🧢 Captain's Log

Sun 11 Oct 1992 🧢 1st XIv TC Tenterden CC · AwayformWDWWW

Sunday 11 October found us on the road to Tenterden, and having called correctly for once, I saw no reason to be coy about it — up we went to bat.

It proved a shrewd call. Clive Newman set about the Tenterden attack with real purpose, finishing unbeaten on a fine 54, while Paul Bowles (45) and Nigel Thirkell (40) gave him sturdy company either side. Seventy runs were on the board before we lost so much as a wicket, and by the time our innings closed at 169 for 3 off 39 overs, even I had found the confidence to chip in with 40 of my own — a rare sighting, and one I intend to dine out on for some time.

Defending it, however, was another matter entirely. Rob Doick did his level best up front, prising out two for 36, with Ian Brattle (2-45) and the ever-parsimonious Alan Boyns (1-29, two maidens) chipping away alongside him. But P Knight had other ideas, compiling a magnificent unbeaten 87 that our bowlers simply couldn't shift, ushered along by John Oliver (21) and Spencer Gray (20 not out), whose fifth-wicket stand of 60 quietly did for us. Tenterden crept past our total at 171 for 5 with just three balls of the match to spare.

Not our day, then — beaten by four wickets, and a valuable lesson in never quite relaxing once the openers have done the hard work. Heads up, chins high, and back to the nets we go.

Sun 20 Sep 1992 🧢 1st XIv AC Anchorians CC · HomeformDWDWW

Sunday 20 September 1992, and Anchorians CC came to Linton Park to find the coin unkind to them — heads it was, and I had no hesitation in sending us in. What followed was a proper batting effort: Dave Charlton played the innings of the day with 78, well past his fifty, while David Castle's 37 and Nigel Thirkell's 25 gave it the substance it needed. Their 91-run stand for the fourth wicket was really the backbone of the whole afternoon, and 215/9 off our 37 overs felt like a total with a bit of bite in it.

Anchorians never quite got going in reply. An early wobble at 1-1 set the mood, and D Roberts departed for a golden duck to start the rot. Trevor Back was magnificent, tearing through with 4-40, with Rob Doick (2-23, three miserly maidens to boot) and Jon Harris (2-27) tidying up either end. J Bacon's 34 and useful contributions from Keith Wooding (27) and D Stubbs (25) were the only real resistance, and 151 all out from 40.2 overs left them well short. I even chipped in with 25 of my own with the ball, for what it's worth.

A word too for Piers McDonald, whose single run nudged him past Robert Chance into 25th on the club's all-time run-scorers list — immortality, of a sort, one run at a time.

Sixty-four runs the margin, two points banked, and thoroughly deserved. A day when everything we do well came off at once — I'll take that every Sunday going.

Sat 19 Sep 1992 🧢 2nd XIv RC Rainham (Kent) CC · AwayformLDWLW

Saturday 19 September 1992 — away to Rainham (Kent), and for once the coin actually behaved itself for me. I called correctly, and with a firm track underfoot there was never any doubt: we'd bat.

It didn't start well. Six on the board and we'd already lost a wicket, the sort of nervy little stumble that has openers muttering into their tea. But out of that wobble came the innings of the day: a third-wicket stand worth 133, built on Keith Hatcher's wonderfully controlled 98 not out and Brian Piper's fine 64. Piper's knock, incidentally, now nudges him past Tim Thirkell into 5th on the club's all-time run-scoring list — a lovely footnote to a fine summer's work. We closed on 213/6 from our 48, a total with enough about it to make Rainham work hard.

And work hard they did, without ever quite threatening. Stuart Cheesman was the pick, 3-36, with brother Fred chipping in with 2-15 and Rob Doick a wicket for 11. Dave Todd, meanwhile, was positively miserly — four maidens, not a run given away lightly. Rainham crawled to 139/8 off 41, McFarlane's 32 and Loader's unbeaten 30 the best of their resistance, but the follow-through simply wasn't there.

Honours shared, then — a draw when neither side could force the issue. Frustrating for the bowlers, no doubt, but with Piper etching his name into the record books and Mike Elworthy still striding out ahead in the season's run charts, there's plenty for the club to be cheerful about.

