🧢 Captain's Log

Sat 28 Sep 1985 🧢 1st XIv HC Hastings & St Leonards Priory CC · HomeformWDWDL

Called it right at the toss — you'd think it'd be second nature by now, but no, there's still that little flutter — and had no hesitation in taking first knock against Hastings & St Leonards Priory. The lads built us a competitive if hardly imperious 152 for 8 from our 48 overs. Paul Bowles led the way with a fine 32, Nigel Thirkell chipped in handsomely with 25, Sean Charlton added 23, and I added a modest 22 of my own to the cause — nothing to write home about, but useful runs when the scoreboard needed feeding.

Defending that total looked a tall order on paper, but the bowlers had other ideas. Paul Bowles was magnificent with the ball, following his runs with 4 for 37 and five overs where not so much as a single leaked through — the sort of spell that makes a captain's job embarrassingly easy. Jon Harris backed him up superbly with 3 for 30, and Matt Large chipped in with 1 for 21. Hastings limped to 123 for 9 from their 44, Alan Booth-Jones top-scoring with 27, well supported by S Leach's 23 and Ian Gillespie's unbeaten 22. Three of them — Paul Grace, Geoff Collins and D Rafferty — never troubled the scorers at all.

Poor Jim Hall had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, eight byes escaping his gloves, but no one held it against him. In the end honours were shared, neither side quite able to force the issue — a fair result, if I'm honest, and a thoroughly pleasant way to spend a September Saturday.

Wed 25 Sep 1985 🧢 Midweek XIv Penshurst Park CC · AwayformWDLLL

Here's the report:

We won the toss at Penshurst and I had no hesitation in electing to bat — one of those decisions that either gets you a pat on the back or a stern word in the bar afterwards, and I'm delighted to report it was the former. It wasn't all plain sailing: we shipped an early wicket with the total still reading a rather embarrassing nought, and both David Castle and Nigel Thirkell contributed ducks to the scorebook, which is never a comfortable sight from the pavilion. But Andrew Hales played beautifully for 49, Paul Bowles chipped in an unbeaten 43, and Jim Hall's 22 gave the innings some much-needed backbone, with a stand of 64 for the seventh wicket the real turning point. A defiant last-wicket stand added a further 58 to drag us up to a respectable 166 for 9 off our 40 overs.

Then came the small matter of defending it. Penshurst threatened for a while — Mark Jenner's 40, with useful support from P Grayland (34) and an unbeaten 25 from C Fry, kept us honest — but they never quite got away from us, sending back N Fowler, P Johnson and Michael Meade without troubling the scorers. Nigel Thirkell, atoning handsomely for that earlier duck, ran through them with a magnificent 5 for 25, Paul Bowles picked up three, and I managed one for 43 to do my bit. Penshurst were bowled out for 155 from 38 overs, leaving us winners by 11 runs.

A tight, twitchy finish, but a thoroughly good day for the club — the sort of win that makes the tea taste that bit sweeter.

Sun 22 Sep 1985 🧢 1st XIv AC Anchorians CC · HomeformWWDWD

Sunday last saw Anchorians CC visit for what turned into one of those afternoons that reminds you why you keep turning up. I called correctly and, with the square looking true, never seriously considered doing anything but batting first.

We couldn't have asked for a better start. David Castle and Ian Webb put on 82 for the first wicket before either of them so much as glanced at the pavilion, and when Castle eventually fell for a fine 51, ably backed up by Webb's 36, we had the platform for a very respectable 152 for 4 from our 43 overs.

Defending it was never going to be straightforward against a side with R Haley in this sort of form, and so it proved — he cruised to 80, well past his fifty, with Paul Stanford (29 not out) and Colin Myers (26) offering sturdy support, their middle order putting on 86 for the fourth wicket to drag the game away from us. Credit where due, though: we did have our moments, none finer than an early wicket with the board still reading nought, and three ducks fell to us along the way. Nigel Thirkell was superb, 3 for 55 with three tight maidens thrown in and continuing to lead our run charts on 1591 for the season, with Allan Cooper chipping in 2 for 25 and myself adding 1 for 31 to keep my own wicket tally ticking over at 80 for the summer.

In the end Anchorians got home by two wickets — desperately close, desperately frustrating, but no disgrace. We'll dust ourselves down and come back stronger next week.

Sat 21 Sep 1985 🧢 1st XIv West Farleigh CC · AwayformLWWDW

Losing the toss at West Farleigh is never how I'd choose to begin a Saturday, and watching from the boundary as Micky Back settled in for 45 did little to lift the spirits. Trevor Back's 30 and Tim Baker's 23 kept the total ticking along nicely for them, and by the time they declared themselves finished at 172 for 7 off their 47 overs, I confess I was doing rather a lot of arithmetic in my head. Credit where it's due, though — Nigel Thirkell bowled like a man with a grudge, 2 for 19 with three maidens thrown in for good measure, and Paul Bowles and Matt Large chipped in with two apiece to keep the visitors honest.

Chasing 172 is never a formality, and losing our first wicket at 6 rather confirmed that suspicion. But a splendid 90-run stand for the second wicket steadied the ship beautifully, Nigel Thirkell carrying on serenely to 67 not out while David Castle compiled a thoroughly well-made 55. Matt Large's 20 rounded things off nicely, though poor Malcolm Pay will not thank me for mentioning his golden duck.

Off the field, warmer news: Jim Hall brought up his 400th appearance in Linton colours, and Paul Bowles sailed past 1,000 career wickets — milestones worth more than any single afternoon's cricket. We finished level, 172 apiece, honours shared. A draw, then — honest, hard-fought, and entirely fitting.

Wed 18 Sep 1985 🧢 Midweek XIv HC Hawkenbury CC · HomeformDWDLL

Wednesday the 18th of September found Hawkenbury CC visiting us, and for reasons that seemed sound at the time, the coin fell our way and I put us in to bat. It began splendidly — 62 on the board before anyone troubled the scorers with a wicket — before we contrived to turn a promising position into rubble, 121 for 4 collapsing to 131 for 7 in what felt like the time it takes to boil a kettle. I made 48 at the top, Malcolm Pay chipped in with 26, Paul Gibson with 20, and poor David Castle departed for a golden duck, his feathers no doubt still ruffled. All out 135 in 33.5 overs — respectable, if not exactly imposing.

Defending it required patience we didn't quite have. R Kemp did the bulk of the scoring with 56, well past his fifty, ably supported by T Cooper's unbeaten 36, and they eased to 136 for 3 off their fifty overs. Trevor Back was the pick with 1 for 9, Paul Bowles toiled away for 1 for 40 with three tidy maidens, and I added 1 for 47 for my trouble.

A word of cheer amid the gloom: Malcolm's 26 nudged him past me into 13th on the club's all-time run-scorers list, while Ian Hammond continues to lead our 1985 Midweek run charts with 108, and I still lead the wickets with 11.

Down by 6 wickets, then, and no arguing with it. Heads up, back to the nets — Hawkenbury deserved their day, and we shall have to find ours again soon.

Sun 15 Sep 1985 🧢 1st XIv NS Northend Sunday · HomeformLLWWD

Sunday 15 September 1985, and Northend Sunday were our visitors at Linton Park. Winning the toss, I had no hesitation in electing to bat — and for once my judgement proved sound. We reached 150 for 8 from our 48 overs, though not before an early wobble saw a wicket fall with just 5 on the board. Paul Gibson steadied things in style with 46, well supported by Trevor Back's 31, the pair sharing a third-wicket stand of 56 that gave the innings its backbone. Spare a thought for poor Sean Riley, whose duck earns him a place in the club's ledger of shame.

With the ball, we set about Northend Sunday with real purpose. They battled to 131 all out in 44.1 overs, T Pearce's 49 the mainstay, backed up by T Smith (31) and W Creed (22), but once the middle order went — 127 for 7 to 131 all out in a blur — there was no way back for them, with M-a Smith, C Waller and P Dann all departing without troubling the scorers. Jon Harris was pick of the attack with 3 for 26; I weighed in with 2 for 26 and 16 useful runs with the bat, while Paul Gibson bowled tidily for 1 for 20, four of his overs maidens.

It was a landmark day besides, with Ian Webb turning out for his 100th appearance in Linton colours, and Trevor Back climbing both the run-scoring and wicket-taking honours boards in one afternoon. We got over the line by 19 runs — a thoroughly good day for the club, and one I shall enjoy writing up more than most.

Sat 14 Sep 1985 🧢 1st XIv SC Southborough CC · HomeformDLLWW

Saturday the 14th of September brought Southborough CC to Linton Park, and true to form, I lost the toss — some things in this job never change. They elected to bat, which suited me well enough; a long afternoon in the field beats a long afternoon in the pavilion any day.

They made a shaky start, losing an early wicket with just five on the board, and for a spell we rather fancied our chances of running through them. But Adam Hookway anchored things with a fine 36, well supported by David Thorpe's 31, while Barry Hart's unbeaten 31 and a stubborn eighth-wicket stand worth 52 hauled them up to 159 for 8 from their 46 overs. The day belonged to Matt Large, whose 5 for 53 — with four maidens thrown in for good measure — was a spell thoroughly deserving of the headlines. Sean Charlton and Jon Harris each chipped in with a wicket apiece; Harris, incidentally, now leads our 1985 wicket charts with 75 to his name, a tally that rather speaks for itself.

