winning the toss on Wednesday, I had no hesitation in taking first strike, and 149/7 from our forty overs felt about right on a day when nothing came especially easily. Jim Hall's 34 was the backbone of the innings, matched stroke for stroke by Tim Thirkell's own 34, and it was their fifth-wicket stand of 51 that turned a modest total into a defendable one. Not fireworks, exactly, but the sort of solid, unspectacular batting that wins matches in the long run — which, as it turned out, was rather the point.

With the ball, the Wanderers never quite got themselves in order. Brian Milns played a lone hand of 40, well supported by J. Darby's 23, but around them the innings had a habit of losing partners at the worst moments — three ducks fell to us, and a collapse from 104/5 to 112/8 told its own story of a side under the cosh. I managed to find some rhythm myself, finishing with 5 for 33, while Dave Todd (3-17) and Ian Brattle, tidy as ever with two maidens en route to 2-41, made sure the pressure never once let up. All out for 112 in the 36th over told the tale.

A 37-run win, then, and a thoroughly satisfying one — the batting laid the platform, the bowling did the rest, and I shall allow myself a small, entirely un-English moment of pride on the walk back to the pavilion.

Sun 13 Aug 1978 🧢 1st XIv Sibton Park CC · HomeformLDLDD

Sunday 13th August, and Sibton Park came calling. Won the toss, elected to bat — I do like to look decisive at 2pm on a Sunday — and it turned out to be the correct call, even if I say so myself. We laboured a touch to 163/9 from our fifty-five overs, Paul Brattle the mainstay with a fine 47, Jim Hall tidying up nicely with an unbeaten 29. Not a total to have Sibton Park quaking in their boots, but as it transpired, quite enough.

And how. Ian Brattle simply took the day away from them, spinning his way to 7 for 24 with four maidens thrown in for good measure — the sort of spell that has batsmen playing for turn that isn't there and turn that very much is. Sibton Park never got going: eight on the board and an early wicket down, a wobble to 61 for 7, and then the last three fell without addition as we skittled them for 67 in 27.5 overs. K. Swaffer and P. Christie departed without so much as troubling the scorers, poor souls. Allan Cooper and Brian Piper chipped in with a wicket apiece to tidy up the tail.

A day for the record books besides the scoreline — Paul Brattle brought up 5,000 runs for the club, Allan Cooper reached 1,000, and young Jim Hall's 29 eased him past Gordon Fenner into 21st on our all-time run list. Ninety-six runs the margin, two points banked, and Ian Brattle's boots, I fancy, will need a good clean before next week.

Sat 12 Aug 1978 🧢 1st XIv Headcorn CC · AwayformDLDLD

We lost the toss at Headcorn on a warm August Saturday and dutifully trooped out to field — never my favourite start, but there we are. They ground their way to 109 all out in 36.3 overs, with Ian Barker's 37 the backbone and G Wickens chipping in a useful 34 alongside him. It could have been worse for us, mind: I found some rare purchase off the pitch and finished with 6 for 33, while Ian Brattle bowled tidily for 4 for 48 including three maidens, and John Phipps and Eddie Bourne were both back in the pavilion without a run to their name.

Chasing 110, we made a proper hash of the start — 5 for 1 became 10 for 4 before some of us had even found our guard, and I began to fear the worst. But cricket has a habit of rewarding patience, and a defiant last-wicket stand added a heroic 47 to drag us to some respectability at 90 for 8 off 43 overs, with my own unbeaten 31 the top score of a scratchy innings. Three of ours — Paul Brattle, Tim Thirkell and John Bloomfield — will want to forget their contributions entirely, though Tim can console himself with his 300th appearance in Linton colours, which is no small thing.

All told: honours shared, a draw when neither side could quite force it — and on a day when the bowling outshone the batting, I'll happily take that.

Fri 11 Aug 1978 🧢 Midweek XIv SC Sennocke CC · AwayformWDWDD

Friday the 11th of August found us on the road to Sennocke, and having called correctly at the toss, I didn't dither for a second — batting first was the only sensible choice on a day like that. We stumbled from the blocks, losing a wicket before the board had even troubled the scorers, but Trevor Back settled things in style with a polished fifty, well supported by Paul Brattle's 47, and I chipped in with 38 not out to help us to 175 for 9 from our 45 overs. A stand of 55 for the fifth wicket did the heavy lifting; less can be said for Reg Oldfield, Keith Miller and Peter Day, who between them managed a golden nothing apiece — the least said, soonest mended.

Defending the total, we set about Sennocke with intent. K. Storey played the innings of the day, a well-made 53, ably backed by Colin Taylor's 42, but wickets fell steadily around them — Fry departed without troubling the scorers, and I had the rare pleasure of finishing with 4 for 56, my share of a tidy team effort alongside Brian Piper's 3 for 19 and Peter Day, miserly as ever with three maidens. Sennocke were bowled out for 141 in 40.2 overs, 34 runs short of our total.

A red-letter day all round — I passed 600 career wickets in the process, and now sit second in our Midweek XI wicket charts with 7, behind Trevor Back's league-leading 79 runs. Two points, thoroughly earned, and a very happy drive home.

Sun 06 Aug 1978 🧢 Sunday NVKCv HC Hursley Park CC · AwayformWWWWW

Sunday the 6th of August found us on the road to Hursley Park, a fixture that always seems to bring out the best in this club, whatever the toss decides. And the toss, naturally, went against us — asked to bat, we did rather more with the willow than the coin suggested we might.

122 for 5 off our 25 overs was a total built on Paul Bowles's fine 43, with Paul Brattle chipping in a handy 24 alongside him. Not every man had his day, mind — Tim Thirkell will not thank me for mentioning his nought, but the Duck Club ledger is the Duck Club ledger, and the walk back was, by all accounts, a suitably chastening one.

In the field we were rampant. Hursley slid from 13 for 1 to 28 for 4 almost before anyone had settled into their deckchair, and though Pete Bunney's 25 threatened to drag them back into it, they never quite got there, finishing 89 for 8. Tony Gauna was magnificent, 2 for 12 with two maidens besides, well supported by Allan Cooper's 2 for 18 and Trevor Back's 1 for 19 — not a run given away without a fight.

Off the field, warmer news still: Tim Thirkell brought up his 300th appearance in Linton colours, a landmark few of us will trouble in a lifetime, while Tony Gauna's two wickets carried him past John Taylor into 10th on the all-time list. A 33-run win, a club legend celebrated, and a bowler cementing his name in the record books — you can't ask for much more of a Sunday. A very good day for the club indeed.

