🧢 Captain's Log

Sat 06 Oct 1979 🧢 1st XIv BC Boughton Monchelsea CC · AwayformWWWDD

Boughton Monchelsea, Saturday last, and for once the coin fell their way — they had first knock and, more fool them, made rather a meal of it. 188 all out in 46.4 overs, which sounds respectable until you note that Nigel Thirkell was among the wickets again — 2-12, tidy as you like, part of a run that's seen him climb to second in our own wicket charts this summer. Ross Brice and Paul Bowles chipped in with two apiece, and Howard Usher went for a duck at our hands, which I mention only because he'll be mortified to see it in print. Well played anyway, Howard — could happen to anyone.

Chasing 189, we made an absolute mess of the opposition's morning by simply not getting out. Eighty-one on the board before the first wicket fell — a stand to make a captain's tea taste sweeter than usual — before Paul Bowles went on to 69, David Carden 43, and Tim Thirkell saw us home unbeaten on 28. We finished 189/4 in 35.2 overs, which is the sort of arithmetic I could get used to.

A word too for Bowles, whose two wickets that morning quietly nudged him past John Ames into third on the club's all-time list — the kind of milestone nobody notices until someone points it out, so: noticed.

Six wickets, then, and a fine one at that. Onwards indeed.

Sat 29 Sep 1979 🧢 1st XIv Lordswood CC · HomeformDWWWD

Lost the toss again — I'm beginning to suspect the coin has a grudge — so Lordswood CC took first use of a good-looking Saturday and elected to bat. They made us work for it, closing on 142/8 from 51.1 overs, though we had them 3-1 early before a stubborn 54-run second-wicket stand steadied things. R Brown top-scored with 27, J Hendon finished unbeaten on the same total, and Alan Pattenden chipped in 24 — but we did for Colin Gardener without troubling the scorers at all. I found some rhythm with the ball and finished with 4-27, with Paul Bowles (1-21) and John Bloomfield, three maidens and all, chiselling away at the other end.

Our reply never quite got out of second gear. An early wicket with nothing on the board set the tone, and having steadied to 50-3 we then contrived to lose three more for a dozen runs in the sort of collapse that has grown men reaching for the tea urn early. Nigel Thirkell's 39 was the innings' backbone, Martin Thompson's unbeaten 20 the only other real resistance, while Paul Bowles, Don Fermor and Mike Iliffe all took the long walk without troubling the umpire's finger for the right reasons. Graham Cove had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, eight byes testament to a pitch with ideas of its own.

Nigel keeps his nose in front for runs this season and I'll take the wickets column gladly. Honours even in the end — a draw, and on this evidence, a fair one.

Sun 23 Sep 1979 🧢 1st XIv AC Anchorians CC · HomeformDDWWW

I fielded first — no, elected to bat, and I'll stand by that call, right call as it turned out even if the top of the order didn't quite agree with me. A jittery start saw us slip to 6 for 1 before David Carden calmed the nerves with a thoroughly well-made fifty, 51 of the good, honest variety, and found a willing partner in Tim Thirkell, whose 21 kept the innings ticking along nicely. We limped to 154 all out from our 43 overs — not a total to frighten anyone, but enough, we hoped, to give the bowlers something to work with.

And work with it they did. Anchorians never quite got away from us, subsiding to 117 for 9 in 41 overs despite John Prodger's fine fifty of 56 and a stubborn third-wicket stand worth 50. Once that partnership broke the floodgates opened in a hurry — 108 for 5 became 109 for 8 before you could refill your tea, with Tappin, Fish and Wykes all sent back without so much as a single to their name. Allan Cooper was the chief architect, spinning through them for a marvellous 5 for 18, while I chipped in with 3 for 58 and four maidens for good measure — a happy day with the ball, if not with the bat, where I fell for a duck we shall discreetly draw a veil over.

A word for Mike Iliffe too, whose 16 runs eased him past Jim Hall into 15th on the club's all-time run-scorers list. In the end honours were shared, a draw when neither side could quite force the issue — and on the balance of the afternoon's fortunes, a fair result all round.

Sat 22 Sep 1979 🧢 1st XIv West Farleigh CC · HomeformDDDWW

Skipper's Log — Saturday 22 September 1979. West Farleigh CC away at Linton Park, and I lost the toss, which around here usually means a long afternoon leaning on a fence. Not today. West Farleigh got up to 177 for 4 off their 44, Barry Brigden compiling a fine unbeaten 80 with Roger Crooks chipping in 37, and we did have them 3 for 1 at one stage before a 70-run stand steadied things rather more than we'd have liked. Credit to Nigel Thirkell, who bowled beautifully for 2 for 29 with six maidens thrown in for good measure — miserly barely covers it — while John Bloomfield and I picked up a wicket apiece, mine costing 39, so at least I contributed something with the ball before doing rather better with the bat.

Because contribute I did. Chasing 178, David Carden played his part with a tidy 49, Nigel Thirkell rounded things off with an unbeaten 31, and I finished not out on 91, which I'll admit felt rather satisfying after a summer of more modest returns. We cantered home for the loss of a single wicket, with overs to spare.

A word, too, for Nigel, who brought up 7,000 career runs for the club today — a proper landmark, and typical of the man that he marked it with bat and ball both. He sits second in this year's wicket charts and top of the run charts, and long may it continue.

A fine win by nine wickets, then, and a thoroughly happy captain writing this up. Onwards we go.

Wed 19 Sep 1979 🧢 Midweek XIv The Mote CC · AwayformLWWDW

As it happened at The Mote, 19th September 1979:

We won the toss out at The Mote and, with the sun on our backs and a batch of optimism in my kit bag, I had no hesitation in electing to bat — the right call, as it turned out, and I'll take the credit for that much at least. Paul Bowles then proceeded to bat as though he owned the place, cruising to a majestic 110 not out, and found the perfect foil in Steve Gower, whose well-crafted 59 helped stitch together a third-wicket stand worth 129. We closed on a handsome 202 for 3 from our 39 overs, and there was a definite spring in the tea-interval step.

Defending it proved rather harder than posting it. Robert Holmes decided he too fancied three figures and duly obliged with an unbeaten 109, well supported by Malcolm Bristow's composed 29 not out and Roger Crookes' 26. They wobbled early, losing a wicket with just 3 on the board, but a 72-run third-wicket stand steadied them for good. John Hartridge did the damage with the ball, snaring 1 for 34, and I chipped in myself with 1 for 58, alongside Steve Petty's 1 for 46 — while poor Chris Milsted departed for a golden duck at our hands. Jim Hall had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, 13 byes testament to a pitch with ideas of its own.

We fell four wickets short in the end. Chins up, though — Bowles remains ominous atop the run charts and I'm quietly pleased to be sitting second in the wickets column. We'll be better for it next week.

Sun 16 Sep 1979 🧢 1st XIv Mersham Le Hatch CC · AwayformWDDDW

Here's the match report:

Sunday saw us travel to Mersham Le Hatch, and when I lost the toss and they chose to bat, I confess my heart sank slightly — it's never the news you want on a warm afternoon. But the lads dug in, and the ball did the talking. Tony Gauna was simply magnificent, spinning his way to figures of 7-80 and leaving the Mersham order in tatters. I chipped in with 2-34 and seven maidens of my own — happier holding up an end than making headlines, on this occasion. J Copeland's 37 and Bruce Campbell's 23 gave the innings some respectability, and a seventh-wicket stand of 58 threatened to make a match of it, but M Epps' golden duck rather summed up their day, and 136 all out from 44.5 overs left us with a target to chase.

Chasing it, we didn't make it easy on ourselves — 5-1 inside the first few overs is not the calm start any captain dreams of, and poor Jim Hall's own duck won't be one for his scrapbook. But Graham Cove played the innings of the day with a fine 38, and I was glad to see us home with an unbeaten 36, guiding us to 139/6 from 42.3 overs.

A scratchy, nervy, thoroughly typical village win — three wickets to the good, two points banked, and a happy coach ride home. On days like this, cricket remains a wonderfully daft game, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Sat 15 Sep 1979 🧢 1st XIv SC Southborough CC · HomeformDWDDD

Saturday 15 September 1979 dawned fair, and having won the toss I did what any captain with an ounce of optimism does on a decent morning – put Southborough in the field and hoped for the best. It rather backfired. We limped to 104 all out in 40.4 overs, propped up by Jim Hall's 28 and David Carden's tidy 24, with 22 not out from my own bat holding things together at the death. For a while it looked respectable, then between 53 for 4 and 72 for 7 the innings simply fell out of the tree, and poor Malcolm Pay had the particular indignity of a duck to nurse on the walk back.

A hundred and four looked thin, but cricket is a game of glorious contradictions. Southborough lost a wicket before troubling the scoreboard, and further ducks for Ken White and Paul Rickwood kept the pressure on. I found some rare rhythm with the ball – 5 for 29 with eight maidens, the sort of afternoon a bowler dreams about – with David Iliffe (2-26) and John Bloomfield (2-32) doing splendid support work. Southborough's Gordon Baldwin battled hard for his 31, and they were eventually done for 103, though not before 14 byes had Jim Hall wincing behind the stumps.

One run. That was the final margin – enough to have the tea urn shaking almost as much as the fielders. A scrappy, nerve-shredding, thoroughly typical afternoon of club cricket, and a very good day indeed for the club.

Sun 09 Sep 1979 🧢 Tour XIv BC Beacon CC, Cornwall · AwayformWWWLW

Sunday the 9th of September found us on the road to Beacon CC in Cornwall, a fixture I approach each year with equal parts affection and dread, given what the pasties do to the fielding after tea. I won the toss — a rare enough event to merit its own entry in the log — and, sensing runs in the pitch, had no hesitation in batting. Mike Tritton set the tone with a fine 55, and Nigel Thirkell, ever the reliable sort, chipped in an unbeaten 47, with Paul Bowles's 28 knitting things together nicely. A commanding 100-run stand for the sixth wicket did most of the heavy lifting, and we closed on 186/6 from our forty overs feeling rather pleased with ourselves.