In reply we made steady if unspectacular progress, closing on 57 for 2 from 17 overs. I was glad to finish unbeaten on 24, runs that at least kept the scoreboard ticking over respectably — and which nudge my own season's tally along nicely, past 1489 runs now.

So honours shared, a draw with neither side quite able to land the decisive blow. Not a classic, perhaps, but a thoroughly pleasant way to spend a Saturday, and on this form I'll happily take a share of the spoils.

Wed 11 Sep 1985 🧢 Midweek XIv The Mote CC · HomeformWDWDL

Wednesday the 11th of September, and The Mote CC visited Linton Park on a day when the toss went against me — asked to bowl first, no complaints, into the field we went. Keith Hatcher made a handsome 56, well supported by Phil Jackson's unbeaten 32 and Richard Chapman's 29, their fifth-wicket stand of 59 doing the real damage. Matt Large bowled beautifully for his 4-64, two maidens and all, with Paul Gibson (2-16) and J. Milloy (1-21) chipping in behind him. Poor Alan Hughes trudged off for a duck. The Mote closed on 173 for 9 from 47 overs — a target that felt gettable, if we kept our heads.

We didn't, quite. Ian Hammond batted magnificently for 83, well past his fifty, and his second-wicket partnership of 50 had us dreaming. Then, as so often at Linton Park, the middle order took leave of its senses: 131 for 3 became 136 for 6 in the blink of an eye, and both Jim Hall and Dennis Salisbury joined the Duck Club for nought. All out for 153 from 45 overs. Small consolation that I still lead the season's wicket charts with ten, while Ian sits second among the run-getters with 94 — fine efforts in a team performance that, on this occasion, fell short. Beaten by 20 runs. A game we let slip rather than one we lost; we'll be sharper for it next Wednesday.

Sun 08 Sep 1985 🧢 1st XIv M Madhatters · HomeformDDLLW

We put Madhatters in the shade at Linton Park on Sunday, or at least we did once I'd won the toss and decided, with the confidence of a man who hadn't yet seen the pitch, that batting first was the way to go. It proved the right call. Paul Gibson set about the bowling with real intent for an unbeaten 51, Ian Webb chipped in handsomely with 47, and I was happy to potter along to 34 not out with the bat and later add 2-21 with the ball — small beer next to those two, but I'll take it. Poor Dennis Salisbury will want this report to end here; he departed for a golden duck, and the fewer words spent on it the kinder. We closed on a healthy 166 for 4 off 43.3 overs.

Defending it, the lads were magnificent. Jon Harris was in irresistible form, scything through the order for 4-31, with J- Milloy nipping in for one more and Allan Cooper positively refusing to be scored off — four maidens is the sort of bowling that makes a captain's job embarrassingly easy. F O'Neill and T Bodley both fell without troubling the scorers, and though K Widgery held firm for an unbeaten 28, it was nowhere near enough. Madhatters were bowled out for 93 in 33.5 overs.

A fine win by 73 runs, then, and a thoroughly satisfying afternoon's cricket. Onwards we go.

Sat 07 Sep 1985 🧢 1st XIv Sibton Park CC · HomeformWDDLL

Lost the toss again — I'm beginning to suspect the coin has a personal vendetta — and Sibton Park CC elected to bat on what turned out to be a fine day for it. Still, we made early inroads, sending back Paul Fox, A Impett and D Price without troubling the scorers, three ducks to warm the cockles of any opening attack. L Woods top-scored with a stubborn 40, and Adrian Erricker chipped in with 36, the pair putting on 60 for the second wicket that briefly threatened to run away from us. But Jon Harris had other ideas, spinning a web through their order for a magnificent 5-40, three of those overs maidens, ably backed up by Paul Bowles (2-34) and Paul Gibson (1-32). All out for 142 in 42.5 overs — a target we felt we could chase with something to spare.

And chase we did, if not without the odd wobble. We slipped to 4-1 early doors, the sort of start that has grown men reaching for the flask, before Paul Bowles and I steadied matters with a fine 107-run stand for the second wicket. Bowles played superbly for his 66, and I was rather chuffed to get past fifty myself with 52. Jim Hall had a busy afternoon behind the stumps, eight byes testifying to a pitch with ideas of its own, but we got over the line at 146-4 with overs in hand.

A thoroughly good day for the club, and with Harris now on 70 wickets and yours truly past 1400 runs for the season, the charts are shaping up rather nicely too. Six wickets the winning margin — I'll take that every week.

Sun 01 Sep 1985 🧢 Tour XIv BC Beacon CC, Cornwall · AwayformWWWWL

Beacon CC away, Sunday morning, and I had no hesitation at the toss — flat pitch, bat first, no arguments. What followed was a bit of a grind: 113/6 from our forty-five overs, the innings held together by Richard Ashby's 42 and Nigel Thirkell's watchful 24. Poor David Castle, meanwhile, made his way back to the pavilion without troubling the scorers — the Duck Club adds another name to its ledger, and I dare say he'll not thank me for the mention.

A modest total to defend, and not one that had me brimming with confidence as we took the field. But cricket delights in confounding its captains. H Nankervis threatened to bat us out of it with 41, well supported by Jonathan Lean's unbeaten 27, yet once the lower order arrived we simply would not let go — 104 for 7 became 107 all out in the blink of an eye, Ralph Williams, E Thomas and David Hocking all departing for ducks of their own. Paul Bowles was magnificent, five for 34 and thoroughly deserved, with Michael Chambers miserly and menacing in equal measure — 4 for 37 with five maidens — and Nigel Thirkell chipping in for good measure.

Six runs the margin, two points the reward, and rather more grey hairs than I'd have liked. A famous, nerve-shredding win, and one the lads will dine out on for weeks.

Thu 29 Aug 1985 🧢 Tour XIv FC Falmouth CC · AwayformWWWWW

Beaten again, but not disgraced — Falmouth away, Thursday 29 August 1985, and Neptune once more sided with the home side when the coin came down against us. No matter; a spot of fielding practice never hurt anyone, even if it did rather run to forty overs.

They crawled to 3 for the loss of their opener before Ashburn and company settled in, Ashburn compiling a watchful fifty, Meneer 26 and Gimpson 25 lending sturdy support, and an eighth-wicket stand of 65 doing most of the damage. But then — glory be — the wheels came off in glorious fashion, 22-3 collapsing to 34-6 as Michael Chambers, bowling like a man possessed, spun his way to 6-23 with four maidens thrown in for good measure, ushering Lenderyou, Miller and Young back to the pavilion without troubling the scorer. Thirkell (1-6) and Back (1-19) tidied up what little was left. All out 127/9 felt, at the time, almost gettable.

It wasn't. Our reply subsided to 2-1 before it had properly begun, David Castle contributing a stylish nought, and only Nigel Thirkell's watchful 20 offered much resistance as we limped to 74/7. Fifty-three runs the wrong side of the ledger by the close.

Small consolations amid the wreckage: Chambers's six-for eases him past Stan Wratten to 25th on the club's all-time wicket list, and he now leads the 1985 Tour XI bowling with nine scalps, with Back handily placed second in the run charts. As for the rest of us — we'll be better for it next week. We'd rather like to be, anyway.

Wed 28 Aug 1985 🧢 Tour XIv SC St Austell CC · AwayformWWWWW

Wednesday last, we made the trip down to St Austell CC, and for once the coin behaved itself — heads, and I had no hesitation in sending us in, largely on the grounds that batting first meant I could put my feet up in the pavilion a while longer before facing anything sharp.

We stumbled early, 7 for 1, the sort of start that has a captain reaching for his hip flask, but David Castle steadied things beautifully on his way to a fine 60, well supported by Trevor Back's 32, and a stand of 75 for the fifth wicket did the honest work of turning a wobble into a total worth defending. We closed on 158 for 6 from our 45 overs — not a total to frighten anyone on paper, but cricket, thankfully, isn't played on paper.

St Austell began confidently enough before losing a wicket without scoring, and thereafter the innings rather came apart at the seams — 41 for 3 became 44 for 6 in the blink of an eye, with Roger Caddy, D Powell and R Lang all departing without troubling the scorers. Michael Chambers was superb, 3 for 12, backed up by Trevor Back's 2 for 11 (three maidens — not a run given away lightly) and Nigel Thirkell's 1 for 15. R Hawke's 33 and Keith Hore's 26 were the only real resistance, but St Austell were bowled out for 126.

A win by 32 runs, then, and a tidy little footnote besides — Trevor's 32 nudges him up to 23rd on our all-time run charts. Onwards.

Mon 26 Aug 1985 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · HomeformDWDDL

The toss went against us, and Bearsted CC had first use of a pitch that gave them precious little trouble early on. Sixty-three for the first wicket before we made a breakthrough is the sort of start that has a captain reaching for the aspirin, but the lads dug in and turned 63-1 into 76-4 in a spell that changed the whole afternoon. Jon Harris was quite superb, four wickets for 26 runs off nine tight maidens, and I was glad enough of my own contribution of three for 31 alongside Matt Large's three for 35. We shipped Norman Bateman and sent Robin Cunningham back without troubling the scorer, yet Mick Filmer's 31, with Mark Stevens and Andy Naish chipping in either side of twenty, dragged them to 125 all out from a marathon 61 overs.