Sat 05 Aug 1978 🧢 1st XIv BC Bidborough CC · HomeformLDLDL

Here is the report:

There's a particular flavour of Saturday that ends in a draw, and this was very much one of them. The toss went against us and Bidborough elected to bat, leaving us to graft away in the field for the best part of 54 overs. They closed on 139/8, with P- Kerby's 28 the backbone of the innings and G- Pollock chipping in with 22. With the ball, Norman Underdown was superb, snaring 3-42, while David Iliffe kept things tidy with 2-21. I managed a couple myself, finishing with 2-52, and Martin Thompson bowled with the patience of a saint, delivering eight maidens that surely wore the batsmen down more than the scorebook lets on.

Our reply never quite got out of second gear. We limped to 119/6 from our 41 overs, saved from real embarrassment by Jim Hall's unbeaten 38 — the innings that mattered most. The tail, to its credit, wagged gamely, adding a stubborn 53 to frustrate a Bidborough side who must have thought the game was in the bag. Spare a thought, though, for poor Malcolm Pay, who made the long walk back for nought and duly joins the Duck Club.

So, honours shared. Not the stuff of legend, but a fair reflection of an afternoon where neither side could quite land the killer blow — and in club cricket, that's often exactly how it should be.

Tue 01 Aug 1978 🧢 Midweek XIv MC Margate CC · AwayformDWDWD

A grey Tuesday, 1 August 1978, saw us make the trip down to Margate CC, and my luck was out before a ball was bowled — lost the toss, and asked to field. Not the afternoon I'd have chosen, but there's nothing for it but to get on with the job.

And get on with it we did. Margate compiled 175 all out in 48.4 overs, Graham Venn top-scoring with 37, well supported by Richard Dale's 35 and S. Cooke's 26. But once I found a bit of turn there was little they could do about it — 9 for 42, with three maidens thrown in for good measure, is as good a day as this old spinner is likely to have. Malcolm Pay chipped in tidily too, with 1 for 9.

Chasing 176, we lost David Carden for a sorry duck with the score on 1, and it might have unravelled from there. Credit to Malcolm Pay, whose 43 anchored the innings, with Tim Thirkell (27) and Reg Oldfield (24) lending sturdy support. I added a workmanlike 18 down the order. Poor Steve Gower had a torrid time behind the stumps, 13 byes going begging — the pitch, not the gloves, I'll insist.

We closed on 163 for 8, agonisingly short, and honours were shared in a draw. For what it's worth, I now lead both our 1978 run and wicket charts — though on this evidence, Margate will be glad to see the back of me.

Sat 29 Jul 1978 🧢 1st XIv Sibton Park CC · AwayformDLDLD

Saturday last took us down to Sibton Park, and won the toss I did what any captain full of misplaced optimism does on a good morning – had a look at the sky, and stuck us in. It rather backfired. We were bowled out for 119 in 41.5 overs, the first wicket falling for a solitary run before we'd barely settled into our deckchairs. Martin Thompson dug in nobly for 40, with Tim Thirkell chipping in a useful 27, but the middle order rather let the side down, and poor Robert Chance and M Davison will want to forget their ducks in a hurry.

With the ball I can't say we fared much better. Sibton Park cantered to 123 for the loss of a single wicket in just 32.1 overs, P- Woodward striding to an unbeaten 74 while J- Flanagan supported handsomely with 27 not out. I did what I could with the ball, taking 1 for 26, and James Skinner bowled tidily enough for three maidens, but there was precious little we could do to stem the flow once Woodward got going.

Elsewhere, the season rolls on regardless – Malcolm Pay continues to top the run charts with 394, and I'm still leading the wickets column with 37, for whatever comfort that's worth on a losing afternoon.

Nine wickets is a hefty margin by anyone's reckoning, and there's no dressing it up: we were second best all day. Heads up, chins high, and back to the nets.

Sun 23 Jul 1978 🧢 Sunday NVKCv HC Havering Atte Bower CC · AwayformWWWWW

Here's the match report:

The road to Havering Atte Bower is never an easy one, and losing the toss to be sent in to field only added to the sense that the lads were in for a long Sunday. As it turned out, we needn't have worried. Tony Gauna was the chief architect of their downfall, prising out three for 21 with three miserly maidens thrown in for good measure, while Allan Cooper (3-26) and Trevor Back (2-25) made sure nobody settled at the other end. Poor D. Russell departed without troubling the scorers, and though B. Pedgrift's fifty-plus 57 and M. Gunton's watchful 43 threatened to drag the innings away from us, a collapse from 141-6 to 157 all out brought them firmly back within range.

Chasing 158, Nigel Thirkell played the innings of the day, an authoritative 79 that carried us home, with Brian Piper's unbeaten 46 offering the perfect foil in a match-winning stand of 118 for the third wicket. We cantered to 160-3 with overs to spare and the game safely wrapped up by seven wickets.

A quiet personal note amid the celebrations - my one wicket was enough to nudge me past Terry Whittaker into third on the club's all-time list, which is the sort of thing one tries not to mention twice at the bar. With Thirkell still motoring at the top of the season's run charts and Back leading the wicket-takers, the engine room looks in fine health. Two points, thoroughly earned, and a very pleasant drive home.

Sun 16 Jul 1978 🧢 1st XIv SC Sennocke CC · HomeformLDLDL

Sunday the 16th of July found us hosting Sennocke CC, and my luck at the coin held about as well as ever — down we went, and out we were sent to field first, which on a warm village afternoon is not entirely the punishment it sounds.

Sennocke made themselves quite at home, racking up 185 for 4 from their 54 overs. Franks was the chief architect with a well-made 74, finding an admirable ally in Sloan, whose own fine fifty of 55 helped stitch together a third-wicket stand worth 123 — the sort of partnership that has fielding captains rearranging the field and muttering into their tea. Ledsham chipped in a useful 29. We were not entirely without answer, mind: Allan Cooper bowled beautifully for 2-25, four of his overs maidens, tight as a drum, while I picked up a couple myself, finishing with 2-51 for my afternoon's toil.

Chasing that total, we never quite found the fluency to match it. Tim Thirkell led our reply with a battling 34, well supported by David Carden's 27 and Paul Brattle's 23, but wickets fell steadily enough that 133 for 9 from our 48 overs was as far as we could stretch things.