Wed 16 Sep 1992 🧢 Midweek XIv LX Lord Cornwallis XI · HomeformDWDLD

Wednesday 16 September 1992, and Dummy Site rolled into Linton Park for what would become one of those afternoons that tests a captain's stomach lining. I lost the toss — no great surprise this season — and we were put into the field.

They batted with real purpose. M Brooks (68) and M Fleming (56) put on 84 for the sixth wicket to drag the innings towards something stiff, with Sir M- S- Dunnington-Jefferson chipping in 33 for good measure. Jon Harris toiled manfully for 2-41, Alan Boyns and Ian Brattle backed him up with a wicket apiece, and Matt Large somehow found two maidens in that carnage — heaven knows how. They closed on 223/6 from 43.5 overs, a target with teeth.

Mark Stevenson batted like a man possessed for 87, ably supported by Peter Whyte (25) and Piers McDonald (22), and even our tail wagged for a defiant 37 at the death. Ian Brattle, sadly, marked the day with a golden duck — though he made amends by simply turning up, this being his 100th appearance in Linton colours, a landmark that deserves rather more fanfare than the scorebook gives it.

In the end we fell agonisingly short, beaten by two wickets, 223 not quite enough despite our best efforts. Peter Whyte and Jon Harris continue to lead the season's charts, which is some consolation. We'll be better for it next week — we usually are, eventually.

Sat 12 Sep 1992 🧢 1st XIv SC Southborough CC · AwayformDDWDW

Saturday 12th September, 1992, and off we trundled to Southborough with the toss lost and the ball in our hands — never the worst fate for a captain who'd rather be squinting at a scorebook than padding up straight away.

The lads took to that like ducks to water. Southborough were bowled out for a modest 87 in 31.4 overs, with the innings unravelling from 52 for 4 to 52 for 7 as the pressure told. Matt Large span through them for a magnificent 5 for 26, Paul Gibson chipped in with 4 for 18 (three maidens — not a run given away lightly, that man), and Nigel Thirkell picked up one for good measure. Ray Grayland's 20 was the only real resistance the home side could muster.

Chasing 88, we lost Danny Coombs and Robert "Bob" Steadman cheaply without either troubling the scorers, but from there it was a formality. Nigel Thirkell, not content with a hatful of wickets in the field on other days, saw us home with an unbeaten fifty, and I confess a personal contribution of 50 gave me no small satisfaction either.

Eight wickets the margin, and a thoroughly good day for the club. With Nigel now top of the 1992 run charts on 786 and Matt leading the wickets column with 64, this Linton Park side is playing some proper cricket. Southborough won't remember us fondly — and nor should they.

Sat 12 Sep 1992 🧢 2nd XIv SC Southborough CC · HomeformWLDWL

Southborough CC came calling on Saturday 12th, and having won the toss I chose to bat — I still maintain it was the right call, though the scorebook will have its own opinion. We laboured to 159/7 from our 46 overs, the innings held together by Dave Todd's unbeaten 40, with Keith Hatcher (30) and Mike Elworthy (20) chipping in dutifully. It was left to a wonderfully defiant last-wicket stand to add a precious 58 and give the total some much-needed respectability — the sort of rearguard action that makes a captain want to buy the tail a pint. Tim Thirkell, meanwhile, will not be troubling the scorers this week, departing for a golden duck.

With the ball, we found our rhythm. Southborough limped to 0 for an early wicket, wobbled through a 52-run fourth-wicket stand that threatened to steady the ship, then simply came apart at the seams — 91/4 became 95/7 in what felt like the blink of an eye, with David Thorpe, P Minihae and Lee Thorpe all shown the door without scoring. Alan Boyns was the chief architect of the collapse, a superb 4-38 with five miserly maidens, well backed by Trevor Back (2-40) and Dave Todd (1-1). Andrew Hinds fought a lone hand with a fine 59, but it was never quite enough, and they closed on 106/9. I had a quiet word for myself with 40 runs of my own.

A comfortable 53-run win, then, and a thoroughly good day for the club.