A gettable target, we all agreed at tea, and for a while it looked it. I found some form with the bat, 47 the sort of innings you allow yourself a quiet pat on the back for, but wickets fell around me with alarming regularity. Paul Gibson and David Piper both walked back for ducks, and with nine byes conceded, poor Jim Hall behind the stumps will not remember the day fondly. All out for 112 in 56.5 overs, thirteen runs shy of the target and rather further shy of our pride.

A defeat, then, but not a disgraceful one, and there is enough heart in this side to suggest we will be a good deal better for it next week.

Sun 25 Aug 1985 🧢 1st XIv OC Old Anchorians CC · HomeformDDWDD

Nigel Thirkell's Match Report — Linton Park CC v Old Anchorians CC, 25 August 1985

Won the toss on a Sunday that promised more than it delivered, and I took the bold captain's option: bat first, get the runs on the board, sit back with a cup of tea. Alas, the tea went cold rather quicker than expected. Paul Gibson led the way with a gutsy 22, Sean Charlton chipping in with 20, and for a while 64 for 5 looked almost respectable. Then the wheels came off in spectacular fashion — 78 for 8 arrived before most of us had finished our sandwiches, with Jim Hall and Allan Cooper both departing for golden ducks. All out for 82 in 46.2 overs is not a total to frighten anybody, and we knew it.

Defending it was always going to be a tall order, but the lads dug in gamely. Sean Charlton was superb with the ball, 2 for 15 of pure discipline, while Matt Large bowled with real miserliness — three maidens and 2 for 19 — and I managed to chip in with 2 for 20 myself, which I shall claim as my one moment of glory in an otherwise chastening afternoon. We even had them wobbling from 47 for 3 to 61 for 6, and for a fleeting, glorious over or two I let myself believe. But K Hewitt stood firm on 26 not out and steered Old Anchorians home by 4 wickets with 83 for 6 on the board.

Not our day, then, but heads up — back to the nets, and on to the next one.

Wed 21 Aug 1985 🧢 Midweek XIv Gravesend CC · HomeformLWDWD

Lost the toss on Wednesday, which these days feels less like misfortune and more like tradition — Gravesend CC had us out in the field before I'd even finished my tea. Still, I can't grumble at how it went: parted their innings for 127 in 45.4 overs, with Colin Myers's 33 the stubborn heart of it, well supported by John Hardy's 22 and Dave Elliott's 21. I found some rhythm with the ball and finished with 5 for 34, Sean Riley chipped in with 3 for 42, and Paul Gibson bowled with the miserly discipline of a man guarding his allotment — 1 for 17 and three maidens to show for it.

Chasing 128 should have been within us. It wasn't. We slid from 10 for 1 to 13 for 4 in the sort of collapse that makes a captain suddenly very interested in his shoelaces, and only Richard Chapman, striking a composed 52, kept the innings from complete embarrassment. Dennis Salisbury, Andrew Kember and Jim Hall all made the walk of shame for the Duck Club ledger — condolences, gentlemen, the club tie awaits.

We were bowled out for 99 in 35.3 overs, 28 runs light in the end. There's a season's worth of pride to take from David Castle heading the run charts and my nine wickets leading the bowling — but on the day, not our afternoon. Back to the nets, heads up, kettle on.

Sun 18 Aug 1985 🧢 1st XIv Whitstable CC · HomeformWDDWD

As it stands from the captain's chair, I shan't pretend the toss going against us on a sun-baked Sunday didn't sting a little — but sending Whitstable in gave us a chance to show what our bowling attack could do, and I like to think we did ourselves proud. They ground their way to 190/9 off the full fifty, with Andy Parker's 44 the backbone of the innings and useful support from Duncan Hardy and R Mills, both 33, the pair putting on 53 for the third wicket that threatened to get away from us. Credit where it's due: my brother Nigel did the real damage with 2-20, backed up by Sean Charlton and Jon Harris, both among the wickets with 2-41 and 2-58 respectively, while Paul Gibson bowled tight enough to squeeze out two maidens and keep the scoreboard honest.

Chasing 191 to win, we made a fair fist of it without quite getting there. I'll admit to a certain quiet satisfaction in contributing a half-century of my own — 70, the top score of the day — and I owe a good deal to Ian Webb's 31 and Paul Gibson's 25, the two of them helping build an 88-run stand for the second wicket that gave us real hope. In the end 183/8 from our 45 overs wasn't quite enough to get us over the line, but nor did Whitstable have enough to see us off.

So honours shared, then — and on a day when Nigel continues to lead the run charts and Jon the wickets, I'd call a hard-fought draw against decent opposition no bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Sat 17 Aug 1985 🧢 1st XIv BC Brackley CC · HomeformWWDDW

Saturday 17 August 1985 dawned looking fair, and having won the toss I had no hesitation in taking first knock — a decision I stand by, whatever the scorebook later suggested. Jim Hall played the innings of the day, a well-crafted 55, and found an excellent partner in Nigel Thirkell, whose 34 helped build a second-wicket stand of 76 that was the making of our total. Sadly what should have been a platform for something substantial became a lesson in fragility, as we slid from a healthy 119 for 4 to a decidedly wobblier 133 for 7 in the time it takes to pour a tea. We closed on 143 for 9 from our 51 overs — a score that felt ten runs light and forty minutes hard-won.

Defending it, I turned to the bowlers and watched Brackley reduced to 6 for 1 in no time, before M Brown (38) and D Hutton (24 not out) stitched together a stubborn 56-run stand for the sixth wicket that threatened to spoil our afternoon entirely. But the floodgates reopened at the other end — Matt Large was quite magnificent, 5 for 22 off a miserly seven maidens, with I chipping in 2 for 22 myself to keep the squeeze on. Brackley finished 97 for 7, honours even.

A draw it was, then — honours shared, tea urn empty, and Jim Hall quietly easing past Frank Brattle into 10th on the club's all-time run charts. Not a win, but not a bad afternoon's work either.

Sat 27 Jul 1985 🧢 1st XIv NH Newchapel and Horne · AwayformWWWDD

Saturday 27 July 1985, and off we trundled to Newchapel and Horne with the sun, for once, playing ball. I won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first — the right call, I felt, and one I'm rather pleased to have been proved right about.

What followed was as fine an innings as I can remember overseeing from the boundary edge. Andy Woollett simply middled everything in sight for a magnificent 144, and with Sean Riley getting us away to a flyer the pair put on 221 for the first wicket before anyone laid a glove on them. Mike Elworthy chipped in with a classy 64, the extras column threw in a generous 25, and we declared our efforts closed at a mighty 309 for 3 from 40 overs. Frankly, by teatime the match already felt half won.

It rather was. Newchapel and Horne never quite got out of the blocks — 7 for 1 early on, and though P Wann battled to 43 with support from R Holland and G Thomson, wickets tumbled in clusters and D McVitty and D Wann trudged off without troubling the scorers. T Whyatt bowled beautifully for 4-45, Matt Large backed him up with 3-24, and I was happy enough with my own 2-39 and four maidens to boot. Poor Mike Elworthy had a torrid time behind the stumps, 14 byes going begging, but no matter — they were bowled out for 160.

A comfortable 149-run win, then, and Andy's ton nudges him up the club's all-time run-scorers list besides. Onwards indeed.

Thu 25 Jul 1985 🧢 Midweek XIv EX E J Hayes XI · HomeformWLWDW

Fine, Thursday 25 July, and the elements at least played fair even if the E J Hayes XI took some persuading. I won the toss and, in a rare moment of decisiveness, elected to bat — the right call, I still maintain, whatever anyone says over tea. We ground our way to 168 for 6 off 48.5 overs, a total that owed almost everything to David Castle, whose unbeaten 90 was the innings in miniature: patient, then punishing, and frankly showing the rest of us up rather badly.

Defending it was always going to be the sterner examination, and so it proved. A Ashworth made a thoroughly good fist of it, 53 not out and steering his side to within sight of us with P Robinson chipping in 35 alongside him. I can't claim I did nothing about it, mind — I found some rhythm with the ball, finished with 4 for 47 and four maidens to show for the toil, while J- Milloy (2-18) and Steve Petty (2-48) kept things honest at the other end.

In the end neither side could quite force the door open, and it finished 156 for 9 — a draw, honours shared, everyone home in time for last orders. With Castle now leading our run charts for the season and myself, rather sheepishly, the wickets column, it's shaping up to be a proper team effort. A fair result, all told: not the win we wanted, but not the defeat we feared either.

Sun 21 Jul 1985 🧢 1st XIv FC Folkestone CC · AwayformWWWWD

Sunday the 21st of July found us on the road to Folkestone, where I duly lost the toss — a habit I'm beginning to take rather personally — and we were asked to bowl first, sparing my top order the indignity of facing the new ball fresh off the coach.