Defending it proved a nervier business than the scoreboard now suggests. Beacon rallied through R Tonkin's unbeaten 38 and useful contributions from D Piper and Jonathan Lean, both 28, but they never quite escaped the grip Ron Hickman had on proceedings — 3-26 with three maidens, miserly as ever. Paul Bowles and Allan Cooper chimed in with two apiece, and three Beacon batsmen departed without troubling the scorers at all. Allan did have a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, 16 byes gifted like stray sixpences, but no matter — Beacon fell for 165.

We got home by 21 runs, and Nigel Thirkell quietly brought up 7,000 career runs for the club along the way — a landmark worth toasting properly at the bar. A good day for the club, and a thoroughly satisfying one for its captain.

Sat 08 Sep 1979 🧢 Tour XIv PC Perranarworthal CC · AwayformLWWWL

Saturday the 8th of September, and I called correctly at the toss for once — small mercies — and had no hesitation whatsoever in sticking us in to bat first at Perranarworthal.

We laboured a touch to 121 for 8 off our forty, though I can't grumble too much having made 34 myself at the top of the order, with David Buck ably alongside for 21. The innings really turned on a fourth-wicket stand worth 61, without which we'd have been looking at rather thinner pickings for the tea interval and a longer walk back to the pavilion afterwards.

Defending 121 always felt a shade optimistic, but cricket delights in making fools of captains, and so it proved. The ball began doing extraordinary things early on — three ducks in the innings, including one poor soul walking for nought at 6 for 1 — and I found some rhythm I didn't entirely know I still possessed, finishing with 7 for 19. Paul Bowles bowled beautifully in support, three wickets and seven maidens of pure attrition, while John Hall's defiant 31 for the opposition was about the only thing standing between us and an even heavier margin. Fred Greenfield had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps — nineteen byes is not a figure one likes to see next to the wicketkeeper's name — but nobody's perfect, and he'll have forgotten it by Tuesday nets.

A fine win in the end, 37 runs to the good, and with 277 runs and 13 wickets on the season so far I shan't pretend I'm displeased with how the Tour XI is shaping up. Onwards to the next one.

Fri 07 Sep 1979 🧢 Tour XIv TC Troon CC · AwayformLLWWW

Nigel Thirkell's captain's report — Friday 7 September 1979, away at Troon CC

The toss went against us, as it so often does when the fixtures secretary needs a laugh, and Troon elected to have first knock. They battled to 177/9 off their 44, built chiefly around G. Husband's polished 51 not out, with useful support from J. Spry (32) and Trevor Angove (20) after the pair had put on 55 for the first wicket. Credit where it's due: Paul Bowles was in devastating touch, 3-20, and made poor S. White's afternoon a short one, while I chipped in with 3-41 and Allan Cooper picked up one for 34.

Chasing 178, we made a solid fist of it — 175/7 from our 44 overs — though an early wicket with just one run up saw a few of us reaching for the antacids. I'm pleased to say I found some form with the bat, 69 the top score, and David Buck (28) and Tim Thirkell (26) both played their part in a 59-run stand for the fifth wicket that steadied the ship. Poor Jim Hall departed for a golden duck, the sort of dismissal that gets you a sympathetic pint rather than a stern word.

We fell agonisingly short — two runs the margin, cruel by any measure. There was a silver lining amid the gloom: Paul Bowles brought up 600 career wickets, a landmark worth toasting even in defeat. Not our day, but heads up and back to the nets — this side has more to give yet.

Thu 06 Sep 1979 🧢 Tour XIv GC Grampound Road CC · AwayformWLLWW

Thursday 06 September 1979 — the coach rolled into Grampound Road with our confidence intact, and I duly called correctly at the toss. Batting first felt like the only sensible option, and so it proved. Paul Bowles played the innings of the day, a chanceless 85 that had the tea urn practically boiling over in anticipation, and he found a willing partner in Mike Tritton (42) as the pair put on 85 for the first wicket before the opposition so much as smelled a breakthrough. Nigel Thirkell chipped in a tidy 29 as we closed on a handsome 189 for 4.

With the ball, things got interesting. Grampound Road built through J Warne's fine fifty and a battling stand of 51 for the third wicket, and for a while 154 looked a distinctly awkward chase for us to defend. But the lower order simply had nowhere to hide — we went from 125-6 to 139-9 at a canter, with D Greet and T Maddern both back in the pavilion without so much as a run to their names. Paul Bowles, not content with his runs, then took the ball and ran through them for 3-24, well backed by Allan Cooper's 3-26 and three miserly maidens from Nigel Thirkell. Poor Fred Greenfield had a torrid time behind the stumps, ten byes going begging, but no matter.

A 35-run win, then, and Paul Bowles's afternoon nudged him past Terry Whittaker into 4th on the club's all-time wicket-takers list. A thoroughly good day for Linton Park.

Wed 05 Sep 1979 🧢 Tour XIv PC Penryn St Gluvias CC · AwayformWWLLW

Wednesday last took us down to Penryn St Gluvias, and having won the toss I did what any sensible captain does on a promising morning — elected to bat. The right call, I still maintain.

We were shaky early, 6 for 1 gone almost before the tea flask was opened, but Nigel Thirkell steadied things magnificently, cruising to 62, and found the perfect foil in Fred Greenfield, unbeaten on 38 — the pair adding 98 for the fifth wicket to drag us to a respectable 148 for 9 from our forty overs. Not everyone enjoyed such fortune: John Hartridge and I both trudged back for golden ducks, mine arriving with all the grace you'd expect of a captain determined to lead from the front and instead leading straight back to the pavilion.

With the ball, we made no such mistakes. Jon Harris was magnificent, ripping through Penryn with 5 for 31, well supported by Nigel Thirkell's two miserly maidens and 1 for 26, and — if I may say so, just the once — my own 2 for 17 played its part too. C. Reid's 21 was the only real resistance, Mike "Bert" Webber departing without troubling the scorers, and poor Fred had a torrid time behind the stumps, 14 byes leaking away as Penryn were bowled out for 121 in 37.2 overs.

We got home by 27 runs. Nigel now leads the season's run charts with 145, Jon the wickets with nine, and the club keeps ticking along nicely. A very good day indeed — even if the skipper's contribution with the willow was, in the truest sense, nothing to write home about.

Tue 04 Sep 1979 🧢 Tour XIv PC Paul CC · AwayformWWWLL

Tuesday last saw the road take us to Paul CC, and I'll admit the toss felt like the most decisive moment of my captaincy all season — I called it right, and elected to bat.

We made hay while the sun shone, ambling to 190/5 from our 45 overs. Nigel Thirkell was the architect, a fine 83 that never looked hurried, while young Tim Thirkell chipped in an unbeaten 38 to see us home in style. The two of them put on 62 for the fifth wicket, the kind of partnership that lets the rest of us relax in the deckchairs with a cup of tea and pretend we always intended to bat that sensibly.

With the ball, things began almost embarrassingly well — the first wicket fell for a solitary run, with J Bailey and G Mitchell both back in the pavilion for ducks courtesy of our bowling, which is the sort of start that makes a captain look far cleverer than he is. Craig Osborne fought hard for Paul CC with a well-made 50, but it was never quite enough against the shackles we put on: Ron Hickman was miserly with five maidens, Allan Cooper and Ross Brice chipped away with 2-6 and 1-1 respectively, and I had the good fortune to pick up 4-41 myself, top of the bowling pile on the day.

Paul CC were held to 115/9, and we ran out winners by 75 runs. A thoroughly good day for the club — and, dare I say, not a bad one for the skipper either.

Sun 02 Sep 1979 🧢 1st XIv Staplehurst CC · AwayformLDWDD

From the captain's chair, and Staplehurst CC proved as immovable an object as the toss itself, which I duly lost — they took first strike without a second thought.

They ground their way to 164 for 9 off 48 overs, built on an opening stand of 74 that had me wondering if we'd ever prise a wicket loose. B. Wibberley's fifty was the innings' backbone, with Malcolm Bristow's 35 and B. Penny's 21 filling in the gaps. But once we got among them — 125 for 3 crumbling to 129 for 6 in the blink of an eye — it turned into rather good sport, John Robins departing without so much as a run to his name. I had the good fortune to lead the attack with 4 for 32, three of those overs maidens, well supported by Paul Bowles's 4 for 48 and Nigel Thirkell's tidy 1 for 20.

Chasing 165, we made a solid fist of it without ever threatening to get there, closing on 132 for 8 from our 42 overs. Nigel Thirkell continues his fine season with 29, Gardener chipped in with 26, though the club duck ledger swelled painfully with Trevor Back and Allan Cooper both departing for nought.

So honours shared, and on this evidence deservedly so — neither side could land the knockout blow, and a draw felt the fairest, if least satisfying, result of the lot. Thirkell now sits proudly atop our run charts this season, and I'm not too shy to admit the wickets column reads rather kindly too.

Wed 29 Aug 1979 🧢 Midweek XIv Gravesend CC · AwayformDLWWD

Wednesday 29 August 1979, and off we trundled to Gravesend CC with the sun, for once, on our side. Winning the toss, I had no hesitation in batting first — and for once a captain's hunch paid off handsomely. Roger Crooks played the innings of the day, a fine 58, with Mick Filmer weighing in with 49 and Malcolm Pay unbeaten on 24; the eighth-wicket pair's stand of 54 was the sort of late-order mischief that wins matches. Extras chipped in a generous 28, which says either that our batting was resolute or their bowling was wayward — I shall be diplomatic and say a bit of both. Poor David Iliffe, meanwhile, made his way back to the pavilion for nought, and the Duck Club welcomes its latest member.

184/8 from our 39 overs looked defendable, and so it proved. Gravesend never quite got going, losing an early wicket at 5-1 before Colin Myers (51) and Jonathan Hinks (25) rallied with a watchful sixth-wicket stand of 60. It wasn't enough. I found some rhythm with the ball and finished with 6-64 — my best figures of the season and, I'll allow myself a small preen, richly deserved — with Steve Petty (3-40) and Trevor Back (1-0) mopping up the rest. Richard Walker joined the Duck Club alongside poor Iliffe. Gravesend were all out for 136.