Wed 09 Sep 1992 🧢 Midweek XIv The Mote CC · AwayformLDWDL

Wednesday 9th September 1992 saw us travel to The Mote, and winning the toss I opted to bat first — a decision I'm rather pleased to say vindicated itself as the day wore on. We raced to 67 without loss before The Mote finally prised out an opener, and from there the innings settled into something altogether more substantial, built around a stand of 75 for the fourth wicket. Paul Gibson was the chief architect, cruising to 63, with Clive Newman (37) and Paul Bowles (34) lending sturdy support as we closed on a healthy 225 for 6 from our 44 overs.

Defending that total, we knew The Mote were unlikely to simply fold, and so it proved. An early wicket at 2 for 1 promised much, but Adrian Smith (66) and Malcolm Bristow (63) — both fine half-centuries — shared a stubborn 121 for the third wicket that dragged the game back their way, with Brian Piper's unbeaten 23 seeing them home to a competitive 192 for 5. Jon Harris was our chief tormentor with 3 for 62, Matt Large chipped in with 2 for 34 and four maidens of real discipline, and I managed to find some rhythm myself for 3 wickets. Poor Jim Hall, meanwhile, will not thank me for mentioning the 8 byes that slipped through.

In the end honours were shared, and on reflection a draw felt about right — two sides giving as good as they got, and nobody quite able to land the final blow.

Sun 06 Sep 1992 🧢 Tour XIv BC Beacon CC, Cornwall · AwayformWWLWL

Down in Cornwall on a fine September Sunday, Beacon CC did us no favours at the toss, and we found ourselves in the field before we'd properly finished our tea. Ralph Williams and Kevin Thomas both raised handsome fifties, 51 apiece, with Larry Martin not far behind on 49, and the pair of openers set the tone with 66 for the first wicket before we managed to prise one out. Beacon closed on a stout 218/5 from their forty overs — the sort of total that makes a captain rub his chin rather more than he'd like. Credit where due: Stuart Cheesman toiled manfully for 2-33, with Nigel Thirkell and Jon Harris chipping in a wicket apiece.

Chasing that lot, we lost an opener for just 6 and I confess a few of us reached for the biscuit tin in resignation. But Nigel Thirkell, having the game of his season, played an innings of real class — 97, agonisingly shy of the century he thoroughly deserved — and found a willing ally in Mark Stevenson, unbeaten on 36, the pair adding 95 for the third wicket to drag us back into contention. Poor Rob Doick contributed his customary golden duck, bless him, but by then the platform was well and truly laid, and we finished a creditable 168/3 from 30.4 overs.

Honours shared, then, and on this evidence entirely fair — Beacon had the runs, we had the momentum, and neither side quite had the minutes to finish the job. Nigel Thirkell continues to lead our run and wicket charts this tour, and long may it continue.

Sat 05 Sep 1992 🧢 2nd XIv HC Hunton Wanderers CC · HomeformDWLDW

Skipper's Log — Saturday 5th September 1992. We hosted Hunton Wanderers, and having won the toss I decided, in a fit of uncharacteristic decisiveness, to bat first — a call I stood by right up until the moment I stopped watching.

The lads got us to 151/6 from our 49 overs, a total built rather than blazed. Keith Hatcher led the way with 43, Tim Thirkell chipped in a tidy 30, and Piers McDonald added a useful 21. Nothing spectacular, but enough, we hoped, to give the bowlers something to bowl at.

And bowl at it they did, admirably for the most part. Dave Todd was pick of the attack with 2-32, Phil Randall and R Andrews chipped in a wicket apiece, and Keith Hatcher — clearly not content with his runs — bowled four miserly maidens for good measure. We even sent poor T Stevens back without troubling the scorers. Alas, Alan Hawkins had other ideas, cruising to an unbeaten 59, ably assisted by A Revell's fine 52, and Hunton got home with five wickets in hand off 41 overs.

One bright note for the archives: Tim Thirkell's 30 saw him leapfrog Brian Piper into 5th on the club's all-time run charts — a man quietly building a legacy while the rest of us build excuses. He now sits 2nd in this season's 2nd XI run charts with 257, and Dave Todd 2nd in the wickets with 21.

Beaten, but not disgraced. We'll be better for it next week.

Fri 04 Sep 1992 🧢 Tour XIv MC Mullion CC · AwayformLWWLW

Skipper's Log, 4 September 1992, away to Mullion CC — and not a day for the faint-hearted.