Folkestone ground their way to 165 for 9 from 55.2 overs, Adrian Bray top-scoring with a watchful 46, well supported by Stan Purcell's 34 and Roy Downey's 27, the pair anchoring a stubborn 52-run stand for the fourth wicket that threatened to bat us clean out of the game. Credit where due, though: Nigel Warwick departed for a duck at our hands, and the real story of the innings was Jon Harris, who bowled beautifully for 6 for 36 — a thoroughly deserved five-for and then some. Trevor Back chipped in with 2 for 35, and Matt Large bowled with real discipline for 1 for 35, including four maidens — not a run given away lightly all afternoon.

Chasing 166, we never quite found our rhythm, subsiding to 96 for 9 from our 46 overs, Jim Hall's watchful 24 the only innings of real substance on a day when the bat never matched the ball. Elsewhere in the season's ledger, our Nigel Thirkell continues to plunder runs for fun with 1225 to his name, while Jon Harris's 58 wickets confirm him as the attack's spearhead.

In the end neither side could force the issue, and honours were shared — a draw that, on reflection, probably flattered us rather more than it did them.

Sat 20 Jul 1985 🧢 1st XIv Rainham (Kent) CC · AwayformLWWWW

Saturday 20 July found us on the road to Rainham (Kent) CC, and things got off to a predictably contrary start — I lost the toss, they chose to bat, and I resigned myself to a long afternoon in the field.

They made themselves thoroughly at home, reaching 202/7 from 45.5 overs. Glen Cook was the chief tormentor with a handsome 86, well supported by Mark Richards' 43, the pair adding 66 for the fourth wicket while we hunted in vain for a breakthrough. Small mercies: Paul Fisher departed without troubling the scorers, and Jon Harris ran riot to the tune of 5-53. I chipped in with 1-49 and three maidens of my own, more containment than menace, but every little helped.

With 203 to chase, we lost an early wicket with just 4 on the board — the sort of start that has a captain reaching for something stronger than tea. Happily a stand of 75 for the third wicket set us right, Andy Woollett contributing a tidy 38 while I was glad to lead from the front, carrying my bat for an unbeaten 71 as we closed on 138/5 from 37 overs. Poor Malcolm Pay's golden duck was the only real blot.

The season ledger continues to smile on us — those runs keep me clear at the top of the 1st XI run charts with 1216, and Jon Harris sits second in the wickets with 52 to his name. As for Saturday, neither side could force the issue: honours shared, and a draw that felt, on balance, entirely fair.

Sun 14 Jul 1985 🧢 1st XIv MC Morden Village CC · HomeformWLWWW

Sunday 14 July found us hosting Morden Village CC, and I called correctly at the toss — no hesitation, we were batting. Wickets are for winning matches, but so is nerve, and we had precious little of it early on, losing a man with just 8 on the board. What followed, though, was the making of the innings: a fine stand of 54 for the second wicket steadied things nicely. Sean Charlton played the anchor role beautifully for 41, with P Garratt (26) and Paul Gibson (20) chipping in handsomely as we posted a respectable 154/7 from our 41.2 overs.

If 154 felt a touch shy of imposing, our bowlers had other ideas. Morden's reply was, in a word, a collapse — 8-1 became 17-4 in short order, R Pearce and R White both back in the pavilion without troubling the scorers. Matt Large was magnificent, taking 3-9, while I was fortunate enough to chip in with 3-9 myself and six tidy maidens besides — not a run given away lightly. Sean Charlton backed up his batting with 3-11 to complete a wonderfully well-shared bowling effort. Brown's defiant 24 was the only real resistance, and poor Jim Hall behind the stumps endured a testing afternoon, ten byes telling their own tale. Morden folded for 63.

A 91-run victory, two points thoroughly earned, and a Sunday that reminded us why we play the game — even the wobbles have their charm.

Sat 13 Jul 1985 🧢 1st XIv HC Horton Kirby CC · HomeformWWLWW

Saturday 13th July, and the sun was kind enough to grace Horton Kirby's visit to Linton Park. Winning the toss, I had no hesitation in taking first knock — and for once my judgement wasn't entirely misplaced. We wobbled early, 2 for 1 enough to have the tea urn muttering, before Nigel Thirkell and Andy Woollett settled things with a stand of 122, Nigel going on to 69 and Andy to a fine 61. Extras chipped in a generous 27, which is either a tribute to their bowlers' wildness or ours — I shall let the reader decide. Special mention, as ever, for poor Jim Hall, whose golden duck earns him top billing in this year's ledger of shame. 198/7 from our 46 overs felt like a competitive total, and so it proved.

With ball in hand we were a different proposition entirely. Matt Large was in irresistible form, spinning his way to 5 for 62 with a couple of maidens thrown in for good measure, and along the way reached the landsome milestone of 50 career wickets — a round of applause all round for that one. Jon Harris (3-23) and I (2-43) mopped up nicely, while Ian Scott's 26 and Keith Williams's 24 were the only real resistance before Horton Kirby folded for 139. A Lee joined Jim Hall in the duck club, and poor Jim had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps besides, 8 byes going begging.

A 59-run victory, then, and a thoroughly satisfying one. Nigel leads our run charts and Matt our wickets — long may both continue. Onwards.

Sun 07 Jul 1985 🧢 1st XIv RA Reeds Aylesford · HomeformWWWLW

Sunday the 7th of July found us hosting Reeds Aylesford, and having called correctly at the toss I did the sensible thing and stuck us in to bat — a decision I shall claim full credit for, whatever the scorebook might later suggest about my own contribution with the willow. Brian Piper and Nigel Thirkell set about proceedings with real purpose, the pair putting on 67 for the first wicket before anyone in green could so much as trouble the scorers. Piper went on to a fine 74, Thirkell finished unbeaten on 66, and Paul Bowles chipped in a brisk 34 as we closed on a handsome 207 for 3 from our 54 overs — the sort of total that lets a captain enjoy his tea rather than chew through it.

In the field we were rather spoiled for choice. Bowles, having batted so nicely, turned his arm over to superb effect with 3 for 33, while Matt Large (2 for 17, with two tidy maidens thrown in for good measure) and David Iliffe (2 for 17) squeezed the life out of the innings. Poor Matt Lemoine departed without troubling the scorers at all. Only B Seager, with a battling 47, threatened to make a match of it, and Reeds Aylesford were all out for 155. I shall gloss over the 17 byes that crept past Mike Elworthy — a testing afternoon behind the stumps, if ever there was one.

A word, too, on Brian Piper's 5,000 career runs for the club — thoroughly deserved, and toasted accordingly. A fine win by 52 runs. Onwards.

Sat 06 Jul 1985 🧢 1st XIv Staplehurst CC · HomeformDWWWL

Called it right at the toss on a fine Saturday against Staplehurst, and I had no hesitation whatsoever in sticking us in to bat — some decisions make themselves. Nigel Thirkell and Paul Bowles gave us exactly the platform I was hoping for, putting on 59 for the first wicket before Nigel went on to a thoroughly deserved half-century of 57, with Bowles chipping in 41 of his own. We closed on 177/7 from our 46 overs — not a total to frighten anyone outright, but enough, we felt, to make Staplehurst work for their tea.

And work they did, at least for a while. An early wobble at 3-1 threatened to hand it to us cheaply, but I Pullen and C Rogers steadied things with a stand of 70 for the sixth wicket that had us checking our over-rate nervously. Then, as so often happens in this game, the roof fell in — 32-2 became 39-5 in the blink of an eye, N Bardsley and J Munn both back in the pavilion without so much as a run to their names. Matt Large was the chief architect with 3-21, well backed by Jon Harris (2-34) and the metronomic Paul Gibson, whose 2-39 with five maidens strangled any hope of a recovery.

A 23-run win, two points banked, and Nigel Thirkell now sits proudly atop the season's run charts with Matt Large keeping pace among the wickets. A tidy day's work all round — I shall take the credit for winning the toss and leave the rest to those who actually did something with it.

Sun 30 Jun 1985 🧢 1st XIv AX A Woollett XI · HomeformLDWWW

Sunday last saw A Woollett XI make the short trip to Linton Park, and I won what toss there was to win and sent them in — a decision I spent the rest of the afternoon quietly reconsidering. P Cox anchored their innings with a fine 58, T Iliffe chipped in an assured 48 and Andy Woollett added 23, and though we prised out an early wicket with just 1 on the board, a stubborn 81-run stand for the third wicket rather took the shine off that early promise. Credit where due, though: P Garratt departed for a golden duck to our bowling, Paul Gibson span a web through their order for a magnificent 5-97, and Matt Large chipped away at the other end with 3-39, three of his overs going entirely unrewarded for the batsmen. Gibson's afternoon carried extra significance too, as he brought up his fiftieth career wicket for the club — a landmark thoroughly deserved.

Sadly our reply never got out of second gear. Brian Piper battled hard for 39, the only substantial contribution of note, but around him the innings folded alarmingly, 49 for 1 collapsing to 52 for 4 in what felt like the time it takes to pour a tea, with Trevor Back and Sean Cook both back in the pavilion without troubling the scorers. All out for 89 in 34.5 overs told its own sorry story.

A hundred and seven runs the wrong way, then, and a day for quiet reflection rather than celebration. Back to the nets it is.