A 48-run win, then, and a thoroughly good day for the club. Roger continues to top the run charts and I find myself, rather improbably, leading the wickets column too. If this is a golden summer, nobody has told my knees — but I shan't be complaining.

Mon 27 Aug 1979 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · AwayformLLDWD

Skipper's log, Monday 27 August 1979: the coach rattled us down to Bearsted, where I lost the toss yet again and duly volunteered us to field first, more out of habit than tactics.

Bearsted made hard work of their 167 for 9 off 58.4 overs, though not hard enough for my liking. Colin Fleetwood ground his way past fifty to 61, with Mike Read (29) and Ian Lambert (27) chipping in either side. We struck early — the scoreboard read a mere 3 for 1 when the first wicket fell — but a stubborn third-wicket stand of 50 dragged them level before we found our feet again, ripping through the tail from 149 for 5 to 166 for 8 in the blink of an eye. I led the attack with 3 for 35, Tony Gauna toiled nobly for 3 for 51 (three maidens — not a run given away lightly), and Nigel Thirkell chipped in with 1 for 28.

Our reply never quite got out of second gear: 118 for 6 off 48 overs, built around Nigel Thirkell's watchful 32 and Paul Bowles' 29. Poor Jim Hall walked the walk of shame for a duck, adding his name to the club's less illustrious ledger.

Nigel continues to top our season's run charts with 420, and I'll admit some quiet pride in leading the wicket-takers with 47 — though pride comes before a draw, evidently. Honours even at Bearsted: nobody deserved to lose, and nobody quite deserved to win either.

Sun 26 Aug 1979 🧢 1st XIv OC Old Anchorians CC · HomeformDLLDW

Sunday 26 August 1979, and Old Anchorians CC were our visitors. I called wrong at the toss and we were sent into the field first — no bad thing on paper, until the pitch turned distinctly benign underfoot.

Old Anchorians made hay early, riding a stand of 127 for the third wicket between A. Jones (63) and P. Francis (59, likewise past his fifty) to reach 145 for 3 and threaten to bat us clean out of the match. Mercifully, club cricket has a habit of correcting itself, and correct itself it did: from 145-3 to 159-6 in short order, with I. Barratt back in the pavilion for a duck of his own courtesy of our bowling. Tony Gauna was the chief tormentor, spinning his way to 5 for 51 with equal parts guile and good fortune, while Allan Cooper chipped in with 2 for 38 and eight — eight! — maidens, bowling as though runs were being rationed. They closed on 170 for 7 from their 52 overs.

Our reply never got out of second gear. Jim Hall's watchful 21 was the innings' high-water mark — and, milestone-hunters take note, it eased him past Robert Chance into 16th on the club's all-time run-scorers' list. From 51-3 we slid to 56-6, Fred Greenfield walking back for nought, and I must confess I did no better myself, contributing a golden blob when the side badly needed calm heads — leadership by example rather let me down that afternoon. We limped to 87 for 7 from 48 overs.

Elsewhere in the ledger, Brian Piper's 274 runs keep him third in this year's run charts, and Allan Cooper's 15 wickets hold third in the bowling. As for the match itself: honours shared, a draw wrung from a day when neither side could quite land the killer blow — and, for once, I'll happily settle for stalemate.

Sat 25 Aug 1979 🧢 1st XIv SC St Lukes Maidstone CC · HomeformLDLLD

Lost the toss on Saturday and duly asked to have a bowl first, which suited me nicely once St Lukes Maidstone found themselves 5 for 1 inside the first exchanges — not the tea-and-cucumber-sandwiches start their skipper would have wanted. K. Pride, P. Hoare and P. Morris all trooped back to the pavilion without so much as a single to their name, and the rot never really stopped. I had a rare purple patch with the ball, finishing with 4 for 23, while Martin Thompson bowled with the miserly discipline of a man guarding the last biscuit in the tin — 4 for 35 and ten maidens that must have felt like a lifetime to face. John Bloomfield chipped in with 1 for 19, and between us St Lukes were bowled out for a modest 82 from 48.5 overs.

Chasing that sort of total ought to be routine, and for once it very nearly was. Malcolm Pay batted with the calm assurance of a man who knows exactly where the tea urn is kept, ending unbeaten on 43, while David Carden gave excellent support with 30 not out as we cruised home to 86 for 1 in 32.2 overs.

A thoroughly satisfying afternoon all round, and one that keeps both Malcolm and myself ticking along nicely in the season's charts — he sits fourth among the runs with 202, and I find myself, somewhat improbably, leading the wickets with 44. Nine wickets to the good and a fine day for the club.

Wed 22 Aug 1979 🧢 Midweek XIv Gravesend CC · HomeformDDLWW

Wednesday 22nd August, and Gravesend CC rolled up the drive for what turned out to be a proper old-fashioned tussle. Won the toss, fancied batting first, and for once the pitch report in my head matched the pitch itself. Roger Crooks and Brian Piper set about proceedings with an opening stand of 77 that had me quietly purring on the boundary rope, Crooks eventually falling for a well-made 54 and Piper following suit with 51 of his own. Paul Bowles chipped in with a busy 48, and we closed on a healthy 177 for 3 from our 44.5 overs — the sort of total that makes tea taste that bit sweeter.

Defending it, though, was another matter entirely. Stuart Waterton simply refused to leave, ghosting to a magnificent unbeaten century while Les Curtis kept him honest with 43, the pair putting on 150 for the first wicket before we so much as glimpsed a breakthrough. Bowles did what damage he could with the ball, 1 for 53, and Ian Brattle bowled with the miserly discipline of a man who begrudges every run, four maidens to his name. Poor Trevor Back had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, 13 byes testament to a pitch that clearly had ideas of its own.

There was cause for cheer amid the toil: Bowles brought up 11,000 career runs for the club, and Piper's fifty eased him past John Taylor into 19th on our all-time run charts. In the end honours were shared, a draw that flattered neither side nor shamed either. A fair result, all told — Gravesend will remember Waterton's ton; we'll remember getting away with it.

Sun 19 Aug 1979 🧢 1st XIv Whitstable CC · HomeformDLDLL

Sunday 19 August 1979, and Whitstable CC rolled into Linton Park on a day when the coin, at least, knew what it was doing. I called correctly and, with the sort of confidence I'd later have cause to examine, chose to bat.

For a while it looked a sound decision. Allan Cooper played the anchor role beautifully for 34, with Malcolm Pay (31) and David Carden (30) building steadily alongside him — 68 for 3 and looking every inch a total to trouble the visitors. Then, as club cricket so loves to remind us, the wheels came off with startling efficiency: 68-3 became 88-6 before anyone had quite worked out what was happening, and we limped home to 148 for 8 from our 60.3 overs, grateful for the shelter of the pavilion.

In the field, sanity was restored. David Iliffe struck early and often enough to finish with 1 for 8, while Nigel Thirkell bowled with the miserly discipline of a man guarding the tea urn, sending down four maidens and giving Whitstable precious little to work with. They crept to 48 for 1 from 18.4 overs before honours were shared.

A nod, too, to Brian Piper, whose 14 runs eased him past Andrew Moss into 20th on the club's all-time run-scorers list — a quiet milestone on a loud afternoon. Nigel continues to lead our 1979 run charts with 388. A draw, then — not the glory we batted for, but not the collapse we deserved either. Honest cricket, honestly shared.

Sat 18 Aug 1979 🧢 1st XIv BC Bobbing Court CC · HomeformLDLDL

Lost the toss on a Saturday that promised more than it delivered, and watched Bobbing Court CC elect to bat first at home. In the field, the lads toiled through 49.3 overs as the visitors ground out 162 for 6, G Davis top-scoring with a stubborn 45, Roy Weller chipping in 37 and J Gorf 21, the pair anchoring a 61-run sixth-wicket stand that did most of the damage. There were bright spots, mind: David Elgar back in the pavilion for a duck, John Bloomfield the pick of the attack with 3-34, Ian Brattle not far behind on 3-60, and I was pleased enough with four maidens to keep things honest at my end.

Chasing 163, we never remotely looked like troubling the target. Nine became one wicket down became twenty-one for four almost before anyone had settled into a deckchair, and from there it was a procession. Malcolm Pay, C- Phillips and Stan Wratten all fell for ducks as the middle order simply evaporated, and we were bowled out for 59 in a miserable 31 overs. I managed 19 amid the wreckage, which at least nudged me past George Champion into 22nd on the club's all-time run-scorers list, small consolation on a black day for the top order.

Beaten by 103 runs, no arguments, no excuses. Heads up, chins up, and back to the nets we go.

Sun 12 Aug 1979 🧢 1st XIv Sibton Park CC · HomeformWLDLD

Sunday brought Sibton Park to Linton Park, and having called correctly for once, I saw no earthly reason not to bat first — a decision I stand by, even if the top order didn't entirely share my confidence, with the first wicket gone for just 6. Jim Hall then set about repairing the innings with real purpose, his fifty-plus the backbone of our 153, well supported by Brian Piper's 34 and Paul Brattle's 20; a stout 79-run stand for the third wicket held the innings together beautifully before the last few wickets went the way of a soufflé in a draughty kitchen, tumbling from 149 for 7 to all out for 153 in the blink of an eye.

Defending that total, we knew it would take discipline rather than miracles, and for a while it looked promising until Sibton's openers put on 62 without loss and rather took the shine off things. David Rawlings, unbeaten on 49, and P. Woodward with 42 built a stand that gave their innings its spine. I managed to find some rhythm with the ball myself, finishing with 3 for 48, and had good company in Allan Cooper, whose 2 for 31 — including six miserly maidens — kept the scoreboard honest even as the game slipped from us. Sibton eventually got home by four wickets from the final over.

Two footnotes worth raising a cup of tea to: Allan Cooper passing 300 career wickets, and Jim Hall's fifty nudging him up to 17th on the all-time run charts.