So honours were shared, neither side able to force the issue — a draw that flattered nobody and disappointed nobody either. Elsewhere in the season, Malcolm Pay continues to top our run charts with 376, while I find myself, for now, leading the wicket column with 36. As for Sunday itself: a fair result, fairly earned, and a pot of tea never tasted so diplomatic.

Sat 15 Jul 1978 🧢 1st XIv BC Bowaters CC · AwayformWLDLD

Saturday saw us on the road to Bowaters, and when the coin span kindly I did what any incurable optimist does on a promising-looking morning — I put us in to bat. Quite why, history will record with some bemusement, given we contrived to be bowled out for just 73 in 29.5 overs. The first wicket went for a modest 8, and from there the innings rather resembled a chest of drawers with the bottom falling clean out — 8-1 became 16-4 before anyone had properly settled into their deckchair. Poor Tim Thirkell departed for a golden duck, which felt about right for the tenor of the afternoon.

With 73 hardly a total to frighten anyone, we turned to our bowling and, credit to the lads, we made a proper fight of it. Martin Thompson was superb, miserly enough to concede almost nothing — three maidens and 1-14 — and I chipped in with 1-20 for what support I could lend. But Robin Carter's unbeaten 26, ably backed up by Percy Bicker's 22, steered Bowaters home on 74-2 in 22.4 overs.

Beaten by eight wickets, then, and no arguing with the arithmetic. Malcolm Pay continues to lead our run charts this season with 365, and the wickets column still has my name at the top with 34 — small consolations on a day the runs simply wouldn't come. We'll be better for it next week.

Sun 09 Jul 1978 🧢 Sunday NVKCv LC Langleybury CC · HomeformWWWWW

Sunday the ninth of July, and Langleybury CC rolled up to find the coin doing me a favour for once — heads it was, and with a pitch that looked full of runs I couldn't resist putting them in.

For a while it looked a cautious call as they crawled to 101 for 9 off their forty, Gordon Riddick top-scoring with a watchful 22 while the rest fell about him. S. Brown departed without so much as a squeak off the bat — the first duck of the afternoon, and not the last. Paul Bowles was the chief tormentor with 3 for 26, and I chipped in with 2 for 10, but it was Tony Gauna who did the real miser's work, four maidens in his stint on the way to 1 for 12 — the sort of bowling that has batsmen playing shots to nobody in particular out of sheer boredom.

Chasing 102 should have been a stroll, and mostly it was, if you don't count the odd stumble along the way. Bowles carried his good form into the innings with 29, Nigel Thirkell was unbeaten on 26, and Paul Brattle's 21 helped an opening stand of 51 set the platform. Poor Brian Piper, though, walked back for nought — a second duck to keep Bowles' bowling figures company in the club ledger, and no doubt a long walk back to the pavilion.

Five wickets to the good, and two points safely banked. Not our prettiest cricket, but thoroughly earned, and on a Sunday in July I'll take earned over elegant every time.

Sat 08 Jul 1978 🧢 1st XIv MV Medway Valley · HomeformDWLDL

Won the toss on a bright Saturday and, with the pitch looking full of runs for absolutely nobody but the bowlers, I took the field-tester's option and asked Medway Valley to bowl first. It rather backfired at 3 for 1, and for a while it looked as though we'd talked ourselves into a horror show. Brian Piper and David Iliffe both trudged back without troubling the scorers, but Martin Thompson dug in for an unbeaten 35 and David Buck chipped in with a sound 30, and between them they hauled us up to a respectable-ish 130 for 9 off our 56 overs — not a total to frighten anyone, but enough to work with.

And work with it we did. Medway Valley lost an early wicket with just 5 on the board and never quite settled, our lads turning the screw from 32 for 3 to 45 for 6 in the sort of spell that makes a captain's tea taste sweeter. Terry Donovan was the chief tormentor, 2 for 18 off five miserly maidens, with Brian Piper (2 for 19) making handsome amends for his earlier duck. I managed to get among the wickets myself, finishing with 2 for 37. D. Friedman held firm for 23 but it wasn't enough to chase us down, and B. Taylor departed without scoring. They closed on 91 for 8.

Honours shared, then — a draw that satisfied nobody and offended nobody, which is club cricket in a nutshell.

Sun 02 Jul 1978 🧢 1st XIv Rainham (Kent) CC · HomeformDDWLD

Beaten but hardly bowed. Winning the toss on a fine Sunday against Rainham (Kent) was the easy part; the choice to bat was, if I say so myself, the correct one, even if the scorebook doesn't tell you how many grey hairs it cost me watching from the boundary. David Carden and Brian Piper set about it in style, the pair of them putting on 122 for the first wicket before either fell — Carden going on to a handsome 79, Piper following close behind with a well-crafted 58. Tim Thirkell finished unbeaten on 30 to help us to a healthy 172/3 from our 46.5 overs. Trevor Back, it must be recorded, contributed a duck of the purest gold — these things happen to the best of us, and he took it on the chin better than most would.

With 173 to defend, we simply couldn't quite close the door. Mark Swaine led Rainham's reply with 49, well supported by Buckingham (41) and Cooper (36), and a first-wicket stand of 54 gave them the platform we never managed to dismantle. Malcolm Pay was pick of our attack with 1-9, tidy as you like, while Trevor Back (1-29) and Tony Gauna (1-49, three maidens and not a run given away lightly) chipped in without quite finding the breakthroughs we needed.

Six wickets the margin in the end — no disgrace in it, but a reminder that 172 needs bowling to, not just posting. We'll dust ourselves down and be better for it next week.

Sat 01 Jul 1978 🧢 1st XIv BC Bowaters CC · HomeformWDDWL

Saturday saw Bowaters CC pay us a visit, and the coin gods weren't with me — lost the toss, and they had no hesitation putting us into the field. Not that we minded overmuch; there's a certain honest pleasure in bowling first on a fine afternoon, though we might have wished for rather less of William Preston, who ground out a chanceless 76 and simply would not be shifted. Paul Williams (41) and John Henderson (22) chipped in dutifully, and by the time Bowaters declared themselves satisfied at 183/7 from 42.4 overs, the lads had earned their tea. Terry Donovan was the pick of the attack, snaring 2-35 with a couple of miserly maidens thrown in for good measure, while Peter Day and I both picked up two wickets apiece for our troubles — 2-50 in my case, which I mention once and shall leave at that.