Lost the toss, put in to field, and asked to make early inroads we duly obliged, seeing Mullion stumble to 1-1 before anyone had really settled their cap. Alas, Gary Pollard had other ideas, compiling a handsome 51 in tandem with M Coupland's 47 — the pair adding 73 for the third wicket while we chased leather round the outfield — before Philip Burslem's unbeaten 22 and an infuriating last-wicket stand of 39 pushed the total up to 170/6 from their 40 overs. Nigel Thirkell did the heavy lifting with 3-43, Rob Doick chipped in admirably with 2-46 (three maidens of pure miserliness), and Stuart Cheesman took 1-10 for good measure.

Chasing 171, we set about it with more heart than method. Nigel Thirkell, clearly not one to leave all his best work to the bowling crease, cracked a fine 69, and found an unlikely ally in Fred Cheesman (37 not out) as the pair put on 70 for the eighth wicket — proof, if any were needed, that Linton Park saves its best cricket for when the situation looks most hopeless. Before that rescue act, mind, we'd contrived to go from 25-1 to 30-4 in a collapse that would have had spectators reaching for something stronger than tea, with poor Rob Doick and Richard Piper both departing for ducks. I did my modest bit with 37.

In the end we fell 14 runs short — honest defeat, honestly earned. We'll be better for it next week.

Thu 03 Sep 1992 🧢 Tour XIv FC Falmouth CC · AwayformWLWWL

Thursday the third of September found us on the road to Falmouth, and having called correctly at the toss I did what any self-respecting skipper does with a decent strip underfoot — I stuck us in to bat. Whether that counts as tactical genius or blind luck I shall leave to the committee, but I still maintain it was the right call. We laboured our way to 117 for 9 off 35 overs, rescued from mediocrity by Nigel Thirkell's watchful 42 and Peter Whyte's 31, the pair stitching together a priceless 63 for the fourth wicket while the rest of us rather let the side down — Steve Cheesman and Simon Thirkell both departed for ducks, presumably studying their bootlaces on the way back.

It never looked quite enough, but cricket is a game of glorious surprises. Falmouth were bowled out for 107 in 33.4 overs, Scott Thompson's 36 and Ben Lilly's 23 the only real resistance before the innings folded in a heap — 63 for 2 became 81 for 5 in the blink of an eye, with David Angove and D Pascoe sent packing without troubling the scorers. Simon Thirkell atoned handsomely for his golden duck with 4 for 30, Nigel Thirkell chipped in 3 for 25, and Nick Froom, miserly as ever with three maidens, took 2 for 32.

Ten runs the margin, two points the reward, and thoroughly earned all round.

Wed 02 Sep 1992 🧢 Tour XIv TC Truro CC · AwayformWWLWW

Wednesday 2nd September saw us make the journey to Truro, and it was there, on losing the toss, that I resigned myself to the sinking feeling every captain knows: pads on, kettle off, into the field we went.

We restricted ourselves to 171/9 from our 45 overs, which felt a fair effort given the top of the order rather let itself down early — 6-1 is not the platform any captain dreams of over his cornflakes. Credit, then, to Alan Boyns, unbeaten on 40 and the picture of composure while wickets fell around him, with Peter Whyte (30) and Fred Cheesman (27) lending sturdy support. I chipped in with 40 myself, more through stubbornness than style.

Defending it, Truro made a fight of it and got home at 172/5 with 1.2 overs unused, Nigel Thomas (37), Jonathan Kent (32) and an unbeaten Graham Stephens (29) doing the damage, aided by a watertight fourth-wicket stand of 50 that we simply couldn't prise apart. Jon Harris toiled hardest for 2-70, with Rob Doick and Nick Froom chipping in, while Nigel Thirkell's three maidens were the only real full stops in the innings.

There was a silver lining amid the gloom: Peter Whyte's 30 sees him leapfrog Robert Chance into 24th on the club's all-time run-scorers list — a nice bit of history on an otherwise chastening afternoon. Not our day, beaten by five wickets, but heads up and back to the nets we go.