Not our day, in the end — heads up, and back to the nets.

Sat 11 Aug 1979 🧢 1st XIv Headcorn CC · HomeformLWLDL

Saturday 11 August 1979, and Headcorn were the visitors on a day that felt made for cricket. Winning the toss, I had no hesitation in putting us in — a decision that, by the close, could have gone either way but seemed the right one at the time. We laboured a touch to 143/8 from our 49 overs, rescued from mediocrity by Paul Brattle's watchful 44 not out, with Malcolm Pay (22) and Roger Craske (21) chipping in respectably. It wasn't all sunshine, mind — both David Buck and Ross Brice trudged back for ducks, and it says something about our efforts that the extras column, on 25, very nearly outscored half our top order.

Defending 143 always felt like a tall order, and so it proved a nervy, absorbing watch. Headcorn crept to 133/7 from their 39, Paul Millen playing the anchor role beautifully for his unbeaten 41, ably supported by Brian Penney's 21. But the lads dug in when it mattered — Andrew Chapman departed without troubling the scorers, and I had one of those afternoons where everything comes out right, finishing with 4-60, well backed up by Martin Thompson's tidy 1-17.

In the end neither side could quite land the killer blow, and honours were shared. A draw, then — not the win we wanted, but with the ball doing what it did for me today, and Brattle's bat still purring nicely, there's plenty here to build on.

Fri 10 Aug 1979 🧢 Midweek XIv SC Sennocke CC · AwayformWDDLW

Here is the match report:

There's a particular flavour of English optimism required to be sent in to field at Sennocke, and on Friday the toss did us no favours whatsoever. Still, the lads set about their overs with good cheer, and Sennocke were eventually shepherded out for 136 in the 44th, C. Taylor's fifty (56) the innings' backbone, well supported by Tim Wood's 30, though it was Reg Oldfield who did the real damage with a fine 3-21, backed handsomely by Paul Bowles's 3-32 — three maidens included, not a run given away lightly — and a tidy 1-24 from Ian Webb. Sennocke wobbled from a healthy 129-7 to all out at 136, which rather suggests the closing overs concentrated a few minds.

Poor Robert Bloomfield will not remember his innings fondly, dispatched for a duck without so much as troubling the scorers, but Nigel Thirkell made ample amends for anyone's nerves with a composed 76, the innings' clear architect, and a crucial fourth-wicket stand of 84 did the heavy lifting. We got there at 137-5 with overs to spare.

A tidy five-wicket win, then, and one that leaves Thirkell handily placed second in the season's run charts and Bowles sitting proudly atop the wicket-takers. Sennocke were competitive, but on this evidence we're not a bad side to be chasing. Onwards indeed.

Wed 08 Aug 1979 🧢 Midweek XIv MP Maidstone police · HomeformLWDDL

Skipper's Log — Wednesday 08 August 1979

Maidstone police were our visitors, and I sent them in first, which for once looked like the sort of decision a captain gets to feel smug about. They stumbled to 3 for the first wicket down and I thought we had them, but Bailey dug in for 40 and dragged them up towards respectability before the innings folded, 78 all out in 39.3 overs, with a lovely late collapse from 71-5 to 71-8 that had us grinning behind our hands. Ian Webb was magnificent, 4-6 and unplayable for large stretches, with Steve Petty (2-10, four maidens, positively parsimonious) and Brian Piper (2-26) squeezing the life out of the middle order. Sands and Paul Kinnell both walked back for ducks, which never fails to cheer a fielding side.

Chasing 79 should have been a formality, and for a while it was, until we contrived to turn 38-3 into 42-6 in the time it takes to make a cup of tea. Brian Piper held firm at the other end, unbeaten on 22 and single-handedly keeping the scoreboard honest, while poor Paul Brattle collected a golden duck for his troubles. The tail, bless them, wagged just enough to see us home, adding a nervy but decisive 38 to get us over the line by 4 wickets. I chipped in with bat and ball along the way, and find myself top of both the run and wicket charts for the season, 132 runs and 9 wickets, which I shall try not to mention again.

Two points, thoroughly earned, and a match that did its level best to give us heart failure before letting us win it anyway. Village cricket in a nutshell.

Sat 04 Aug 1979 🧢 Sunday NVKCv LC Langleybury CC · HomeformWWWWW

Saturday 04 August 1979, and it was Langleybury CC who paid us a visit — though not before the coin let us down and we were asked to field first, which is never quite how I'd script it.

Batting first is a mixed blessing when you'd rather have had a bowl, but the lads knuckled down well enough to post 123/7 from our 40 overs. Brian Piper was the mainstay with a fine 35, and Malcolm Pay chipped in handsomely with 26 — the pair of them putting on 53 for the fifth wicket, which, on a day when wickets were falling, was worth its weight in tea and cake.

Defending 123 was always going to be a nervy afternoon's work, and so it proved. Langleybury's Martin Brown played the innings of the day, a composed 63 that gave their chase real backbone. For a spell we had them rattled — 102/5 became 104/8 in a blur, Simon Palmer and T. Hogan both departing without troubling the scorers, and it felt, briefly, as though the impossible might be on. Nigel Thirkell was magnificent throughout, 4-31 with three maidens thrown in for good measure, well backed by Allan Cooper (2-19) and Paul Bowles (2-26). But Langleybury's tail wagged just enough, and they scrambled home 124/9 from 39.4 overs — beaten by the barest of margins, a single wicket.

Cruel arithmetic for a side that fought so hard, but there's no shame in it. Nigel continues to lead our Sunday charts for both runs and wickets, and if the rest of us can lend him even a fraction of that form, we'll turn these nail-biters into victories. We'll be better for it next week.

Tue 31 Jul 1979 🧢 Midweek XIv MC Margate CC · AwayformLLWDD

Tuesday 31 July 1979, and off we trotted to Margate CC in what I can only describe as misplaced optimism. Winning the toss, I took the bold decision to bat first — the right call, I still maintain, whatever the scorebook might suggest to the contrary. That scorebook shows 55 all out from 32 overs, with the top order departing as though late for evensong: 6 for 1 became 14 for 4 before anyone had really settled into their stride. Ross Brice, Paul Brattle and Graham Cove all contributed identical, golden nothings — a hat-trick of ducks that I shall generously call "solidarity."

With the ball, we at least gave a good account of ourselves. Margate cantered to 58 for 2 in 21.2 overs, but not without some real quality from our attack — Ron Hickman leading the line with 1 for 7 and two tidy maidens, well supported by Paul Bowles's 1 for 15. Small mercies, but mercies nonetheless.

As for your captain, I contributed nought with the bat, and the less said about that innings the better — we shall draw a veil over it, as promised, and move swiftly on.

Paul Bowles continues to lead both the run charts and the wicket charts for the 1979 Midweek XI, which is either deeply reassuring or faintly embarrassing for the rest of us, depending on your outlook.

Beaten by 8 wickets, then — not our day. Heads up, chins out, and back to the nets.

Sat 28 Jul 1979 🧢 1st XIv Sibton Park CC · AwayformWLWLD

Saturday, 28 July 1979, and out we went to Sibton Park, where I won the toss and, in a fit of optimism I'd later have cause to regret, opted to bat first. Runs came in fits and starts: Graham Cove led the way with a tidy 30, well supported by Tim Thirkell's 22 and Malcolm Pay's 21, and the third-wicket pair put on a crucial 54 to give the innings some shape. But cricket has a habit of humbling the complacent, and from 136 for six we contrived to lose our last three wickets for two runs, folding for 138 in 44 overs. Poor Clive Stacey will want to forget his golden duck entirely — we shan't let him.

Defending 138 was always going to want discipline and a slice of luck, and Sibton Park had rather more of the latter than we did. John Bloomfield bowled beautifully for 1 for 17, four of his overs maidens, while Ian Webb chipped away for 1 for 13. I did my bit too, finishing with 1 for 37 — modest company for a season in which I'm rather proud to sit top of the 1st XI wicket charts with 33 scalps, Tim Thirkell not far behind the leading run-scorers on 199. None of it was enough, though: K. Swaffer, ominously unbeaten on 58, and R. Arnold's 49 shared an unanswerable 85 for the third wicket, and Sibton Park cantered home at 141 for 3.

Seven wickets is a proper beating, no dressing it up. Heads up, chins high, and back to the nets — there's work to do.

Sun 22 Jul 1979 🧢 Sunday NVKCv OC Outwood CC · HomeformWWWWW

Sunday 22 July 1979, and we welcomed Outwood CC to Linton Park in conditions that, for once, looked like they might reward a bit of forward planning. I won the toss and, in a rare fit of tactical boldness, stuck them in.

It came off rather nicely. Outwood were bowled out for 100 in 38.5 overs, with only M. McLeod (32 not out) offering any real resistance, while D. Sinclair and A. Christie both trooped off for ducks. Nigel Thirkell was the chief tormentor with 3-17, Tony Gauna chipped in with 3-22, and I managed to get among the wickets myself with 2-34. Allan Cooper, meanwhile, bowled with the miserliness of a man counting out his own tea money — four maidens and barely a run to show for it.

Chasing 101, we made rather more of a leisurely afternoon of it than strictly necessary, reaching 103 for 2 in 35.5 overs. David Carden was the mainstay with 34, Nigel Thirkell added an unbeaten 31 to cap off a fine all-round day, and Paul Bowles chipped in a tidy 23.

Thirkell continues to lead our 1979 Sunday run charts with 177 for the season, while Gauna sits second in the wickets column on 12 — both thoroughly deserved. Eight wickets to the good and home in time for tea: a thoroughly satisfactory afternoon's work, and one I shall claim full credit for on the strength of a single, well-timed decision at the coin toss.

Wed 18 Jul 1979 🧢 Midweek XIv DC Detours CC · HomeformDLLWD

Wednesday 18 July 1979 saw Detours CC visit us, and with the coin obligingly falling my way, I had no hesitation in sending us in to bat — a decision I stood by even as our innings meandered to 135 all out in 47.4 overs, which felt rather like watching paint dry on a warm afternoon. Brian Piper led the way with a spirited 23, well supported by David Tolhurst's 21 and David Carden's 20, though the rest of us rather modestly declined to trouble the scorers.