Chasing 184, we never quite got out of second gear. Tim Thirkell top-scored with a tidy 27, well supported by Brian Woodcock's 26, but wickets fell at awkward intervals and 101/8 from our 40 overs told its own story of a pitch that gave the bowlers the better of the exchanges all day.

A quiet word of pride amid the toil: Terry Donovan's brace saw him leapfrog John Taylor into 9th on the club's all-time wicket-takers list — a fine bit of furniture for the mantelpiece.

A draw, then, honours even, and honestly no more than the cricket deserved — neither side quite had the wherewithal to force the door open.

Wed 28 Jun 1978 🧢 Midweek XIv SC Sevenoaks & District Wednesday CC · AwayformLDWDW

28 June 1978, away to Sevenoaks & District Wednesday CC — and honours, in the end, shared.

Losing the toss and being asked to field is never the news you want on a warm Wednesday, but the lads settled well enough after an early wobble saw the hosts stumble to nought for one. From there Guy Hollamby simply took the game away from us, compiling a superb 104 while A Gorman (22) and Peter Day (20) played the supporting roles, and a crucial third-wicket stand of 61 gave their innings its spine. Credit where due — we did not let it become a rout. J O'Connell went for a duck to our attack, Trevor Back bowled tight enough for three maidens on his way to 2-46, Paul Bowles chipped in with 1-46, and I found some rhythm to finish with 3-52, the pick of the bowling. Sevenoaks declared themselves content at 204/6 from their 52 overs.

Chasing that down in 56 overs was always going to ask questions of our top order, and 142/8 tells its own story of a side that fought without quite landing the knockout blow. Paul Bowles led the way with 34, well supported by Trevor Back's unbeaten 29 and Steve Kember's 21, though Andrew Hales will not thank me for mentioning his duck. Bowles also had a trying afternoon behind the stumps, 13 byes going begging.

One moment rose above the scoreline — Jim Hall brought up his 200th appearance in Linton colours, a landmark earned over many such afternoons as this. A draw, then, and honestly, a fair one: honours shared, pride intact.

Sun 25 Jun 1978 🧢 Sunday NVKCv Marden CC, Kent · HomeformLWWWW

It was Marden CC at home on a fine Sunday, the twenty-fifth of June, and I won the toss — no hesitation whatsoever in sticking them in, much to the surprise of anyone who's watched me captain before.

The lads made it look a sound decision. Marden were shot out for 97 in 39 overs, Doug Worley's 23 the only real resistance, and once they slid from 63-4 to 80-7 there was no way back. Tony Gauna was the pick with 3-9, Trevor Back chipped in with 2-9, and I managed to get among the wickets myself with 2-17. Allan Cooper, meanwhile, bowled as if the boundary boards were made of lava — four maidens, not a run given away lightly.

Chasing 98 should have been a formality, and in the end it was, though not without the usual Linton Park wobble along the way. We got there in 36.4 overs for the loss of five, Brian Piper seeing us home unbeaten on 27, with Paul Bowles (25) and Nigel Thirkell (24) doing the heavy lifting either side of him. Poor Malcolm Pay contributed his customary golden duck, bless him — a man committed to consistency if nothing else.

Thirkell now leads our Sunday run charts with 151 for the season, Back the wickets with 11. A thoroughly good day for the club, and one we'll happily take.

Sat 24 Jun 1978 🧢 1st XIv HC Hythe CC · HomeformDWDDW

Lost the toss again — I really must start practising that particular skill — and Hythe had no hesitation in padding up first on a Saturday that promised more from the bat than it delivered. They ground out 140 all out in 41.3 overs, built chiefly around J. Ireland's watchful 48, with Ralph Carter (32) and P. Barnes (21) chipping in either side of a stubborn 51-run stand for the second wicket that threatened, for a while, to bat us out of the game entirely.

But cricket has a habit of turning on an afternoon, and ours turned sharply: 98-2 became 101-5 almost before the tea urn had cooled, with J. Smith and R. Apps both back in the pavilion without so much as troubling the scorers. Terry Donovan was magnificent, tearing through them for 4-34, and I was glad to lend a hand with 2-16 while Martin Thompson toiled away for 2-43 and two tidy maidens, not a run given away lightly.

Sadly, we couldn't make the runs stick. David Carden's gutsy 26 held things together briefly, but from 27-4 we slid to 29-7 in the blink of an eye, with David Buck, Mike Iliffe and William Buck all departing for ducks on a card that made for grim reading. All out for 71 in 40.5 overs was simply not enough.

Not our day, then — beaten by 69 runs. Heads up, lads; back to the nets.

Tue 20 Jun 1978 🧢 1st XIv BC Boughton Monchelsea CC · AwayformWDWDD

Called it right at the toss on a fine Tuesday evening down at Boughton Monchelsea, and with the outfield looking quick I never seriously considered doing anything but batting first. Nigel Thirkell then proceeded to bat as though he had a train to catch, finishing unbeaten on 96 and dragging us to a handsome 146 for 4 from our sixteen overs. He and his opening partner put on 85 before the first wicket fell — the kind of platform that makes a captain's job absurdly easy — with Paul Bowles chipping in a brisk 26 to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Defending that lot should have been the formality it looked on paper, and so it proved, though not before Garth Wallond threatened to make a match of it with a defiant 24 for the home side. Everything else, alas, fell away around him — 9 for 1 became 11 for 4 in the blink of an eye, and Steve Kember, Mike Sendles and G Love all trooped off for ducks. I managed to get among the wickets myself with figures of 2 for 4, well backed up by Ron Hickman (2-14) and Martin Thompson (2-15), and the innings folded for 56 in 13.2 overs.

A comfortable 90-run victory, then, and a timely reminder of why Malcolm Pay and I currently sit atop the season's run and wicket charts respectively. All told, a thoroughly good day for the club — the sort of evening that makes the drive back to the clubhouse feel considerably shorter than the drive out.

Sun 18 Jun 1978 🧢 1st XIv BC Bobbing Court CC · AwayformWWDWD

Sunday 18 June 1978 saw us make the trip to Bobbing Court, and having won the toss I didn't hesitate — on a day like that, you bat. Our innings meandered rather than roared, closing on 149/9 from our 49 overs. Ian Webb top-scored with a tidy 37, Malcolm Pay chipped in 27, and I added 21 of my own down the order. Poor Trevor Back, though, will want this one struck from the record — a golden duck to file alongside the rest of his season's misfortunes.