Sat 29 Jun 1985 🧢 1st XIv Meopham CC · HomeformWLDWW

Saturday 29 June 1985, and Meopham CC rolled up on a day that felt, for once, entirely on our side. I won the toss and, in a rare fit of decisiveness, elected to bat — a decision that took roughly no thought at all and, for once, no second-guessing afterwards either.

We settled to 150/4 off our 46, built on a fine platform from Paul Bowles, who middled his way to a well-crafted 59, and a 2nd-wicket stand of 70 that did all the heavy lifting. Bob Lines chipped in unbeaten on 29, Malcolm Pay made a tidy 27 — a knock that, we later discovered, also nudged him past Jon Harris into 13th on the club's all-time run charts, which is the sort of thing that gets you a nod at the bar even on a day you were dismissed for a modest 20 yourself, as I was.

In the field Meopham gave it a proper go, reaching 145/8 in their 44 thanks to R Woodbridge's determined 49, with support from W Gunyon and Paul Lamb. But Paul Bowles, four wickets and six maidens to his name, strangled the innings at the death, with Jon Harris weighing in with three more. Poor Barrie Lewis-Ranwell and M Pennells never got off the mark.

Five runs the margin, five runs the story. A proper afternoon's cricket, and a very good day for the club.

Tue 25 Jun 1985 🧢 1st XIv MC Maidstone YMCA CC · HomeformDWLDW

Tuesday 25th June, Dummy Site, and a lovely evening for it. I won the toss and elected to bat, which for once even I got right. The lads set about their work with real purpose — Nigel Thirkell playing a proper captain's innings of his own, 69 not out, while Paul Bowles chipped in a handy 33 alongside him. Sixteen overs and 124 for the loss of just one wicket is the sort of total that lets you enjoy your tea rather than gulp it down, and I confess I did both.

Defending it was never going to be a stroll, and so it proved. J. Adams gave us an uncomfortable evening with a fine 47, well supported by R Warboys' 26, and the pair put on 72 for the first wicket before we so much as glimpsed a breakthrough — there were one or two moments in the field where I found something very interesting to study on my bootlaces. But patience and Allan Cooper's excellent 2 for 31 dragged us back into it, Nigel Thirkell chipping in again with the ball for 1 for 43, because naturally the man can't help himself. They finished on 100 for 3 from their sixteen, 24 runs shy.

A good day for the club, and no mistake — Nigel Thirkell continues to make the rest of us look faintly ornamental, but we'll take the win, the sunshine, and the extra pint it earns him at the bar.

Sun 23 Jun 1985 🧢 1st XIv DC Dimanchians CC · HomeformLDWLD

Sunday last saw us welcome Dimanchians CC, and having won what passed for a coin toss decision in my head, I stuck them in. It was, I confess, one of those days where the ball did just enough for just long enough. We had them nought for one inside the first over, which is always a lovely way to settle the nerves, and though R Atkinson (28) and J Best (20) threatened to drag them to something respectable, they never quite escaped our clutches, bowled out for 103 in 51 overs. Sean Cook was magnificent, 4-11 of pure menace, with Jon Harris (3-25) snapping up the rest and Nigel Thirkell chipping in with one. Matt Large, meanwhile, simply refused to be scored off, four maidens of quiet suffocation. Three of theirs departed for ducks against us, which felt almost unsporting.

Chasing 104 is the sort of target that should be a formality and therefore, this being cricket, very nearly wasn't. We wobbled to 4 down before Nigel Thirkell (38) and Sean Charlton (31 not out) stitched together a calm, sensible 56-run stand that put the game to bed. I contributed my own small share with the bat along the way, for whatever that's worth in the great ledger. Nigel continues his imperious form, now 865 runs for the season, while Matt Large's 38 wickets make him a one-man wrecking crew.

Five wickets to the good, and a very good day for the club indeed.

Sat 22 Jun 1985 🧢 1st XIv West Farleigh CC · HomeformDLDWL

Saturday 22 June, and West Farleigh CC rolled up as our visitors. I lost the toss again — my coin-calling remains, as ever, a national embarrassment — and duly found myself leading the side out into the field rather than padding up in the shade.

It turned out rather well for us. West Farleigh huffed and puffed their way to 108 all out from 43 overs, Simon Day top-scoring with a watchful 20, but the middle and lower order rather lost their nerve, subsiding from a semi-respectable 101 for 7 to all out for 108 — a collapse of the sort we usually specialise in ourselves. Grant Wells departed without troubling the scorers at all. Matt Large was in irresistible form, spinning his way to 5 for 64 and thoroughly bamboozling anyone who came near him, while Paul Gibson chipped in a tidy 3 for 8 and Jon Harris, miserly as a Yorkshireman with four maidens to his name, took 1 for 7.

Chasing 109, we cruised to 52 for 1 from our 18 overs before bad light and good sense called a halt. Nigel Thirkell anchored things beautifully with 35 not out, and rather stole the show besides — bringing up 15,000 career runs for the club along the way, a landmark that puts the rest of us thoroughly in the shade. He now leads the 1985 run charts with 827, with Matt Large topping the wicket-takers on 37.

Honours shared, then, and rightly so. A draw that flattered no one and disappointed nobody — the very essence of village cricket.

Thu 20 Jun 1985 🧢 1st XIv Staplehurst CC · HomeformDDLDW

Thursday 20th June, and Staplehurst CC rolled up at the Park for what turned into one of those low-scoring, nerve-shredding afternoons that cricket seems to specialise in. I lost the toss — the coin remains resolutely unpersuaded by my calling — and we were put into the field, which at least meant sixteen overs of activity rather than sixteen overs of pad-buckling anxiety on the boundary.

Staplehurst huffed and puffed their way to 103/9, R Thomas doing the donkey work with a watchful 28, but once they slipped from 86-6 to 96-9 the wheels came off rather satisfyingly. Matt Large was the chief mechanic with a superb 4-23, Jon Harris chipped away for 3-37, and I managed to prise out one for 27 myself, mostly by looking threatening and getting lucky.

Chasing 104, we never quite got the legs under us. Brian Piper's 25 was the innings' backbone, and I contributed 20 alongside him before we lost our footing, tumbling from a respectable 61-3 to a distinctly less respectable 79-6 in the blink of an eye. Special commiserations to Jon Harris, who top-scored with the ball but bagged a duck with the bat — the Duck Club ledger duly updated. We finished on 86/7, seventeen runs shy.

A defeat, then, but not a disgraceful one — we bowled with real discipline and simply ran out of batting. With Jon leading the wicket charts and my own runs still ticking along nicely this season, the engine is sound even if the coachwork took a dent. Onwards to next week.

Tue 18 Jun 1985 🧢 1st XIv LC Leybourne CC · HomeformWDDLD

Splendid news from the Linton Park square: after Leybourne asked us to bowl first, our attack made short work of them. Jon Harris was in irresistible form, spinning his way to 5-19, ably backed up by my own contribution of 2-18, as Leybourne slid to 5-1 early and never recovered — though J Collyer's unbeaten 37 at least gave their total some respectability. Mark Folkard's duck was the one blot on an otherwise tidy afternoon in the field, but with the opposition restricted to 76/7 from their 16 overs, we always felt we held the whip hand.

Chasing was never going to trouble us on this evidence, and so it proved. I found some form with the bat, making 48, and with Brian Piper unbeaten on 30 in good support, we cantered home to 78/1 in a mere seven overs — the kind of brisk, no-nonsense run chase that makes the tea urn barely have time to boil before it's all over. Nine wickets to the good, and hardly a bead of sweat spared.

It rather sums up our season, in truth — I find myself leading the run charts with 772 for the year, while Jon continues to terrorise county batting orders with 30 wickets to his name. Leybourne were competitive with the bat but never troubled us as an attacking or chasing side. A fine win, comfortably taken, and the sort of Tuesday evening that reminds you why this daft old game is worth the bother. Onwards indeed.

Sun 16 Jun 1985 🧢 Sunday NVKCv UC Underriver CC · AwayformWLWWW

Skipper's Log — Sunday 16 June 1985. The road took us to Underriver, and the coin let us down before a ball was bowled, which in hindsight rather set the tone for the day.

Put in to field, we scrapped hard. Allan Cooper led the attack beautifully with 2-20, Paul Bowles chipped in with 2-23, and Trevor Back picked up a handy 1-6, while Jon Harris bowled three miserly maidens to choke the scoring. James Lister departed for a golden duck at our hands, and we had Underriver rocking from 93-5 to 102-8 at one stage — a proper collapse that had us dreaming of a small target. D Hardy's 31 and Adrian Barr-Smith's 21 were the innings that got away from us, though, and 123/9 from their 40 overs felt like a total we really should have restricted further.

With the bat, Bob Lines batted beautifully for 49, and I found some form myself alongside Nigel Thirkell's 20, the two of us putting on 68 for the fourth wicket that for a while had the tea urn practically boiling over with optimism. Sadly Jim Hall, Allan Cooper and Matt Large all contributed a golden nothing between them, and Jim's afternoon behind the stumps was no easier, with 9 byes leaking away. All out for 118 in 39 overs, we fell five agonising runs short.