Then came our turn to bowl, and here the afternoon took its own peculiar turn: Detours had barely got their pads dry, managing just 6 without loss from 3.2 overs before matters were called to a halt and play could go no further. I confess that with 124 runs already banked for the season atop the Midweek XI's run charts, I rather fancied another outing with the bat before the day was done — but it wasn't to be.

So honours were shared — a draw forced not by dogged defiance from either camp, but by circumstance denying both sides the chance to press home whatever advantage they fancied they held. Not a classic by any stretch, and Detours will scarcely remember it, but there's a great deal to be said for an evening of gentle cricket, a modest total, and tea taken in good company. We'll settle for that, and look forward to the next one.

Sun 15 Jul 1979 🧢 1st XIv SC Sennocke CC · HomeformLWLWL

I elected to bat when we won the toss on Sunday, and for once the decision looked sound rather than merely stubborn. A wicket down for just 7 had me reaching for the antacids early doors, but Trevor Back settled everything with a composed 82 not out, and the innings found real shape when he and Tim Thirkell (25) put on 72 for the fifth wicket. I chipped in with 26 of my own down the order, and we closed on a healthy 193/7 from our 51 overs. Poor Fred Greenfield will be buying the teas after his golden duck — the walk of shame duly noted for the ledger.

In the field, Sennocke never quite got away from us. Allan Cooper (3-24) and John Bloomfield (1-8) chipped away, Tony Gauna bowled with real discipline for five maidens, and a Dovey departed without troubling the scorers to make it two ducks on the day. Peter Wright's 33 was the only real resistance, but I found some rhythm to finish with 4-45 as the visitors were held to 118/9 from their 55 overs — never enough to chase us down, and never quite doomed enough for us to force it home either. A quietly pleasing personal landmark along the way: I passed 700 career wickets, while Brian Piper's 22 runs nudged him past George Champion and up to 21st on the club's all-time run-scorers list.

A draw, then — honours shared, and honestly a fair reflection of an afternoon where both sides had their say but neither could land the killer blow. No complaints from this captain; just a proper game of cricket, played in the proper spirit.

Sat 14 Jul 1979 🧢 1st XIv BC Bowaters CC · HomeformWLWLW

Saturday 14 July, Bowaters CC visiting, and I lost the toss for what felt like the hundredth time this season — they had no hesitation in batting first. They ground their way to 189 for 7 from their 49 overs, built chiefly around Martin Williams, who sailed serenely past his fifty, with Tony Williams (46) and John Henderson (26) lending sturdy support. A 67-run stand for the fourth wicket was the platform, and though we clawed things back — 167 for 4 becoming 175 for 7 in a hurry, with poor Bob Bourne back in the pavilion without troubling the scorers — it was a touch too little, too late. I had a happy afternoon with the ball, finishing with 3 for 70, while Terry Donovan (2 for 40, three miserly maidens) and David Iliffe (1 for 30) chipped away nicely.

Chasing 190, we never quite found our rhythm, bowled out for 92 in 38.4 overs. I managed 17 before departing, and there was a genuine bright spot amid the wreckage: Jim Hall's watchful 18 nudged him past Andrew Moss into 19th on the club's all-time run-scorers list — one for the mantelpiece indeed. Elsewhere, Tim Thirkell continues his fine season, fourth in the 1979 averages, and I'm rather chuffed to still lead the wicket charts with 28.

A 97-run defeat, no dressing it up. Heads up, and back to the nets.

Sun 08 Jul 1979 🧢 Sunday NVKCv GC Glynde & Beddingham CC · HomeformWWWWW

I elected to field on winning the toss, and for once my judgement wasn't questioned even by our resident sceptics on the boundary. Glynde & Beddingham made steady if unspectacular progress to 146/7 from their 40 overs, Graham Baker top-scoring with 44 and Derek Pullen unbeaten on 38, the pair adding 68 for the second wicket while the rest of us toiled in the field. Poor R Clayton departed without so much as troubling the scorers — a duck to forget. Trevor Back was the pick of our attack with 3-53, Nigel Thirkell chipped in with 2-20 and Paul Bowles 1-12, while I did my bit with a couple of tidy maidens, more miser than matchwinner.

Chasing 147, we made distinctly hard work of it, slipping to 5-1 almost before the tea urn had boiled. But Tim Thirkell's 31, well supported by Nigel Thirkell's 27 and an unbeaten 27 from Trevor Back, steadied the ship, the pair sharing 58 for the fourth wicket to drag us home to 149/7 with just five balls of the 38th over to spare.

Nigel Thirkell continues to lead our 1979 Sunday NVKC run charts with 146, and Trevor Back tops the wicket pile with 14 — the old firm doing the business again. A scrappy, nervy, thoroughly English three-wicket win: not pretty, but two points are two points, and I'll take those with a smile and a stiff cup of tea any day.

Sat 07 Jul 1979 🧢 1st XIv MV Medway Valley · HomeformLWLWL

From the captain's chair, Saturday brought Medway Valley to Linton Park, and for once I won the toss and had no hesitation in taking first knock — the right call, I felt, and not just because I'd already told everyone so before the coin landed.

We rattled up 165 for 6 from our fifty overs, though "rattled" undersells the wobble at 6 for 1 that had me pacing the boundary rope rather more than the occasion strictly demanded. Nigel Thirkell settled things with a handsome 63, and a stand of 65 for the fifth wicket with Graham Cove, unbeaten on 40, put the innings back on its feet. Spare a thought, as ever, for poor Paul Brattle, whose golden duck adds another entry to a Duck Club ledger that shows no sign of thinning.

In the field we were rampant. Medway Valley slid to 87 all out in 36.5 overs, Weir's 31 the only real resistance before the innings collapsed from 72 for 5 to 86 for 8 in a hurry, Brooks departing without scoring for good measure. Paul Bowles was superb with 3 for 7, well backed by Terry Donovan's 2 for 17, and I had the pleasure of 3 for 25 with three maidens thrown in — and, with the bat earlier, a personal 12 that quietly nudged me past Gordon Fenner into 23rd on the club's all-time run list.

A fine win by 78 runs. Onwards.

Tue 03 Jul 1979 🧢 1st XIv West Farleigh CC · AwayformDLWLW

Lost the toss at West Farleigh and were asked to take the field, which in club cricket is code for "good luck lads, off you go." Somehow we made a fist of it regardless, closing on 103/4 from our sixteen overs. Nigel Thirkell was in fine touch, easing to a well-crafted 51, and found an able ally in Brian Piper, whose 40 kept the scoreboard honest. We wobbled early, slipping to 0-1 almost before the tea urn had boiled, but the pair's stand of 83 for the second wicket steadied everything that followed. Paul Bowles, for his part, contributed a golden duck to proceedings, the sort of innings best forgotten by Tuesday teatime.

Defending 103 is never a comfortable afternoon, and West Farleigh gave us a proper examination, reaching 107/5 from their sixteen. Roger Crooks led their reply with 31, well supported by Don Fermor's unbeaten 29 and Fred Baker's 20. Yet our attack had its say too — Trevor Back and Simon Day both departed for nought, Nigel Thirkell leading from the front with 2-37 and Paul Bowles chipping in usefully with 1-19. Ten byes, mind, told their own tale of a trying day behind the stumps for Jim Hall.

Thirkell continues to have a season worth talking about, now second in the 1979 run charts with 306 and top of the wicket pile with 24. As for the rest of us, beaten by five wickets is no disgrace against a side that made us work for every run. We'll be better for it next week.

Sun 01 Jul 1979 🧢 Sunday NVKCv YC Yalding CC · AwayformWWWWW

Skipper's Log — Sunday 1st July, 1979. Away to Yalding.

Lost the toss again — my coin-tossing form remains as reliable as the Kent weather forecast — and were promptly asked to field. No complaints from me; a morning in the outfield beats standing about waiting to bat, or so I keep telling myself. Yalding ground out 108 for 9 from their forty overs, with Phil Jackson the chief nuisance, unbeaten on 53 and clearly enjoying himself rather more than we'd have liked. Poor T. Oyler, meanwhile, was back in the pavilion without so much as a single to his name — harsh way to spend a Sunday. I'll allow myself one modest boast: 2 for 16 kept things tidy at my end, with Paul Bowles (2-18) and Nigel Thirkell (1-20) chipping in nicely, while Tony Gauna bowled two maidens as though he'd personally taken against the idea of runs altogether.

Chasing 109, we made light work of it — 112 for 1 in just over thirty overs, David Carden anchoring things with an unbeaten fifty and Nigel Thirkell right alongside him on 46 not out. Rather fitting that Thirkell should mark the day by easing past William Buck into 6th on the club's all-time run-scorers list, and he now sits proudly atop the 1979 Sunday run charts too, with Trevor Back leading the wickets.

A nine-wicket win, then, and a thoroughly pleasant afternoon's work. Onwards to the next one.

Wed 27 Jun 1979 🧢 Midweek XIv SC Sevenoaks & District Wednesday CC · HomeformDDLLW

Won the toss, elected to bat, and for once felt rather pleased with myself for it — though the scorebook took its time agreeing. We were 0 for 1 before some of us had found our guard, which is never the ideal advertisement for a captain's judgement. Credit to the middle order for steadying things: a fourth-wicket stand of 110 dragged us back into respectability, with John Hartridge chipping in a fine 48 and yours truly finding some form for 73. Then, as is traditional at Linton Park, we contrived to make it interesting again — 144 for 4 became 153 for 7 in what felt like the time it takes to pour a tea, with poor David Buck and J Brooks both departing without troubling the scorers. We closed on 154 for 8 off 48.3 overs, a total that felt better earned than it looked.