With the ball, though, we were a different proposition entirely. Bobbing Court replied with 127/8 from their 45, Damien Hudson their chief resistance with 37, but the rest of the innings was picked apart around him. I had one of those afternoons where everything comes out right, finishing with 3-54, while Trevor Back — no doubt keen to make amends with the bat — struck back with 2-24, and Tony Gauna weighed in with 2-36. Martin Thompson, meanwhile, bowled with the miserly discipline of a man guarding the parish silver, sending down three maidens without so much as a run to show for it.

So honours shared, and a draw it was — neither side able to force home the advantage. With Malcolm Pay still leading our run charts and yours truly topping the wickets column for the season, there's plenty to be cheerful about. Not a win, but not a bad afternoon's work either — and the tea, I'm reliably informed, was excellent.

Sat 17 Jun 1978 🧢 1st XIv MC Maidstone YMCA CC · AwayformWWWDW

Saturday 17 June 1978 – away to Maidstone YMCA CC

Lost the toss, asked to chase – hardly the ideal start to a Saturday, but there are worse places to spend one than a Maidstone outfield with the sun out and a cricket ball in hand. YMCA posted a stubborn 180/9 from their 47, built around a watchful 39 from J. Golding and handy support from Pete Worsnop (25) and Rod Warboys (24), the pair having put on 56 for the first wicket to give their innings some early backbone. I managed to have a say in matters with the ball, picking up 4-33, while Terry Donovan toiled hard for his 3-73 and Martin Thompson bowled with real discipline, tight enough for two maidens on his way to 1-17.

Chasing 181, we never quite got out of second gear. An early wobble at 7-1 threatened to set a grim tone, but Malcolm Pay and Jim Hall steadied things beautifully, their fourth-wicket stand of 88 the innings' backbone. Pay batted right through for an unbeaten 53, Hall chipping in with 41, though poor David Buck will want to forget his duck in a hurry. We closed on 131/6 from our 40 – short of the target, but enough overs survived to deny YMCA the win.

A draw, then – honours shared, and on a day when 4-33 kept me warm and Pay's fifty kept us respectable, I'll happily settle for that. Neither side could quite land the killer blow; tea, as ever, was the day's undisputed highlight.

Tue 13 Jun 1978 🧢 1st XIv WF Whitbread Fremlins · HomeformLWWWD

I toss the ball to Whitbread Fremlins and, frankly, expect a longer afternoon than I get. Twelve overs and four balls later they're all out for 48, and I still can't quite explain how it unravelled so fast for them — 32-4 became 39-7 while I was still working out the field. Allan Cooper was magnificent, ripping through with 4-3, with Paul Bowles (2-15) and Martin Thompson (2-17) mopping up either end. Burchett, Austin and Woodhams all walked back without troubling the scorers, and by the time the innings folded I was already wondering whether 48 would be enough for them to defend.

It wasn't, though we did our level best to make it interesting. Chasing a target that modest ought to be a formality, and instead we contrived an early wobble at 4-1, then a proper collapse from 31-2 to 37-5 that had me pacing the boundary rather more than dignity allows. We scrambled home at 49-5 after 14.5 overs, five wickets in hand and several fewer fingernails than I started with.

There was real cause for celebration in the chaos. Martin Thompson brought up 50 career wickets, and Allan Cooper's four-for eased him past Tony Snell into 14th on the club's all-time list. Malcolm Pay continues to lead our run charts this season with 257, and Cooper now sits third among the wicket-takers with 14.

A five-wicket win, then, earned with the ball and rather survived with the bat. I'll take it.

Sun 11 Jun 1978 🧢 Sunday NVKCv LK Leigh CC, Kent · AwayformLLWWW

The coin obliged on Sunday, and out at Leigh CC in Kent I had no hesitation in sending us in first. It proved a scratchy old innings — 146 all out in 38.4 overs, held together by Tim Thirkell's 32 and useful support from Paul Bowles (30) and Trevor Back (23), with a 53-run stand for the second wicket doing the real work. From 130 for 5 we somehow contrived to be 139 for 8 in the blink of an eye, and the Duck Club welcomed three new members in Brian Woodcock, Tony Gauna and, I'm sorry to say, myself.

Leigh's reply never quite got away from us despite a breezy opening stand of 73 for the first wicket, E Houghton (35) and Gary Wood (28) doing the early damage before we dragged them back from 73 for 1 to 83 for 4 in short order and bowled them out for 105 in 38.5 overs. Paul Bowles was outstanding with 4 for 28, Nigel Thirkell metronomic with four maidens, and Chris Harding, Vic Clark and Charlie Raker all walked back for nought.

As for the skipper, a golden blob rather undermined any pretence at leading from the front with the bat, though three wickets with the ball went some way towards making amends. Warmest congratulations to Allan Cooper on his 100th appearance in Linton colours, and to Tim Thirkell, whose 32 eased him past Cliff Anscombe into 10th on the all-time run-scorers' list.

A 41-run victory, then, and a thoroughly good day for the club.

Sat 10 Jun 1978 🧢 1st XIv RC Rumwood CC · HomeformLLWWW

Here's the match report:

We won the toss on a fine June Saturday and, with Rumwood CC visiting, there was never much doubt in my mind what to do with it — I put us in to bat, and for once the decision paid off handsomely.

Trevor Back set about the bowling in fine style, compiling a well-made 75, and found the perfect foil in Tim Thirkell, whose 41 helped the pair add a crucial 110 for the second wicket. Malcolm Pay came in to finish things off in style with an unbeaten 28, and we closed on a healthy 180 for 4 from our 40 overs — the sort of total that lets a captain enjoy his tea rather than gnaw at the sandwiches.

Defending it proved rather harder than posting it. We had Rumwood in early trouble at 1 for 1, and I chipped in with the ball myself among a shared bowling effort, though it was Martin Thompson who bowled best of all, finishing with 1 for 13, with Pay (1-20) and Terry Donovan (1-25) both doing their bit. But R. Yates settled in for the long haul, carrying his innings to an unbeaten 50, well supported by Geoff Griffiths (25 not out) and Janat Kanagasingham (23), and a stubborn third-wicket stand of 57 saw them home to safety at 150 for 4. Poor Brian Woodcock had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, eight byes testament to a pitch with ideas of its own.

Honours shared, then — a draw when neither side could quite force the issue, and on this evidence we'll take it.