Sat 29 Aug 1992 🧢 1st XIv SC Sheldwich CC · HomeformDDDWD

Sheldwich arrived on Saturday and promptly won us the wrong end of the toss, so it was pads off, boots on, and out into the field we trooped. John Gannon looked in no mood to give it away, ticking on to 77 not out and anchoring a partnership of 98 for the third wicket with Martin Mills (48) that threatened to bat us clean out of the game. Darren Halls chipped in with 24, and between them Sheldwich closed on a stout 188/4 from their 46 overs. Credit to the bowlers for keeping us in it: Ian Brattle worked hardest for his 2-32, Sean Charlton and Matt Large chimed in with a wicket apiece, and Large in particular bowled with the miserly discipline of a man who begrudges every run, four maidens to his name.

Chasing 189 is no formality on our ground, but Brian Piper had other ideas, playing an innings of real substance — 81 not out, calm as you like — with Paul Gibson (49 not out) and Dave Charlton (30) lending sturdy support, including a handy 54-run stand for the second wicket. We cantered home on 189/2 with overs to spare, eight wickets in hand.

Worth a line in the history books too: Piper's 81 nudges him past Tim Thirkell and into 5th on the club's all-time run-scorers list. Elsewhere in the season's ledger, Clive Newman continues his fine 1992 with 462 runs (4th in the charts), while Matt Large leads the wicket-takers with 59. A thoroughly satisfying afternoon, then — two points banked, and not a false stroke played in the taking of them.

Sat 29 Aug 1992 🧢 2nd XIv SC Sheldwich CC · AwayformLDWLD

Saturday 29 August took us down the road to Sheldwich, where the coin fell their way and we were invited to strap on the pads first. Openers Mike Elworthy and Mark Stevenson made light of the invitation, cracking on to 92 before the first alarm bell rang, and though the middle order rather fell over itself thereafter — ducks for Stuart Cheesman, Richard Piper and Fred Cheesman arriving in short order — Elworthy's well-made 58, Stevenson's fine 51 and Trevor Back's punchy 41 carried us to a satisfying 229 all out in 44.2 overs.

Defending that total, we turned to the ball with a spring in our step, and none more so than yours truly. Brian Newman threatened to make a match of it with a fine 63, well supported by K Voller's 25, but Brooks and J Sandys both departed without troubling the scorers, and the rest of the innings drained steadily away against tight, probing bowling. Trevor Back (2-17) and Keith Hatcher (2-25) chipped in handsomely, but it was your skipper, Dave Todd, who did the real damage, spinning through them for 5-34 — three of those overs maidens — as Sheldwich subsided to 157-9 from 46.1 overs.

A red-letter day all round: Trevor Back brought up 300 career wickets, Mike Elworthy still leads our 2nd XI run charts with 343, and I find myself sitting second in the bowling with 19. We got home by 72 runs in the end — a very good day for the club, and not a bad one for the skipper either.

Sun 23 Aug 1992 🧢 1st XIv OC Old Anchorians CC · HomeformDDDDW

Sunday last, and the coin did its usual trick of siding against me — Dummy Site called correctly, elected to bat, and off we trudged into the field wondering what the afternoon had in store. The answer, initially, was rather a lot of runs. M Heather compiled a chanceless century, ably supported by T Mahood's 48 and B Goddard's 20, the pair adding a crucial 90 for the sixth wicket while we toiled to 234 for 6 off their 44 overs. Matt Large was pick of the attack with 2 for 44, Nick Froom matched him ball for ball with 2 for 44 of his own, and Jon Harris chipped in with 1 for 50 and two miserly maidens for good measure. Peter Whyte, meanwhile, had a torrid time behind the stumps, ten byes slipping through for the visitors' benefit.

Our reply of 104 for 5 off 34 overs was built on the watchful defiance of Brian Piper, unbeaten on 48, with Keith Hatcher a steady 29 not out alongside him. Elsewhere the card made grim reading — Clive Newman, Matt Large and Rob Doick all departed without troubling the scorer, and I must confess to joining them, out for nought myself; we shall draw a veil over that.

David Castle continues his fine season, now second in the 1st XI run charts with 720, while Matt Large leads the wicket-takers with 58. A draw, then — honours shared, and perhaps fairly so.

Sat 22 Aug 1992 🧢 2nd XIv HC Hadlow CC · HomeformWLDWL

As Skipper of Linton Park CC, 22 August 1992, following our home draw against Hadlow CC — 146/7 for us, 120/7 for them.