With the ball, Sevenoaks gave us a proper fright before obliging us again — 90 for 4 slipping to 102 for 7 as the innings folded much as ours had. I had one of those afternoons where everything spun exactly where it was meant to, finishing with 6 for 43, well backed by Nigel Thirkell's 2 for 39 and Mike Chapman's tidy 1 for 8 from three maidens. D. Walker's 40 and Peter Day's 20 had threatened to see them home, and our stumper's 11 byes offered generous encouragement, but 122 for 9 wasn't enough.

Honours shared, then — a draw that flattered neither side's nerves but suited both scorecards nicely.

Tue 26 Jun 1979 🧢 1st XIv HC Hunton Wanderers CC · HomeformLDLWL

Tuesday, 26 June, and I lost the toss again — Hunton Wanderers, quite reasonably, fancied first knock. No matter; there's a particular English pleasure in bowling first on a good morning, and the lads set about it with real purpose.

It could scarcely have started better. An early wicket at 7-1 had them rattled, and though M Beckwith played the lone hand of substance for his 26, wickets kept tumbling round him — 46-5 sliding to 59-8 as the middle order simply couldn't get out of the blocks. Poor J Brook Jr never even got off the mark, back in the pavilion without so much as a single to his name. Sixteen overs, 65/9, and honestly we might have wrapped it up sooner had we not been enjoying ourselves so much. Tony Gauna was magnificent, 4-27 the pick of a fine attack, with Nigel Thirkell (3-20) and Ron Hickman (2-10) doing rather more than mopping up.

Chasing 66, we strolled home for the loss of a single wicket in 13 overs, Nigel Thirkell — clearly not content with terrorising batsmen — carrying his bat for an unbeaten 39 and rounding off a proper captain's-dream afternoon with the willow too. He continues to sit second in the season's wicket charts, while Paul Bowles leads the run-scoring with 314 to his name; between them the top of the table is starting to look rather Linton Park-shaped.

A comfortable nine-wicket win, then, and a thoroughly satisfying one. Onwards indeed.

Sat 23 Jun 1979 🧢 1st XIv HC Hythe CC · HomeformWLDLW

Beaten by nine wickets, and if I'm honest, the pitch of my own thinking told me to bowl first, but the coin had other ideas, so in we went. Forty-four all out from 28.2 overs is not a score you build a chapter of village cricket history on — we lost the first wicket with the board still reading nought, and from there it was less a batting collapse than a stampede for the pavilion, 0-1 to 8-4 in the time it takes to pour a decent tea. David Carden, Fred Greenfield and Mike Iliffe all made the long walk back without troubling the scorers, and the Duck Club ledger groans under the weight of three fresh entries.

With the ball, we at least made a fist of it. Terry Donovan was the pick of the attack — 1-22 with three maidens thrown in for good, mean measure — but Hythe's Ralph Carter, unbeaten on 22, simply eased them home to 47/1 from 18.2 overs. Poor Fred Greenfield, having already made his ducal contribution with the bat, then had a torrid time behind the stumps, shipping eight byes for good measure — not his afternoon, by any stretch. For my own part, I chipped in as best I could, sitting fourth in this year's run charts with 127 to my name, which was cold comfort watching us capitulate from the middle order.

Nine wickets is nine wickets, and there's no dressing it up as anything other than a thorough beating. But forty-four all out has a way of concentrating the mind, and we'll go again next week considerably wiser, if not much prouder.

Tue 19 Jun 1979 🧢 1st XIv MT Maidstone Teachers · HomeformLWLDL

Here's the report:

Tuesday 19th June, and a decent enough evening for it at home to Maidstone Teachers. I called correctly for once and never seriously considered doing anything but batting first, and the lads rewarded that hunch handsomely. Nigel Thirkell played the innings of the night, 46 not out and barely troubled throughout, while I was happy to potter along in support for an unbeaten 31 as we posted 121/4 from our sixteen overs. A total that looked useful without being wholly safe, in the way these things do.

With ball in hand we set about making it look rather more comfortable than it perhaps deserved to be. Andy Bryan's 27 was the only real resistance the Teachers could muster, and once we'd winkled him out the innings fell away alarmingly, 44/3 becoming 58/6 before anyone had quite settled into their tea. Poor C. Hooker departed without so much as a squeak off the bat, a golden duck to treasure or forget depending on his mood. Thirkell backed up his batting with 2/22, Ron Hickman chipped in with 2/31, and I managed 1/2 to round things off tidily. All out for 89 in 15.3 overs, and the game was ours.

Two points, won by 32 runs, and thoroughly deserved. A proper team performance, and precisely the sort of evening that makes club cricket worth turning up for.

Sun 17 Jun 1979 🧢 1st XIv CS Combined Schools · HomeformDLWLD

Skipper's Log, Sunday 17 June 1979 — we had Combined Schools round for the day, and winning the toss I had no hesitation shoving us in first, a decision I still maintain was the right one even if 119/9 from our forty overs was hardly a declaration of dominance. Nigel Thirkell led the way with a tidy 25, Brian Piper chipped in a useful 23 of his own — a knock that, I'm reliably informed, nudges him past Gordon Fenner and up to 22nd on the club's all-time run-scorers list, which is the sort of thing that keeps a chap warm on a cold boundary — and Paul Brattle added a handy 22 to round things out.

Defending such a modest total always feels like carrying a candle into a gale, but the lads set about it with real purpose. An early wobble at 4-1 had me quietly optimistic, and when they slid to 23-4 I allowed myself a rare smile. I had a happy afternoon with the ball myself, finishing with 4-41 and poor C Ricketts departing without troubling the scorers, while Allan Cooper bowled with real miserliness — three maidens and 1-3, enough to lift him past Dick Langridge into 12th on the all-time wicket-takers list — and Brian Piper took 1-4 for good measure.

Alas, Colin Cowdrey's unbeaten 33 and an infuriating last-wicket stand of 37 saw them home by two wickets. Not our day. Heads up, back to the nets.

Sat 16 Jun 1979 🧢 1st XIv MC Maidstone YMCA CC · AwayformLDLWL

Chin up, lads — Maidstone away always has a way of humbling you before the tea urn's even boiled, and 16 June was no exception. Lost the toss, asked to field, and I confess my heart sank a little watching them settle in. But we scrapped hard: Rod Warboys top-scored with 38 for the hosts, Bassett unbeaten on 32 and Wyles chipping in 28 to nudge them to 158/7 off their 49. I managed to find some rhythm with the ball and finished with 5-68 — more luck than judgement, if I'm honest, though I shan't be turning down the figures. Terry Donovan bowled beautifully tight alongside me, three maidens that gave nothing away and kept the scoreboard honest.

Chasing 159, we never quite got out of second gear. Tim Thirkell played the innings of the day, a composed 36, and Fred Greenfield saw us home to a respectable if unspectacular 98/4 from our 41 overs — the extra overs perhaps telling on tired legs and heavier eyelids. No demons in the pitch, just a collective reluctance to chase shadows on a warm Saturday.

So a draw it was — honours shared, nobody quite deserving the spoils, and frankly nobody left too disappointed either. Tim continues his fine season, now third in the run charts with 118, and I'll admit a quiet pride at leading the wicket column with 17. A fair result, all told: not the stuff of legend, but the sort of afternoon that reminds you why we bother — bad tea, good company, and cricket that refuses to make its mind up.

Sun 10 Jun 1979 🧢 Sunday NVKCv Marden CC, Kent · HomeformWWWWW

It was Marden CC of Kent who came calling on the 10th of June, and true to form the coin let us down before a ball was bowled — they had first use of it and chose to field, leaving us to make what we could of a good drying pitch.

Make what we could we did, up to a point. Nigel Thirkell batted with real application for his fifty not out, the innings' one column of granite among rather more wobbly neighbours, and we limped home to 126/8 from our forty overs. Allan Cooper's contribution, sadly, amounted to a duck — though he would more than make amends with the ball later, as we shall see.

Defending 126 against Kent opposition felt, at tea, like backing a village fete raffle against the pools. But cricket is a game of turning tides, and Marden's top order simply refused to fire — 3-1 for the first wicket set the tone, and when they slid from 92-5 to 100-8 in what felt like the time it takes to pour a pint, the game was ours for the taking. Trevor Back was the chief tormentor with 3-13 — and, we're told, brought up his hundredth career wicket in the process, a landmark worth raising a glass to — well supported by Tony Gauna (2-22), Nigel Thirkell (2-28), and a typically miserly two maidens from Allan Cooper, duck forgiven. Jeremy Cornwallis's 38 and Rob Finn's 25 threatened to spoil the party but arrived too late; Marden folded on 107/9.

A win by 19 runs, then — scrappy in construction, splendid in execution. Onwards indeed.

Sat 09 Jun 1979 🧢 1st XIv RC Rumwood CC · HomeformWLDLW

We lost the toss on a bright June Saturday and were put in to field — Rumwood clearly fancied batting first, and by the close of their innings I couldn't blame them. Brian Aiston played the innings of the day, a well-crafted 60, while Geoff Griffith stayed unbeaten on 49 and P. Norris chipped in with 26 as the visitors reached 185 for 6 from their 47 overs. They flew out of the blocks, 76 on the board before we so much as looked like taking a wicket, that opening pair proving a real headache. Some consolation came when Norman Cox departed without troubling the scorers. Terry Donovan was miserly and threatening in equal measure, 2 for 69 with three maidens to his name, John Bloomfield chipped away for 1 for 9, and I managed a couple myself, 2 for 76, for what it was worth against that total.

Chasing 186 was always going to ask serious questions of our top order, and we simply had no answers. A wicket down before a run was on the board set the tone, and matters unravelled from 16 for 3 to 24 for 6 in what felt like the time it takes to pour a tea. Martin Thompson, Mike Iliffe and I all trooped back for ducks — I'll say no more on my own contribution than that it was every bit as brief as theirs — and we were bowled out for a threadbare 33 in 29.5 overs.

Elsewhere, Paul Brattle continues his fine season, 4th in the club's run charts with 90, and I'm pleased to sit 2nd in the wicket-takers with 12. But today belonged to Rumwood, beaten we were, by 152 runs. We'll be better for it next week.