Tue 06 Jun 1978 🧢 1st XIv HC Hollingbourne CC · HomeformLLLWW

Well, Tuesday the 6th of June was one of those evenings that reminds you why you bother with the whole business.

Won the toss, and with the sky looking kind enough, I had no hesitation in sticking us in. Nigel Thirkell and his opening partner set about the Hollingbourne bowling with real purpose, the pair putting on 77 before the first wicket finally went down — the kind of start that lets a captain sit back with his tea and pretend he knew all along it would go this well. Nigel went on to a well-made 52, with Paul Bowles chipping in a handy 41, and we closed on a brisk 121 for 4 from our sixteen overs. Not everyone's afternoon was quite so golden — poor Jim Hall departed for nought, and took the long walk back to a chorus of quacking that he will not, I suspect, be allowed to forget.

Defending it was never going to be straightforward, and Alan Ovenden made sure of that, batting right through for an unbeaten 64 and finding an able ally in Andrew Hales (26), the two of them adding 74 for the third wicket. But Martin Thompson bowled with real discipline for 1 for 17, backed up nicely by Nigel Thirkell and Ron Hickman, both 1 for something-respectable, and between them they kept just enough pressure on. Hollingbourne fell agonisingly short on 120 for 5.

A win by a single run — the sort that leaves you needing a stiff drink rather than a celebration, but two points is two points, and thoroughly deserved.

Sun 04 Jun 1978 🧢 1st XIv SC St Lawrence & Highland Court CC · HomeformDLLLW

Here's your match report:

Toss won, no hesitation, we batted — and I'll admit at 201/4 from our 48 overs I couldn't have asked for much more from the lads. Malcolm Pay played beautifully for his 64, Tim Thirkell wasn't far behind with a composed 55, and Brian Piper finished unbeaten on 42 to give the total real substance. Poor Mike Iliffe won't thank me for putting this in print, but a golden duck is a golden duck, and the ledger must be kept honest.

Defending it, St Lawrence & Highland Court gave us a proper fright early through Antony Amlot, whose 66 was the innings St Lawrence built around, but we chipped away and had them all out for 165 in 46 overs. Brian Piper backed up his batting with the ball, 3-15 and clearly having the day of his life, while Tony Gauna bowled with real discipline for 3-29 including two maidens. I got among the wickets myself with 2-77 — more expensive than I'd have liked, but wickets are wickets. Roger Clarke and C. Kennett both fell without scoring, and Jim Hall had a torrid time behind the stumps with 8 byes leaking away, though nobody's perfect on a Sunday.

We got over the line by 36 runs, and with Malcolm Pay now top of the season's run charts and Tony Gauna leading the wickets, this was every inch a good day for the club.

Sat 03 Jun 1978 🧢 1st XIv BK Beverley CC, Kent · HomeformWDLLL

Saturday 03 June saw Beverley CC visit Linton Park, and the toss went their way — they had a look at the pitch and elected to bat first, leaving us to sweat it out in the field. It seemed a reasonable plan on paper, right up until M Collingwood ground out a fine 60, with J Keir (27) and R Gill (22) building a solid 66 for the second wicket. But cricket has a way of humbling the patient, and once 123-3 became 134-6 the innings rather came apart at the seams — a trio of ducks for A Frost, D Garrett and J Arnold did little for Beverley's confidence. Martin Thompson was quite magnificent, running through the order for 5-50 with three miserly maidens thrown in for good measure, while Malcolm Pay (2-15) and I (2-31) tidied up what was left. All out for 160 from 53.2 overs felt like a job well done.

Chasing 161, we made a characteristically wobbly fist of it. Tim Thirkell led the way with a tidy 43, Paul Brattle chipped in with 28 and Jim Hall saw us home unbeaten on 27, though not before an alarming collapse from 111-3 to 122-6 threatened to turn a comfortable stroll into a nervy finish. The tail, bless them, wagged just enough — 39 priceless runs — to see off any lingering Beverley hopes. Nine byes told their own tale of a testing afternoon behind the stumps for Jim Hall, though nobody was complaining once the winning runs were in.

A fine win by four wickets, then, and one to enjoy on the drive home. Malcolm Pay continues to top our run charts for the season, and I'm rather chuffed to find myself second in the wicket-takers — though I suspect the real hero of the hour was Martin Thompson's five-for. Onwards, indeed.

Thu 01 Jun 1978 🧢 1st XIv BC Benenden CC · AwayformWWDLL

Thursday 01 June 1978, away at Benenden CC, and the coin let us down before a ball was bowled — they chose to bat, and I confess my heart sank a little watching them settle in.

Credit where it's due: we bowled with real discipline. Benenden crept to 4-1 and looked briefly wobbly, but a stubborn 58-run stand for the fourth wicket dragged them back into the contest, and Gary Marshall's well-crafted 89 gave the innings a backbone we couldn't quite break. Tony Gauna was superb with the ball, 3-24, backed up nicely by Ron Hickman's 2-29 and Martin Thompson's 1-15 — between them they kept 143/7 from 16 overs to something almost defendable-looking, on paper at least.

Paper, alas, is not pitch. Our reply never found its rhythm: 16-1 became 34-4 in the time it takes to pour a tea, and from there we were merely delaying the inevitable. Jim Hall's 22 and Nigel Thirkell's 21 were the only real resistance in a total of 73 all out from 13 overs, and poor Tony Gauna, so heroic with the ball, went for a painful duck with the bat — cricket's little joke on a man having quite the season otherwise, sitting proudly atop our wicket charts with 17, with Malcolm Pay leading the run-scoring on 153.

Beaten by 70 runs, then, and no arguing with the margin. A tidy bowling display undone by a batting collapse — we'll dust ourselves down and be better for it next week.

Tue 30 May 1978 🧢 1st XIv The Mote CC · HomeformWWWDL

Beaten by six runs, and if you'd told me at the toss — which, naturally, I lost — that we'd take the game that close after being asked to field, I'd have taken it gladly. The Mote posted a stiff 107/7 from their sixteen overs, John Reader top-scoring on 28 not out with Michael Dawson (27) and Chris Russell (21) chipping in around him, while our attack did its level best to keep the total honest. Paul Bowles was outstanding with the ball, 3-19, well backed by Allan Cooper's 3-36 and a wicket for Tony Gauna, and there was even a duck or two shared among David Barkaway, Eddie Page and — Milstead for our trouble.