Winning the toss on a fine Saturday, I had no hesitation in taking first strike — and for once the skipper's hunch didn't make a fool of him. Brian Piper batted with real class for his unbeaten 62, and in doing so brought up 8,000 career runs for the club, which called for rather more than the usual ripple of applause from the boundary. Mike Elworthy chipped in nicely with 30 and Tony Armstrong with 28, the pair adding a priceless 52 for the sixth wicket just when we needed steel rather than style. Before that, mind, we'd contrived to lose our way rather alarmingly, slipping from 34-1 to 42-4, with Steve Cheesman, Rob Doick and Trevor Back all departing for ducks — a trio of blobs that will not trouble the ghost-writers of Wisden. Still, 146/7 from our 42.2 overs was a total worth defending.

And defend it we did, in some style. Phil Large's 30 and Andy Wren's 28 built Hadlow a platform, their third wicket worth 52, but we hauled them back with a spell of collapse-inducing cricket, 81-3 tumbling to 97-6 in a hurry. Alan Boyns was the chief architect with 3-21, Fred Cheesman weighed in with 3-42, and Trevor Back, two maidens and all, took 1-21 in fine redemption for his earlier duck. I even managed to trouble the scorers myself with three wickets.

A draw, then — honours shared, and on the balance of a match with sunshine, ducks and 8,000 runs all packed into one afternoon, nobody at Linton Park will begrudge Hadlow their share of it.

Wed 19 Aug 1992 🧢 Midweek XIv Gravesend CC · AwayformWLDWD

We lost the toss at Gravesend on Wednesday — no great surprise, my coin-calling remains a weaker suit than my off-spin — and duly found ourselves in the field while the home side helped themselves to 201 all out in 49 overs. Their top order gave us an early sniff, the first wicket tumbling for just 1, but a fourth-wicket stand of 75 dragged the innings away from us, built on a fine 58 from Colin Myers, with Tony Howard (41) and Eddie Stanford (27) chipping in handsomely. Credit where due: Dave Todd was superb with 4-43, J Tagg and Paul Bowles picked up a wicket apiece, and Jon Harris bowled two tidy maidens to keep the scoring honest, if not honest enough.

Chasing 201, we again lost an early one at 0-1, and though Steve Cheesman played a lovely fifty and Rob Doick (39) and Keith Hatcher (24) offered fine support, we folded to 177 all out in 38.1 overs. The Duck Club ledger sadly welcomes Kevin Mullins and Paul Bowles this week — the walk of shame duly taken.

There was, at least, something to raise a cup of tea to: Keith Hatcher's 24 nudged him past Robert Murray into 19th on the club's all-time run charts, while Rob Doick and Jon Harris continue to lead this season's Midweek XI for runs and wickets respectively.

Beaten by 24 runs in the end — a fair reflection of a match we competed in but didn't quite grasp. We'll be better for it next week.

Sat 15 Aug 1992 🧢 1st XIv HC Harrietsham CC · HomeformWDDDD

As we won the toss on 15 August 1992 and had no hesitation putting Harrietsham in to face our bowlers first — well, batting first seemed the sporting thing to do, so in we went.

It didn't start smoothly. The scoreboard read a sorry 0-1 before some of us had even found our guard, but what followed was the stuff club cricket dreams are made of. David Castle, playing his 300th match in Linton colours no less — a milestone worth raising a glass to — set about the Harrietsham attack with real purpose, ending unbeaten (or not, the log doesn't say, but certainly majestic) on 110. Paul Gibson matched him stroke for stroke with a handsome 77, and the pair put on 140 for the third wicket to drag us from early wobble to genuine authority. Nigel Thirkell chipped in with 35, I added my own modest 35, and we declared our innings closed at a healthy 260/7 from 46 overs. Not every man's day, mind — Paul Bowles will want this report to gloss over his golden duck, so naturally I shall dwell on it a moment longer.

With the ball, Jon Harris was magnificent, ripping through them with 3-20, well supported by Matt Large's 3-39 (four maidens of pure stubbornness) and Paul Bowles's 2-40, atoning handsomely for his morning's duck. Harrietsham could only manage 136 all out, D Passey's 34 the best of a losing effort.