Wed 06 Jun 1979 🧢 Midweek XIv TT Tonbridge Trade · HomeformDDDLL

Here's the match report:

I've never much fancied opening the batting, but on this occasion the lads left me precious little choice but to see the innings home, and I'm delighted to say we got there in the end.

Winning the toss and bowling first looked a fine idea when Tonbridge Trade were shot out for 154 in the 45th over. Rogers led the way with 31 and had capable company from Marshall and young J. Hunt, but it was John Hartridge who did the real damage, four wickets for 31 a spell to make the tea urn proud, with Mick Filmer chipping in threefold and Warhurst mopping up the tail. Poor Massie won't want reminding of his golden duck, and Trevor Back's two maidens showed the miserly side of our attack rather nicely.

Chasing it down was never going to be straightforward, and so it proved, as wickets clattered from 77 for 5 to 83 for 8 in a collapse that had me reaching for something stronger than squash. Andrew Hales, Copeland and Filmer all made the long walk back for nought, but with Steve Gower keeping his head for an unbeaten 23 and John Hartridge weighing in with 30, and 47 not out from me steadying things at the other end, we scrambled home by two wickets.

A wobble, a scare, and a win. I'll take that every Wednesday of the season.

Tue 05 Jun 1979 🧢 1st XIv LC Leybourne CC · AwayformLWLDL

Tuesday last took us out to Leybourne, and I lost the toss without much ceremony — asked to field first, which on a green early-June evening didn't seem the worst outcome in the world.

Into the field we went, and I can't say the openers troubled us long — the first wicket fell for just a single run, and Bacon and Saunders both trudged off without scoring, ducks apiece at our hands. Nigel Thirkell steamed in for a thoroughly tidy 3-21, with Martin Thompson chipping in for 2-26. Only N. Lumbard, unbeaten on 32, and E Harris with a watchful 20, gave Leybourne anything resembling respectability, and even so their 81/5 off sixteen overs never looked like causing us serious bother.

Chasing was, frankly, a formality once Paul Bowles got going. He eased his way to an unbeaten 43, ably supported by Nigel Thirkell's 33, and we strolled home at 85/1 with the best part of two overs still in hand — job done in 15.2.

Bowles now sits proudly atop the season's run charts on 279, with Thirkell leading the wicket-takers on 17 — the two of them fast becoming the backbone of our summer. Two points, banked with minimum fuss, and precisely the sort of tidy win that makes the drive home feel a good deal shorter than the drive out.

(Note: I kept "E Harris" as the Leybourne batsman rather than folding him into your first-person captain's voice — his 20 runs came in the opposition's innings while we were fielding, and the initial "E" doesn't match "Jon," so treating that dismissal as your own would have put you batting for both sides in the same match. Since no personal batting/bowling figures for you were given in the facts, I didn't invent one, per the no-new-facts rule.)

Sun 03 Jun 1979 🧢 1st XIv SI St Lawrence & Highland Court CC (inactive) · AwayformWLWLD

Here's the report:

I called correctly at the toss on Sunday and, feeling unusually decisive for a June morning, had no hesitation in choosing to bat first. It rather looked the right call while Brian Piper was compiling a fine 35, well backed up by Paul Brattle's 25 — but cricket has a way of humbling optimism, and from a respectable 56-2 we contrived to slide to 61-5 before the collapse burned itself out. Tim Thirkell, Trevor Back and G. Husband all walked back for ducks, and we limped to 116 all out in 49 overs, which felt about forty runs light.

In the field, though, we scrapped hard. St Lawrence & Highland Court built their innings around a composed fifty from P. Rodway (60), supported by K. Mayne's 26, and an opening stand of 51 gave them the platform we could never quite dismantle — for all that W. Burridge fell to us without troubling the scorers. Nigel Thirkell was superb, 2-27 with six miserly maidens, and got fine support from Paul Bowles (1-23) and Trevor Back (1-24), but 120-5 in 41.1 overs was always going to be enough. I contributed a duck myself, the details of which are best left undiscussed.

One bright footnote: Piper's 35 nudged him past me into 23rd on the club's all-time run-scorers list — I doff my cap. Beaten by five wickets in the end, but there was enough defiance in the bowling to suggest we'll be better for it next week.

Sat 02 Jun 1979 🧢 1st XIv BK Beverley CC, Kent · HomeformWWLWL

Skipper's Log — Saturday 2 June 1979 v Beverley CC

Lost the toss, and in the great tradition of these things, it went about as well as you'd expect — they inserted themselves and set about batting through the afternoon. Beverley crawled to 160/8 off 59.3 overs, with Richardson (45) doing the heavy lifting and Askham (24) and Keir (22) chipping in around a third-wicket stand of 50. To our credit, the ball was never given away cheaply — Martin Thompson bowled beautifully for 4-61 with five maidens to show for his discipline, Terry Donovan backed him up nicely with 3-34, and I managed to prise one out for 61 runs, which felt like fair value for the toil.

Chasing 161, Paul Brattle played the innings of the day — a fluent 64 — with Martin Thompson and Fred Greenfield both weighing in with 24 apiece, and their second-wicket stand of 85 had us cruising. Then, as is tradition at this club, the wheels came off spectacularly: 140-5 became 150-8 in the time it takes to make a cup of tea, with Ross Brice and A. Donovan both walking for ducks. I chipped in with 9, which apparently was enough to nudge me past Brian Piper on the all-time run list — small mercies.

A draw, then — honours shared, nobody quite brave or daft enough to force the win. Character-building stuff, and I'll take it.

Thu 31 May 1979 🧢 Midweek XIv BC Burghill & Tillington CC · HomeformLDDDL

Thursday brought Burghill & Tillington CC to Linton Park, and, having lost the toss for what felt like the hundredth time this season, I dispatched the lads into the field with more hope than conviction. Quested made himself thoroughly at home, ambling to 74 not out with the unhurried menace of a man who knows exactly where the gaps are, well supported by Hook's 34, and between them they steered the visitors to a stiff 137/3 from their thirty overs. Brian Piper found the breakthrough that mattered, 1-21, and I managed to prise one out myself for 1-33, though I confess the figures flattered the effort more than the eye.

Chasing 138 is never simple on a club Thursday, and so it proved. Roger Crooks and Steve Gower both made handsome 30s to keep us in the hunt, but the middle order went through one of those alarming rushes of blood — 59-2 became 76-5 almost before anyone had finished their tea — and poor John Bloomfield departed for a painful duck. It fell to me to try to see us home, and 38 not out was as much stubbornness as strategy, but we could only stretch to 125/9 from our thirty.

Twelve runs shy in the end — close enough to torment, not close enough to console. It leaves me happily marooned atop this season's Midweek XI charts, both bat and ball, though I'd trade the honour for the win in a heartbeat. We'll be better for it next week.

Mon 28 May 1979 🧢 Midweek XIv OX Oxford XIII · HomeformWLDDD

Captain's Log — Monday 28 May 1979. We hosted Oxford XIII, and by the close I suspect we all wished we hadn't bothered getting out of bed.

Put in the field first, we toiled through a Herculean 62 overs as Oxford's openers set about us with real intent, putting on 96 before we so much as sniffed a breakthrough. D. Burgess made a fine 96, N. Hayat chipped in with 52, and C. Smith saw them home unbeaten on 26 as they closed on a formidable 217/7. Amid the carnage there was some cheer for us: I finished with 4-65, Allan Cooper bowled tidily for 1-60 with three maidens to his name, and Tony Gauna picked up 1-67. Small mercies, but mercies all the same.

If we thought batting first would have been kinder, our reply suggested otherwise. One down for one soon became nine for four, and from there it was less a batting innings than a procession — Ian Webb, John Bloomfield and David Iliffe all departed without troubling the scorers, and we were bowled out for a wretched 44 in 31.4 overs.

Beaten by 173 runs, then, and no dressing that up. Still, with Allan Cooper topping our early run charts and my four wickets good enough to lead the season's bowling, there are, if you squint, some green shoots amid the wreckage. We'll be better for it next week — we rather have to be.

Sun 27 May 1979 🧢 Sunday NVKCv CC Crockham Hill CC · AwayformWWWWW

Sunday 27 May 1979, away at Crockham Hill CC, and the coin let us down before a ball was bowled — they chose to bat, and we trudged into the field wondering what sort of afternoon lay ahead.

It began promisingly enough, with P- Day back in the pavilion for a golden duck and just 1 run on the board. But Crockham Hill steadied themselves and crept to 128/9 from their forty overs, L Fordham's 34 the backbone of it, with useful support from Chris Harding (23 not out) and Stuart Taylor (20). Credit where it's due — Nigel Thirkell bowled beautifully for 3-21, Tony Gauna chipped in with 3-27, Trevor Back took 2-18, and Allan Cooper was positively miserly with four maidens. A fine team effort with the ball, and 128 always felt gettable.

Getting it, of course, is another matter entirely. We wobbled our way to 130/7 from 37.5 overs, rather more overs than we'd have liked, with Brian Piper the mainstay on 40, Tim Thirkell adding 27 and Paul Brattle 21. Nigel Thirkell, having done his bit with the ball, contributed nothing at all with the bat — a duck to match his earlier heroics, the sort of symmetry only cricket provides.

Three wickets to spare, then, and a scrappy but thoroughly satisfying win on the road. Not pretty, but a good day for the club all the same — and I'll happily take that over losing the toss and the match.

Tue 22 May 1979 🧢 1st XIv BC Boughton Monchelsea CC · HomeformLWWLW

Toss lost, and not for the first time this season I watched Boughton Monchelsea's captain make the very sensible decision to bat first. Sixteen overs is a short brief to build an innings in, but Steve Kember didn't seem to mind, cashing in for a brisk 56 while Pete Adams held up his end nicely with an unbeaten 21 — the pair put on 53 for the second wicket and by the time they were done the visitors had motored to 119/5. Allan Cooper did his best to keep the lid on things with a fine 3-29, and I chipped in for 2-56, though "chipped in" may be generous phrasing for figures that expensive.