Chasing 108, we made a proper fist of it. Nigel Thirkell batted beautifully for his unbeaten 46, and Paul Bowles, not content with his heroics in the field, added 34 with the bat to leave us 101/1 after sixteen overs — agonisingly, achingly six runs short.

A word of real celebration amid the near miss: Tony Gauna brought up 300 career wickets, a landmark that puts the result rather in the shade. He leads our 1978 wicket charts with 14, and Bowles now sits second in the run charts with 100 — form that bodes well.

So, honest defeat rather than capitulation. We were outplayed by six runs and not an ounce more; there's plenty to build on, and we'll be better for it next week.

Mon 29 May 1978 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · AwayformWWWWD

Beaten by 5 runs at Bearsted, and I'd wager not a soul on the boundary rope enjoyed a single ball of it.

Asked to bowl first, we made early inroads – the first wicket tumbling for just 7 – but Bearsted steadied and ground their way to 135, Brian Burnett (33) and Sean Carter (32) doing most of the damage against us. The day, though, belonged to Tony Gauna, whose 5-38 was a thing of real quality, richly deserved and the difference between a target that felt gettable and one that didn't. Brian Piper (2-10) and John Bloomfield (1-10) chipped away nicely, while I settled into a long, unglamorous spell of my own – 12 maidens, not a run given away lightly, if not a wicket to show for it.

135 should never trouble a side like ours, and for a while it didn't. Brian Piper again led from the front with 38, Malcolm Pay added a fine 33, and I contributed 20 – a knock that, I'm reliably informed, nudges me past Frank Taylor into 24th on the club's all-time run charts, which is either a proud moment or proof of how long I've been doing this. But cricket has a way of humbling a man, and 90-5 became 97-8 before we'd drawn breath, with Jim Hall, Colin Pay and John Bloomfield all serving up ducks. We fell five runs short in the end.

Malcolm Pay tops our season's run-scoring, I lead the wicket column, and between us we still couldn't quite get this one over the line. We'll be better for it next week.

Sun 28 May 1978 🧢 Sunday NVKCv BC Benenden CC · AwayformLLLWW

Sunday 28 May 1978, and off we trooped to Benenden CC with the sun doing its best and my coin doing rather better — it came down our way, and I had few qualms about batting first on what looked a fair track.

We laboured a touch to 139 for 9 off our forty, Nigel Thirkell playing the anchor's part for 40 and Trevor Back chipping in handsomely with 31. Not a total to frighten anyone, truth be told, but enough — we hoped — to have something to bowl at.

And bowl at it we did. Benenden replied with 137 for 9, Ian Klemen batting nicely for 44 with Ray Harding (31) and G. Osborne (27) offering support, but our attack simply refused to be shifted off the boil. Allan Cooper was magnificent, 4 for 41 of high-class seam bowling, while Trevor Back backed up his runs with 3 for 12 and four maidens that strangled the life out of their middle order — quite the afternoon's work from one man.

As for the skipper, the less said the better: a golden duck, out first ball, leadership by example rather spectacularly disproving itself. Still, Nigel keeps his nose in front atop our season's run charts with 120, and Allan now leads the wickets with 8 — the engine room doing the heavy lifting while the captain does the honourable thing and stays quiet.

Two runs the margin, two points the reward, and thoroughly deserved. A nervy, scrappy, marvellous win — exactly the sort club cricket is made for.

Sat 27 May 1978 🧢 1st XIv MC Maidstone YMCA CC · HomeformDWWWW

Saturday 27 May 1978 — Maidstone Ymca CC visit us at Linton Park, and naturally I lost the toss. They chose to bat, and I settled in for what promised to be a long afternoon in the field, which it duly was — 48.5 overs of it. Golding gave us a proper working over, a fine 71 that anchored their innings, with John Adams (40) and Pete Worsnop (24) chipping in around him after the openers had put on 67 for the first wicket and threatened to bat us out of the game entirely. But patience has its rewards: I found some turn and bagged 5-68, with Terry Donovan chipping away at the other end for 2-57 and Martin Thompson keeping things tight with two miserly maidens. 178/7 felt like a score we could chase.

We couldn't, quite. In reply we limped to 114/6 from our 42 overs, undone early when the first wicket fell for just 1. Malcolm Pay played beautifully for 70 and, with a battling 51-run stand for the fifth wicket, kept us respectable, but the middle and lower order rather let the side down — Mike Iliffe and Keith Miller both walked back for ducks, and I shan't name names further out of kindness (having named them already).

A draw, then — honours even, and probably a fair reflection of an afternoon where my five wickets kept us in it but our batting couldn't quite finish the job. Credit to Maidstone for making us work for every run.

Tue 23 May 1978 🧢 1st XIv MT Maidstone Teachers · HomeformDDWWW

Tuesday, 23 May, and Maidstone Teachers rolled into Linton Park in fine spring sunshine. I won the toss and, with visions of a flat pitch and a fast outfield, had no hesitation in putting us in to bat. It proved the right call, more by luck than judgement, as I'm rather in the habit of admitting.

We flew out of the blocks. The openers put on 72 for the first wicket before the breakthrough finally came, and from there Paul Bowles carried on in style to a well-made fifty, 53 in all, with Nigel Thirkell chipping in a brisk 31 alongside him. By the time we'd had our fun, 117 for 3 from sixteen overs sat on the board, a total with a bit of menace in it.

Defending it, Maidstone Teachers never quite got the measure of us. Phil Jackson battled hard for his 37, but three of their number, Dave Todd, Johnstone and Hayes, departed without troubling the scorers, and Nigel Thirkell was simply unplayable, mopping up five for 22 in a spell of real quality, with Allan Cooper chipping in a wicket of his own. They finished 82 for 9, well short.

A word too for young Tim Thirkell, whose 17 runs today saw him leapfrog Robert Murray into 11th on the club's all-time run-scorers list, no mean feat. Paul Bowles now leads our 1978 run charts and Nigel sits third among the wicket-takers, and on this evidence both have plenty more to come.

Thirty-five runs the margin, two points banked, and a very satisfactory evening's work.

Sun 21 May 1978 🧢 1st XIv CC Cadogan CC · HomeformLDDWW

Sunday the twenty-first of May found us at home to Cadogan CC, and I gave the ball first use, a decision that looked rather clever by tea. They lost their opener cheaply, seven for one, and for a while it threatened to be a short afternoon's work, but X Collings settled in for a fine half-century, well supported by X Rodger's 23, and a stubborn 58-run stand for the sixth wicket dragged them back into the contest. Still, we had answers of our own: X McCartney and X Walker both departed for ducks at our hands, and Cadogan were eventually shepherded out for 127 in 46.1 overs.