A match that slipped through our fingers by the width of a bail. We'll be better for it next week.

Sat 15 Jun 1985 🧢 1st XIv MC Maidstone YMCA CC · HomeformWWDDL

Sixty-two runs shy of a hundred, and I'll admit the ovation as I trudged off did rather more for my ego than the scorebook will ever reveal. Winning the toss on a fine June Saturday, I had no hesitation batting first, and after losing our opener cheaply at 8 for 1 it was a case of steadying the ship rather than swashbuckling. That job fell largely to me and to Malcolm Pay, whose 26 anchored a fine 87-run third-wicket stand while I ground my way to 96 — close enough to three figures to make the walk back thoroughly agonising, but I shan't dwell on it twice. We closed on 148 for 4 from our 46 overs, a total that felt about right for the conditions.

Defending it, Maidstone YMCA never quite let us land the knockout blow. Sean Cook was superb with the ball, snaffling 3 for 23, while I chipped in with 2 for 52 and Jon Harris bowled a tight, miserly spell for 1 for 45 with three maidens to show for his discipline. Dave Goodyer (36 not out), Geoff Dearing (22 not out) and Pete Worsnop (20) kept the visitors ticking along, and their last pair had the cheek to add an unwanted 59 that dragged them to 143 for 6 — agonisingly close, and rather more than we'd have liked to concede at that late stage.

So honours shared, a draw when neither side could quite force it home. Frustrating in the moment, but with the season charts showing me leading the run-scoring and Jon second among the wicket-takers, there's plenty to be cheerful about — even if my sixties knees will remember that 96 for a while yet.

Tue 11 Jun 1985 🧢 1st XIv Teston CC · AwayformLWWDD

Called it right at the toss on a bright Tuesday at Teston and, with the usual reckless confidence of a man who has never once thought batting first might be the wrong idea, opted to bat. It didn't start well — 5 for 1 had me reaching for something stronger than tea in the flask — but the middle order dug in and a stand of 51 for the fifth wicket dragged us back to respectability. I was still there at the close of our innings, unbeaten on 40, having spent most of it wondering whether 101 for 6 off sixteen overs would be enough to defend on a ground that has never once been kind to us.

As it turned out, it very nearly was. Teston lost an early wicket with just 5 on the board and looked rattled, and when they slid from 77 for 4 to 84 for 7 I allowed myself a rare captain's smile. Geoff King's 33 was doing the damage at the other end, but the bowling had its say too — Matt Large chipping away for 2 for 27, and I had one of those days you dream about with the ball, five wickets for 27 of my own. A five-for, and my 400th appearance in Linton colours besides — not a bad way to mark the occasion.

But cricket, like the English weather, delights in cruelty, and Teston somehow crept home by a single wicket. Elsewhere Nigel Thirkell continues to pile up runs for fun and Matt Large the wickets, so the season ticks along nicely even as this one slipped away. Not our day. Back to the nets.

Sun 09 Jun 1985 🧢 1st XIv SC Sheldwich CC · HomeformDLWWD

Sunday the 9th of June brought Sheldwich to Linton Park, the coin fell kindly for once, and I had no hesitation in sending us in to bat — a decision that looked considerably wiser after the event than it perhaps deserved.

We were bowled out for 158 in 55.2 overs, a total built almost entirely on Sean Charlton's fine 63 and Allan Cooper's brisk 40, the pair putting on a crucial 68 for the seventh wicket while the rest of the order rather lost the plot. Matt Large and Adrian Simmonds both departed without scoring, and I can report — with all the false modesty a captain can muster — that I contributed a golden blob of my own. Leading by example is all very well, though on this occasion I'd rather not have set quite that particular one.

With the ball, though, we were a different side altogether. Sheldwich's innings folded from 79 for 4 to 81 for 7 in a hurry, Nigel Mannouch and A Godden both back in the hutch for ducks. Jon Harris ran riot with a magnificent 6 for 40, and his 13 runs with the bat quietly nudged him past Malcolm Pay into 13th on the club's all-time run-scorers list. Allan Cooper starved the batsmen with four maidens on his way to 1 for 8, and Sean Charlton chipped in with 1 for 13, but Martin Mills's defiant 41 dragged Sheldwich to safety at 109 for 9.

A draw, then — honours shared, though with bowling of that quality we really ought to have finished the job.

Sat 08 Jun 1985 🧢 1st XIv RC Rumwood CC · HomeformDDLWW

Saturday 08 June 1985, and we welcomed Rumwood CC to Linton Park under skies that, for once, looked kindly on the fixture. I won the toss and had no hesitation in taking first knock — the pitch looked a batting one, and so it proved.

Nigel Thirkell was in imperious touch, carrying his bat for a magnificent 89 not out, and found a willing ally in Jim Hall, who cruised past his own half-century to 68. The pair put on 88 for the second wicket and effectively set the tone for the whole innings. Bob Lines chipped in with a tidy 28, and by the time we declared our efforts at 225 for 3 off 52 overs, we had runs enough, we hoped, to trouble anyone.

Defending it, we asked plenty of questions without quite finding the breakthrough we craved. Jon Harris was superb with the new ball and old, eight maidens and 1 for 16 a testament to sheer miserliness, while Nigel Thirkell and Matt Large chipped in with a wicket apiece. But B Aiston (47) and Geoff Griffiths, unbeaten on 38, shared a stubborn 60 for the second wicket, with John Pearson's 26 adding further resistance, and Rumwood closed on 154 for 3. I managed a workmanlike 18 with the bat myself, more useful than memorable.

So honours shared, and on reflection a fair result — we simply couldn't prise out that middle order. Nigel continues his golden season atop the run charts, Matt Large leads the wicket-takers, and Linton Park leave the field unbeaten, if unsatisfied.

Thu 06 Jun 1985 🧢 1st XIv BC Boughton Monchelsea CC · AwayformLDDLW

Thursday last took us out to Boughton Monchelsea, a ground that always seems to sap the legs a fortnight quicker than anywhere else on the fixture list. Winning the toss, I had no hesitation in taking first knock — the right call, I felt, and for once I wasn't left eating my words at tea. We compiled a brisk 103 for 4 from our sixteen overs, Paul Bowles the chief architect with a fine 44, while I chipped away in support of a season that continues to be rather kind to me — I go into the summer sitting atop the 1st XI's run charts with 537 to my name, though I shan't dwell on that further than this one immodest sentence.

Defending it looked a tall order on paper, but Boughton Monchelsea never quite got comfortable. An early wicket with just 4 on the board set the tone, and when 27 for 2 became 33 for 5 in a hurry, the game was very much ours — M Cross departing without troubling the scorers along the way. Paul Bowles, not content with his runs, ran through their order with 3 for 13, well supported by Matt Large (2-13, and now boasting 24 wickets for the season) and Jon Harris (2-21). They battled to 82 for 7 but never threatened.

A word too for Malcolm Pay, whose useful 19 nudged him above Jon Harris into 13th on the club's all-time run-scorers list — quiet history, made on a Thursday evening in Kent.

A fine win by 21 runs, then, and a thoroughly satisfying one. Onwards.

Tue 04 Jun 1985 🧢 1st XIv West Farleigh CC · HomeformLLDDL

Tuesday brought West Farleigh to Linton Park, and my luck at the coin was as reliable as ever — none at all. They won the toss, chose to bat, and we settled in with the ball feeling reasonably pleased about that.

It didn't take long to justify the feeling. Two runs, one wicket, and West Farleigh were already wobbling before Fred Baker, Mick Holness and Mick Beeney all trooped back for ducks, our attack in irresistible mood. Allan Cooper was superb up front, finishing with 3-28, with fine support from Matt Large (3-32) and myself, happy enough with 2-21. Only Barry Brigden, with a battling 28, gave their innings any real shape, and 87/9 from their sixteen overs always felt like a total we'd chase down without breaking sweat.

So it proved. Paul Bowles played the innings of the day, an unbeaten 57 built with real class, and his second-wicket stand of 50 did the heavy lifting as we cantered home to 88/2 in just fourteen overs.

A word, too, on the season so far: I find myself atop the run charts with 528, while Matt Large leads the wickets column with 22 — proof, if any were needed, that there's life in this old side yet.

Eight wickets, and barely a bead of sweat between us. A fine win, and onwards we go.

Sun 02 Jun 1985 🧢 Sunday NVKCv Headcorn CC · AwayformLWLWW

Tim Thirkell's Match Report — Linton Park CC vs Headcorn CC, Sunday 2 June 1985

Lost the toss again — I'm beginning to suspect the Headcorn skipper has a two-headed coin — and duly found ourselves in the field. It didn't start badly, either, with an early breakthrough at 4 on the board suggesting a tidy afternoon ahead. Alas, John Phipps had other ideas, farming the strike to an unbeaten 53, well supported by N Benson (24) and Richard Chapman (20), and a stubborn 53-run stand for the sixth wicket dragged them to 136/7 from their forty. Allan Cooper was superb throughout, 3-21 with two maidens thrown in for good measure, and Trevor Back and Matt Large chipped in a wicket apiece to keep the total within reach.