Chasing 120 in our own sixteen overs, we needed someone to play the innings of the day, and Paul Bowles duly obliged with a superb 80 that dragged us to 117/8 and very nearly saw us home. Everyone else, myself included, did rather less to trouble the scorers, and poor Allan Cooper — three wickets to his name with the ball not an hour earlier — trudged back for a golden duck, the cruel arithmetic of cricket laid bare in a single afternoon. Paul continues to lead our 1979 run charts in some style with 225 for the season, and I'll happily settle for second in the bowling with 9 wickets, small consolation as it is tonight.

Two runs. That's all that separated us in the end — not a chasm, just a whisker, and whiskers like that haunt a captain rather more than a proper thrashing would. Heads up, chins high, and back to the nets we go.

Sat 19 May 1979 🧢 1st XIv Headcorn CC · AwayformDLWWL

Lost the toss again — I'm beginning to suspect the Headcorn coin has a grudge against me personally — and we were invited to field first on a Saturday that promised more sunburn than swing. Millen and Wickens made themselves thoroughly at home, putting on 90 for the first wicket before either so much as looked troubled, Millen compiling a handsome 59 and Wickens finishing unbeaten on a classy 53, with Phipps chipping in 31. It could have been a chastening afternoon had I not found some turn from somewhere, spinning my way to 5-49 to drag things back, with David Iliffe chipping away for 1-23 in support. They closed on 171/6 from their forty — competitive, but not insurmountable.

Chasing it, we never quite cantered but never quite panicked either. Malcolm Pay led nicely with 48, well supported by Tim Thirkell's 41 and Jim Hall's 25, their 53-run stand for the third wicket the platform we needed. I added a watchful 19 down the order, glad of the runs after a busy day in the field, and we eventually got home on 172/6 with four wickets in hand — cutting it closer than my nerves would have liked.

A thoroughly good day for the club, and one that leaves both Pay and your humble scribe quietly climbing the season's charts. Headcorn will remember the name Linton Park; I shall remember mainly my knees.

Fri 18 May 1979 🧢 1st XIv Leeds & Broomfield CC · AwayformWDLWW

Friday the eighteenth of May found us on the road to Leeds & Broomfield, where I lost the toss and duly volunteered us to chase — or rather had that decision made for us, which in my experience amounts to the same thing on a Friday evening.

With the ball first, we did rather well to peg them back to 116 all out from their sixteen overs, though Peter Bowden's fifty-five... no, sixty-five, gave them the platform, a fine knock by any measure. We struck early, the first wicket tumbling for just one, before a stubborn fifty-nine-run stand threatened to take the game away from us. Then the floodgates opened in glorious fashion — 99 for five became 112 for eight in the blink of an eye, with Andy Creamer and Harvey both trudging back for ducks. Nigel Thirkell was quite unplayable, spinning his way to five for thirty-three, with able support from Allan Cooper's three for twenty-seven and my own modest one for twenty-one.

Set 117, we mustered 108 for seven, Thirkell top-scoring again with 31 and Brian Piper chipping in a handy 30 — that innings, incidentally, edging him past me into twenty-third on the club's all-time run-scorers list, a milestone I congratulate him on through gritted teeth. Cooper's golden duck rather undid his earlier heroics.

Elsewhere, Malcolm Pay brought up a thousand career runs and Thirkell passed five hundred wickets — a day of landmarks if not of victories. We fell eight runs short. Not our day. Heads up, back to the nets.

Tue 15 May 1979 🧢 1st XIv RC Reeds CC · HomeformWWDLW

Up on the toss on Tuesday, I fancied a bat first — and for once the decision looked positively shrewd. We rattled along to 135 for 3 off our sixteen overs, Paul Bowles playing the anchor role to perfection with a classy 51, while Brian Piper chipped in an unbeaten 37 to see us home in style. The pair put on 72 for the second wicket, which was really the innings in a nutshell — everything else was garnish.

With the ball, Reeds never quite got going. They lost an early wicket with just 8 on the board, steadied through a battling 54-run third-wicket stand built around John Swift's fighting 49, then found us in no mood to be generous — 80 for 3 became 95 for 6 in a hurry, and poor Longley trudged off without so much as a run to his name. Nigel Thirkell was superb, snapping up 4 for 24, with Bowles (3 for 6, having already done his bit with the bat) and Martin Thompson (2 for 16) mopping up the rest. I managed a few useful overs myself in among it. Jim Hall had a wretched time of it behind the stumps, mind — nine byes is the sort of statistic that gives a wicketkeeper sleepless nights.

A word for Brian, too, whose 37 today nudged him past my own name and up to 23rd on the club's all-time run charts — thoroughly deserved, and I shall try not to sulk about it.

All told, a 37-run win and two points banked. A tricky afternoon for the gloves, but a thoroughly satisfying one for everyone else — I'll take that every time.

Sun 13 May 1979 🧢 Sunday NVKCv SC Shipbourne CC · HomeformWWWWW

Skipper's Log — Sunday 13 May 1979

Shipbourne came calling, we lost the toss, and were sent out to field — never my favourite way to start a Sunday, but the lads had other ideas about how the afternoon would go. It began nervily enough for the visitors, a wicket down before the board had troubled the scorers, and it rather set the tone. Robin Marchant, Jim Sly and John Wakeman all trooped back for ducks, and once Shipbourne slipped from 60-4 to 66-7 the innings had the unmistakable whiff of collapse about it. Trevor Back was the chief architect of the carnage, a quite magnificent 5-8, with Nigel Thirkell and Allan Cooper chipping away either side of him, and Tony Gauna bowling as though the boundary boards had personally offended him — five maidens of pure miserliness. Shipbourne limped to 79/9 from their forty overs, a total that never looked like troubling us.

And so it proved. Paul Bowles played the anchor role to perfection, 42 of good sense and better timing, and we cruised home at 81/1 from 29 overs for a comfortable nine-wicket win.

A quiet personal note amid the celebrations: my one wicket was enough to nudge past Alan Wilkes to the top of the club's all-time wicket-taking list — the sort of thing one tries not to mention twice, so I shan't. Paul now leads our season's run charts, I lead the wickets, and the side leads the table with a spring in its step.

A fine win, handsomely taken. Onwards.

Mon 07 May 1979 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · HomeformLWWDL

Monday, 7 May 1979. Bearsted CC came calling, I lost the toss, and duly found myself leading the lads out into the field with all the enthusiasm of a man volunteering for extra fielding practice. Bearsted ground out 167 for 8 from their 59 overs, with Mike Read (39) and Brian Burnett (37) doing the early damage, well supported by Anthony Hunt's 25, and a sixth-wicket stand of 51 that threatened to get away from us. But Nigel Thirkell had other ideas, steaming in for a fine 3 for 33, with Tony Gauna miserly as ever (2 for 26, four maidens — the man barely let the ball off the square) and Martin Thompson chipping in with 1 for 10.

A target of 168 looked eminently gettable, and so it proved. Paul Bowles played the innings of the day, 81 not out and looking set to bat until closing time, while Nigel Thirkell — evidently not content with his exertions in the field — added an unbeaten 58 with the bat for good measure. We cantered home on 169 for 1 in just 38.1 overs.

Special mention for Nigel, who brought up 6,000 career runs for the club along the way — a landmark to raise a glass to, gloves or no gloves. And gloves there certainly were trouble with: 11 byes went begging behind the stumps, a tricky afternoon for whoever was standing back there.

A comfortable nine-wicket win, then, and a thoroughly satisfying one. Onwards.

Sun 06 May 1979 🧢 1st XIv CC Chatham Nomads CC · HomeformWLWWD

Sunday last saw Chatham Nomads roll into Linton Park, and having won the toss I had no hesitation in taking first knock — the right call, I still maintain, whatever the scorebook might suggest by close of play.

We were bowled out for 133 in 41.4 overs, which felt about twenty runs light of a defendable total even as we walked off. Trevor Back top-scored with a determined 28, I chipped in with 25, and Tim Thirkell's 22 kept things ticking along in the middle order. Elsewhere the effort was patchier — Ross Brice's golden duck earning him top billing in the club's less illustrious ledger, and no doubt a pint's worth of ribbing at the bar.

In the field we fought hard without ever quite landing the knockout blow. Brian Piper was miserly and menacing in equal measure, snaring 2-10, with Tony Gauna and I picking up a wicket apiece, and Allan Cooper bowling three maidens of pure stubbornness. But Barry Martin had other ideas, cracking a fine 59, and found a willing ally in D Chambers (44) as the pair put on 99 for the third wicket — the sort of partnership that quietly strangles the life out of an afternoon. The Nomads eased home on 135/4 with three overs to spare.

Not our day, then — beaten by six wickets, and no complaints from this corner about the result. Heads up, chins high, and back to the nets we go.

Sun 29 Apr 1979 🧢 Sunday NVKCv AC Ash CC · AwayformWWWWW

Down at Ash on Sunday, I lost the toss and we were asked to field first, which around these parts usually spells trouble — but not today. We batted first regardless, it turned out, posting a workmanlike 131 for 8 off our forty, Paul Bowles the pick of us with 33 well-made runs. Poor Trevor Back will want this innings struck from the record, departing without troubling the scorers, but the total had enough about it to work with.

And work with it we did. Ash never got going in reply, losing an early wicket with just 8 on the board and never quite finding their feet after that — a horror stretch saw them slide from 24 for 2 to 31 for 5, with W Laslett and R Gibbons both back in the pavilion without scoring. I'll allow myself one boast: I found some real turn and finished with 5 for 7, unplayable if I do say so myself, with Tony Gauna (3 for 23, two tidy maidens) and Allan Cooper (2 for 16) mopping up the rest. Fifty-six all out off 25 overs was the miserable sum of it.

A tidy little personal footnote too — my 11 runs with the bat crept me past Brian Piper into 23rd on the club's all-time run-scorers list, which I shall be insufferable about in the clubhouse for at least a fortnight. Paul Bowles now tops our 1979 Sunday run charts, and I lead the wickets column.

Seventy-five runs the margin in the end. A thoroughly good day for the club.