The story of that innings was really one man's afternoon. Tony Gauna ran thoroughly riot, six for 25 and five maidens besides, the sort of spell that leaves batsmen questioning their life choices. Allan Cooper chipped in handsomely with two for 20, and Trevor Back mopped up with one for 12.

Chasing 128, we made distinctly harder work of it than the target deserved, wobbling from 46-1 to 54-4 in a collapse best not dwelt upon, before Malcolm Pay's unbeaten 38, Trevor Back's 34 and Jim Hall's unbeaten 30 saw us home at 128-5. Fifteen byes told their own tale of a testing day behind the stumps for Jim Hall.

Notable too: Tony Gauna's haul carries him past Dick Langridge into 11th on the club's all-time wicket-takers list, while he now leads our 1978 wicket charts and Jim Hall the run charts. Two points, thoroughly earned, five wickets to spare.

Sat 20 May 1978 🧢 1st XIv Headcorn CC · HomeformDLDDW

The toss went against us — Headcorn's captain didn't need asking twice on a morning that promised runs — and so we found ourselves in the field, boots damp, hopes modest.

They were shot out for 107 in 41 overs, though not without a scrap: Richard Chapman looked the only man who'd read the script, compiling a stubborn 45 while wickets tumbled around him. Penney, Barker and Jennings will not want reminding of their ducks, and I can't say I minded contributing to their misery — I found some rhythm I hadn't expected and finished with 7 for 42, a five-for and then some, the sort of afternoon a bowler dreams about on the drive home. Terry Donovan was the picture of patience at the other end, 3 for 30 with six maidens, starving them of anything loose.

Chasing 108, we made harder work of it than the target deserved, stumbling to 109 for 6 off 40 overs and a ball, but Jim Hall's unbeaten 24 and Brian Woodcock's watchful 23 saw us home by four wickets — enough for relief rather than celebration.

Elsewhere, Mike Iliffe's tidy 15 nudged him past John Taylor into 16th on the club's all-time run charts, a quiet piece of history amid the chaos. A scratchy, nervy win — but four points is four points, and we'll take it gladly.

Sun 14 May 1978 🧢 Sunday NVKCv High Halstow CC · AwayformWLLLW

I fell for a duck against High Halstow, but we shall gloss over that.

Sunday 14 May 1978, and the road took us out to High Halstow, where losing the toss meant we had first use of the ball whether we fancied it or not. Their number three, B Rayner, made an absolute meal of us with a superb 102, and Paul Whelan chipped in with 26, the pair building the innings around an 80-run third-wicket stand after a wicket had gone down for nought. Credit where due, though: I led the attack with 3 for 31, Nigel Thirkell bowled tidily for 2 for 28 with two maidens thrown in for good measure, and Trevor Back picked up 2 for 61, with K Batchelor departing for a duck along the way. 154 for 7 from their 30 overs felt like a proper task.

Chasing it, I can report my own contribution began and ended with a walk back to the pavilion for nought — Allan Cooper kept me company in the Duck Club that afternoon, and we shall draw a veil over the details. Thankfully Jim Hall had other ideas, top-scoring with a chanceless 45, well supported by Trevor Back's 30 and Nigel Thirkell's 29, the sixth-wicket pair putting on a vital 76 to drag us over the line at 157 for 9 from 29.3 overs.

A one-wicket win, then — the sort that takes years off a captain and does nothing for the nerves. Jim Hall's innings nudges him up to 22nd on the club's all-time run charts, Nigel Thirkell now tops the season's run pile and Trevor Back leads the wickets. Ducks and all, I'll take it. Onwards.

Thu 11 May 1978 🧢 1st XIv MC Maidstone YMCA CC · HomeformWDLDD

Thursday the 11th, and Maidstone YMCA rolled up to Linton Park with the sun almost cooperating. I lost the toss — no great surprise, my coin-calling remains a work in progress — and we were asked to bowl first. No complaints there.

Our attack was a treat to watch. Allan Cooper took to the task with real relish, finishing with 3-9 and sending John Adams, Rod Warboys and D. Silvers back without troubling the scorers. Tony Gauna chipped in with 2-18 and Nigel Thirkell picked up 1-10. Maidstone wobbled from 11-1 to 19-4 and looked to be in genuine bother, before K. Beckell dug in for an unbeaten 24 and an obstinate last pair added a rather unwelcome 38 to drag them up to 68-6 from their 16 overs. Handy work by the bowlers, rather taken the shine off by allowing that last stand.

Chase it we did, if not without a wobble of our own — 69-7 from 15.3 overs, with poor Jim Hall having a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, ten byes conceded in the effort. Still, runs are runs, and a win is a win.

Elsewhere in the season, Tim Thirkell sits proudly atop the run charts with 15, and Allan Cooper leads the wickets with his three from today. A scrappy, nervy, thoroughly typical village win by 3 wickets. Onwards, as ever.

Sun 07 May 1978 🧢 Sunday NVKCv BC Biddenden CC · HomeformLWLLL

Lost the toss on a grey Sunday at home to Biddenden — never mind, I told the lads, we'll have them in anyway, and for once fortune smiled on the sulk that follows losing the coin. Biddenden could only cobble together 92 all out in 29.3 overs, undone early when their opener fell for 3-1 and further rattled when J Robinson trudged off for a duck. A Williamson (21) and D Packham (20) tried to rebuild, but Allan Cooper was in irresistible mood, scything through with 4-21, while Trevor Back bowled as if the boundary rope were an insult to his craft — 3-12 off three parsimonious maidens — and Nigel Thirkell chipped in with 2-20 for good measure.

Chasing 93 was never going to be a stroll for this side, and so it proved. We wobbled from 74-3 to 85-6 in a flurry that had me reaching for the scorebook and a stiff tea, with Malcolm Pay and Jim Hall both walking back for ducks of their own. But Nigel Thirkell, calm as you like amid the carnage, carried us home with a splendid 51, seeing us over the line at 93/6 from 28.4 overs.

A four-wicket win, then, and a tidy one at that. Thirkell now tops our Sunday run charts, Cooper the wickets — leaders both, and thoroughly deserving. Onwards we go.