Reach it we did, though not without the traditional early wobble — 7 for 1 had a few of us reaching for the flask before we'd even settled the deckchairs. But a crucial third-wicket stand of 69 set us fair, built around a really fine half-century from my nephew Nigel, who carried the innings with 54 — all the more special as his 500th appearance in Linton colours. Trevor Back played his part handsomely with an unbeaten 42, Brian Piper adding a brisk 20, and I was happy enough to potter along in support as we cruised home at 137/3.

A seven-wicket win, two points banked, and Nigel now sits proudly atop the Sunday run charts with 124 for the season — not a bad way to mark five hundred games. Verdict: a proper team effort, and one for the scrapbook.

Sat 01 Jun 1985 🧢 1st XIv JC J & E Hall CC · HomeformDLLDD

Called correctly at the toss for once, and there was never a flicker of doubt in my mind: we would bat. We lost our first wicket for the princely sum of one run, and for a horrible spell it looked as though the tea urn might see more action than the scoreboard. But Nigel Thirkell steadied things with a fine 45, Sean Charlton chipped in with 40, and a crucial sixth-wicket stand of 66 dragged us back into respectability. Brian Piper finished unbeaten on 27, I contributed a modest 21, and poor Malcolm Pay, Simon Thirkell and Steve Cheale each made the long walk back for a golden duck. 173 for 8 from our 49 overs felt like a par score, if not quite a winning one.

So it proved. J & E Hall's I Bates played an innings of real quality — 81, well supported by R Singh's unbeaten 45 and P Smith's 30 — and, after a watchful 61-run opening stand, an 86-run second-wicket partnership simply squeezed the life out of us. Nigel Thirkell, who tops our 1985 run charts with 519 and sits second among the bowlers with 15 wickets, did what he could here too, 2 for 43, with Sean Charlton chipping in (1 for 25) and Jon Harris tying an end down with three miserly maidens — earning himself a tidy footnote as he nudged past Malcolm Pay into 13th on the club's all-time run-scorers list. 174 for 3 in 47.3 overs told its own story: beaten by six wickets. We'll be better for it next week.

Mon 27 May 1985 🧢 1st XIv XM XII Men · HomeformWDLLD

There's little a captain relishes more than losing the toss on a fine Monday and being told to go and field, so naturally that's exactly how our afternoon began. Xii Men made themselves at home early, losing a wicket with just a single run to their name, and for a while it looked as though we'd bowl them out cheaply and be back in the pavilion for tea in good time. No such luck. John Payne dug in for an unbeaten 37, with M. Cornett's 33 and John Hartridge's unbeaten 25 filling out a total that crept steadily beyond comfortable, and then, just to rub it in, their last pair put on a maddening 63 we really could have done without. I can't say I enjoyed watching that partnership grow from mid-off. Still, I had the pleasure of spinning through them for 5-66, four of those overs maidens, with Matt Large chipping in usefully for 1-22, and 138/7 from their 39 overs felt like a total we could chase down with a bit of application.

Application, alas, was in short supply. Paul Bowles played the innings of the day with a fluent 35, well supported by Paul Brattle's 20, but wickets fell in an unseemly hurry from 46-1 to 58-4 and we stumbled to 83/6 from our 38 overs, the run rate never quite matching the required one. A draw, then — honours shared, nerves frayed, and pride just about intact. On this evidence we can spin sides out but not yet bat like we mean it; a fair result, if not a flattering one, and there are worse ways to spend a Bank Holiday Monday than watching Nigel run through their middle order.

Sun 26 May 1985 🧢 1st XIv SC Sandwich Town CC · AwayformWWDLL

From the captain's chair, Sunday 26 May 1985 — away at Sandwich Town CC, and not for the first time I lost a toss I'd have given a good deal to win. Put in to field, we spent the best part of the afternoon leathered around a pretty ground by two batsmen who simply refused to get out. Kevin Beaumont made a chanceless 140 not out, and just when we thought we might squeeze something out of the other end, Mark Baldock joined him in the runs with an equally polished 109 not out. Between them they saw off 47 overs and put on 273 for the loss of a single wicket — the kind of afternoon that tests a captain's field-placing imagination and finds it wanting. Allan Cooper toiled manfully for his one wicket, and only Matt Large, with two hard-earned maidens, gave the impression that boundaries weren't entirely compulsory.

Set an asking rate that owed more to arithmetic than realism, we lost an early wicket with just 4 on the board and never seriously threatened the target, subsiding — if that's the word for reaching 47 for 2 — to a sedate close. Bob Lines held things together nicely with an unbeaten 25, calm amid the wreckage.

I'll confess a quiet satisfaction, tucked away amid the carnage, at still leading our 1985 run charts with 469 for the season. Small mercies. A draw, then — honours shared, pride dented, tea presumably excellent.

Sat 25 May 1985 🧢 1st XIv Castle Hill CC, Kent · AwayformWWWDL

Saturday 25 May 1985 saw us motor down to Castle Hill CC, Kent, in reasonably good spirits — spirits that took a knock the moment I lost the toss and we were invited to have a bowl in the sunshine, which in club cricket is rarely the gift it first appears.

Castle Hill made themselves nicely at home, running up 190/6 from their 46 overs. Brian Henley set the tone with a polished 51, and got fine support from Michael Carter (43) and Richard Beale (27), the pair adding a very handy 84 for the fourth wicket while we searched, not always successfully, for a way through. Paul Gibson led our attack manfully with 2-35, Matt Large and Jon Harris chipped in with two apiece, and Jon deserves a special mention for four maidens of real discipline amid the carnage elsewhere.

Chasing 191, we never quite got the innings up on its feet, losing an early wicket with just 1 on the board to set the nervous tone. Malcolm Pay top-scored with a gritty 32 — enough, pleasingly, to nudge him past Cliff Anscombe into 13th on the club's all-time run-charts — with Paul Bowles and Jim Hall both weighing in with 20 apiece. Bob Lines, meanwhile, made his own kind of history, collecting a golden duck for the ledger.

We finished 135/8 from our 44, 55 runs shy. Not our day, gentlemen — heads up, and back to the nets.

Sun 19 May 1985 🧢 Sunday NVKCv High Halstow CC · HomeformWLWLW

Sunday, 19th May 1985 – Linton Park CC v High Halstow CC

Lost the toss again – I do wonder if the club coin has it in for me – and High Halstow had no hesitation putting us in the field on a fine Sunday. For a while it looked as though we might be chasing a proper total, with Paul Whelan compiling a patient unbeaten 30 and B Rayner and Colin Sykes chipping in with 29 and 20 respectively. But then the innings simply fell over: 105 for 5 became 117 for 8 in the blink of an eye, three of their number departing without troubling the scorers at all. Jon Harris was the chief architect of the collapse, a mean and miserly 3 for 19 including two maidens, with Allan Cooper (2-25) and Paul Bowles (2-31) both doing their bit. High Halstow closed on 131 for 9 from their forty overs – a target that felt entirely gettable, and rather generous of them.

So it proved. Our reply wobbled briefly when the first wicket fell for just 3, but that was as alarming as things got. My father Nigel rolled back the years with a composed unbeaten 66, and once he and the middle order settled, added a priceless 68 for the third wicket alongside contributions of 23 apiece from Paul Bowles and Trevor Back. I did my own small bit with the bat along the way, happy simply to help see us home. We reached 132 for 3 in 35.1 overs without any great alarm.

A comfortable seven-wicket win, then, and a thoroughly pleasant afternoon's work all round. Onwards we go.

Sat 18 May 1985 🧢 1st XIv Headcorn CC · AwayformWWWWD

Skipper's Log — Saturday 18 May 1985. Away to Headcorn, and I called it right at the toss, though "right" is a matter of opinion once you've watched the top order troop back to the pavilion in single figures. Six on the board and we'd already lost one; a trio of the lads — Andrew Kember, Martin Mears and Jon Harris — decided the scorebook needed more zeroes and duly obliged. Thankfully Nigel Thirkell had other ideas, batting through with real application to finish unbeaten on a fine fifty-four, nursed along by Paul Bowles's tidy 21, and between them they hauled us up to a defendable-looking 121 for 9 off our 46.

Defending it was always going to be a scrap, and so it proved. Paul Bowles was the pick of the attack again, bowling with real hostility for 3 for 38, while Jon Harris toiled away miserly as ever — four maidens and a wicket for his troubles, proof that not all good bowling shows up in the wickets column. I chipped in with the ball too, though I shan't dwell on the figures. Headcorn's Simon Phipps had other ideas, though, cashing in with 33, well supported by G Wickens and John Phipps, and they eased home by six wickets with overs to spare.

Not our finest afternoon, then, but Nigel continues to purr at the top of the season's run charts and Jon's miserly spells keep him lurking in the wicket standings. We'll dust ourselves down and be better for it next week.

Sun 12 May 1985 🧢 1st XIv SC St Lawrence & Highland Court CC · AwayformWWWWW

Sunday the twelfth of May found us on the road to St Lawrence & Highland Court, and having called correctly for once, I had no hesitation in sticking us in. It proved the right call: 193 for 3 off our fifty-one overs was a tidy return, built on a fine half-century from Nigel Thirkell, 59 of the good stuff, with Jim Hall (45) and Trevor Back, unbeaten on 45, both playing their part. The third-wicket pair put on a crucial 92, and even the extras column chipped in a generous 27 — not that I'm complaining.

Defending it, we had our work cut out against a watchful Holmes, who ground his way to 87 not out and simply would not be shifted, well supported by D Sabine (31) and Hamish MacGregor (30), their fifth-wicket pair adding a stubborn 67. Small mercies: Short departed without so much as a run to his name. I did what I could with the ball, finishing with 4 for 94, Trevor Back chipped in with 1 for 47, and Matt Large bowled beautifully tight, four maidens and barely a bad ball among them. They closed on 191 for 5, one short of the target with overs still in hand — honours even.

Warm applause too for Trevor Back, whose 45 eased him past George Champion into 24th on the club's all-time run-scorers list. A draw, then, when neither side could quite force the door — and on a day like this, with the sun out and the tea urn working, I'll happily call that a fair result for both.

Sat 11 May 1985 🧢 1st XIv RC Rumwood CC · AwayformWWWWW

Saturday 11 May took us down to Rumwood, and having lost the toss I watched their captain elect to bat first — never quite the choice I'd have made for him, but there it is. Griffiths and company began wonderfully well, motoring to 62 before we found a way through, and Griffiths went on to a well-crafted 51, with Aiston (41) and Palmer (24) doing the donkey work in support. But cricket has a habit of turning on its head, and turn it did: from 151 for 7 to all out for 159 took barely the time it takes to pour a tea, with Ashford, Simmonds and Pearson all back in the pavilion without troubling the scorers. Jon Harris was the chief destroyer with 3 for 23, Matt Large (3-38) and Paul Gibson (2-37) piling in behind him, while I did my bit quietly with three maidens and not much else to show for it.

With 160 needed, we made light work of the chase. Bob Lines and Paul Bowles put on 98 for the first wicket before either fell — Lines compiling a handsome 60, Bowles just past his own fifty with 53. I came to the crease and saw us home unbeaten on 35, the job done in 38.5 overs for the loss of just two wickets. A word too for Bob Lines, who brought up 1,000 career runs for the club along the way — a landmark well worth raising a glass to, and I'll happily note I currently sit atop the 1985 first-team run charts with 348, while Matt Large leads the wickets with 16.

Two points, and thoroughly deserved: an eight-wicket win, and about as tidy an afternoon's work as this club could wish for.

Mon 06 May 1985 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · AwayformDWWWW

We lost the toss on a grey Bank Holiday Monday at Bearsted — no shock there — and were put into the field, which suited nobody but the tea urn. Rupert Humphrey went for a golden duck with the score on 2, an early stroke of fortune that Bearsted needed after that shaky start, and the innings settled into something altogether stodgier. Mark Stevens top-scored with 28, Sean Carter chipped in 21 and Alan Spong saw them home unbeaten on 20 as they crawled to 141 for 9 off their 46.

Matt Large was in irresistible form, spinning it past bat and pad alike for 5-42, while Paul Bowles picked up a wicket for 34. I did my bit too, taking 2 for 42 with four maidens thrown in for good measure — not a great deal of width on offer from this end.

Chasing 142 should have been straightforward, and for a while it was, Paul Bowles batting beautifully for an unbeaten 80 while I made a satisfying 52 alongside him, the two of us putting on 97 for the fourth wicket. Then, as only Linton Park can manage, we contrived to turn 126 for 4 into 132 for 7 in the blink of an eye, with Brian Piper, Andrew Kember and David Iliffe all failing to trouble the scorers. Jim Hall had a torrid time behind the stumps, 12 byes leaking through.

We limped over the line by 3 wickets nonetheless — two points, thoroughly earned, and a timely reminder that cricket, like tea, is best not rushed. I lead the season's run charts on 313, Matt Large the wickets on 13; long may that continue.

Sun 05 May 1985 🧢 Sunday NVKCv Sissinghurst CC · AwayformWWLWL

Sunday 5th May found us bound for Sissinghurst, a fixture I always relish, if not the drive. The coin fell their way and they had first knock, which on a morning like that felt like the toss going right for once — batting first at Sissinghurst has claimed better sides than us.

They made a bright fist of it, the openers putting on 65 before we prised the first wicket loose, and for a while it looked like we'd be chasing a proper total. But cricket, mercifully, has a way of turning: 65 for 1 became 69 for 4 in the blink of an eye, with Knowler, Gurr and Streatfield all back in the pavilion without troubling the scorers. Graham White held firm for a well-made 58, ably supported by James Hammond's 33, but the middle order couldn't build on that early platform and they were bowled out for 130. Paul Bowles was the pick of us with 3 for 27, Brian Piper chipped in with 2 for 24, and I was pleased enough with 2 for 26 and a couple of maidens to keep things tight at the other end.

With the bat, Brian Piper played the innings of the day, a crisp 63, and Paul Bowles - not content with his morning's work - finished unbeaten on 58 to see us home. We knocked it off inside 27 overs for the loss of a single wicket, and I don't mind admitting there was a spring in my step walking off.

Two points, thoroughly earned, and a nine-wicket win to boot. Sissinghurst won't want a rematch any time soon - and frankly, neither would I ask for one, purely on account of the tea.

Sat 04 May 1985 🧢 1st XIv BC Bidborough CC · HomeformLDWWW

Saturday 4th May, and Bidborough came to Linton Park under obliging skies. Winning the toss, I never seriously considered anything but batting first — some decisions make themselves.

What followed was as handsome a top-order display as we've managed all season. Nigel Thirkell simply purred to 91, and Paul Bowles chimed in with a composed unbeaten 64, the pair sharing a stand of 133 for the second wicket that took the game away from Bidborough before they'd properly arrived. We closed on a hearty 182 for 2 off our 38, and I confess there was tea-and-biscuits contentment in the pavilion at the halfway mark.

Defending it, the lads set about their work with real purpose. Bidborough's Stephen Hebditch battled to 26, but Matt Large was in irresistible form, scything through the middle order for 5 for 36 — three of those overs maidens, not a run given away lightly — a five-for as deserved as any I've seen from the boundary rope. I had my own quiet say with the ball, picking up 3 for 34, while Andrew Kember chipped in with a wicket for good measure. Bidborough were bowled out for 108 in 42.2 overs, well short of the target.

A win by 74 runs, then, and a thoroughly satisfying afternoon's cricket. Thirkell now leads our run charts for the season with 261, Large tops the wickets with 8 — form that bodes well. Onwards indeed.

Sun 28 Apr 1985 🧢 1st XIv CC Chatham Nomads CC · HomeformWLDWW

Chatham Nomads rolled up to Linton Park on a fine Sunday and, having lost the toss call to my choice, found themselves in the field first — which, I'll admit, felt like the right decision the moment Nigel Thirkell got going. He and Paul Bowles put on 167 for the second wicket in a stand that had me quietly beaming from the boundary, Thirkell motoring to a magnificent 117 and Bowles content to play the perfect foil for his own fine 68. We closed on 221/3 from our forty overs, which felt like a total with a bit of steel in it.

Defending it was another matter, and Barry Martin gave us a proper fright with a brisk 74, well backed up by D Pullen's 37 and K Barton's 23. But Trevor Back was in irresistible form, snaring 3-13 to blow holes in their order, Matt Large chipped in with 3-38 and a couple of tidy maidens, and Bowles, not satisfied with his runs, added 2-31 for good measure. P Loader and W Raven both departed without troubling the scorers, and poor Jim Hall had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, twelve byes leaking through — a lesson, no doubt, in standing up rather than standing back next time.

The Nomads were bowled out for 184 in 44 overs, leaving us victors by 37 runs. A word too for Allan Cooper, who brought up 2,000 career runs for the club — a landmark worth more applause than we probably gave it in the moment. A thoroughly satisfying win, and the season's shaping up nicely. Onwards.

Sat 27 Apr 1985 🧢 1st XIv Penshurst Park CC · HomeformWWLDW

Saturday 27th April, and Penshurst Park CC came calling at home. I won the toss – no hesitation, we were batting.

It wasn't the smoothest of starts, an early wicket falling with just 4 on the board had a few of us reaching for the second slice of Battenberg, but Nigel Thirkell settled things beautifully with a fine 53, well supported by Jim Hall's 23. The extras column chipped in a generous 28 of its own – no complaints there. Elsewhere the Duck Club did brisk business, Paul Bowles and Andrew Kember both taking that lonely walk back for nought. All told, 137 all out felt like a total we could bowl to.

And bowl to it we did. Penshurst threatened to make a match of it – P Coleman's 37 and a battling unbeaten 30 from John Lambert underpinned a stubborn 62-run stand for the seventh wicket that had me chewing my nails rather more than the occasion warranted. But we found another gear, ripping through them from 43 for 3 to 49 for 6 in a spell that did the job nicely; Robertson, Watenbach and Meade all departed without scoring. Paul Gibson was magnificent, 6 for 45 with five miserly maidens, and I chipped in with a wicket of my own, finishing with 1 for 38.

122 all out. A win by 15 runs, hard-earned and thoroughly deserved. Onwards indeed.