A famous win by 124 runs, and a fitting stage for Castle's landmark 300th appearance. Onwards indeed.

Sat 15 Aug 1992 🧢 2nd XIv HC Higham & Mockbeggar CC · AwayformDWLDW

Saturday 15 August 1992, and the road took us to Higham & Mockbeggar CC — the kind of fixture where you check the forecast twice and the tea urn once. I won the toss and, against every ancestral instinct telling me to bat, put them in.

It rather paid off. Restricting the hosts to 106/9 from their 44 overs was tidy work, with only Richard Shackleton (26) threatening to make it awkward. The real story was with the ball: Keith Hatcher was a menace, 2-2 off six miserly maidens — the sort of spell that makes the opposition openers reconsider their life choices — while Alan Boyns (2-10) and R Batchelor (2-22) kept the pressure on from the other end. A fine, disciplined effort in the field.

And then we batted. Oh dear. Bowled out for 83 in 37.2 overs, we contrived to turn a perfectly gettable target into a horror show. Keith Hatcher, having already done his bit with the ball, top-scored with 27 and was left rather isolated as Stewart Morrison, Alan Boyns and Richard Piper all trooped back for golden ducks — three of them, no less, which even by our standards takes some doing.

Beaten by 23 runs in the end, and we really did bowl ourselves into a winning position only to bat ourselves out of one. Rob Doick continues to purr along nicely in the 2nd XI run charts, and Alan Boyns leads the wickets — small consolations on a day the bat let the ball down badly. We'll be better for it next week. We'll have to be.

Wed 12 Aug 1992 🧢 Midweek XIv LC Lashings World CC · HomeformDWLDW

Twelfth of August, and a rare treat it was — Lashings World CC gracing our little corner of the county. I won the toss and had no hesitation putting us in to bat, and I'll say now, whatever follows, that I still think it was the right call.

We didn't exactly cut loose. Eighty-two for four off eighteen-and-a-bit overs is the sort of total that has spectators checking their watches rather than their scorecards, but there was substance in it. Trevor Back played the innings of the day, 27 well-considered runs that gave us something to bowl at, and Sean Charlton stuck around unbeaten on 21 to see us through to a total we could at least defend with a straight face. Not fireworks, but honest toil — the kind of batting that wins you nods from the boundary rather than gasps.

Then came our turn in the field, and here the tale takes a curious twist: Lashings' innings closed with them none all out. Whatever conspired out there — bad light, bad luck, or simply a match that ran clean out of overs before conclusions could be drawn — neither side managed to force the issue.

So it finished all square, honours shared, both teams left to ponder what might have been. A draw, then — not the stuff of legend, but a fair reflection of an afternoon where nobody quite seized the day. We'll take it, and we'll be back for more.

Sun 09 Aug 1992 🧢 1st XIv BC Benenden CC · HomeformDWDDD

Sunday the 9th of August, and Benenden CC rolled up for what turned into quite the day's cricket. I won the toss and, with the sun out and the outfield running true, had no hesitation in putting us in — a decision that looked rather clever once David Castle got going. He finished unbeaten on a magnificent 114, ably supported by Nigel Thirkell's fine 54, the two of them adding a crucial 92 for the third wicket and carrying us to 219/4 from our 40 overs. Not every contribution sparkled, mind — poor Piers McDonald's walk of shame for a golden duck will earn him no mercy in the clubhouse.

In reply, Benenden made a fair fist of it, reaching 156/6 from 49 overs. Peter Newman's well-made 55 was the backbone, with Kevin Draper (32 not out) and Nigel Phelps (21) chipping in, and their last pair's stubborn 53 together did rather try our patience. But Paul Bowles was magnificent with the ball — 4-27 including three tight maidens — backed up nobly by Jon Harris and Nick Froom. I permitted myself a satisfied nod at my own 54, and a bigger one for David Castle, who brought up 9,000 career runs for the club.

In the end neither side could force it, and honours were shared. A draw, then — but on this evidence, a thoroughly good one.

Sat 08 Aug 1992 🧢 2nd XIv Bearsted CC · HomeformDDWLD

As a cricket bat that fell in the water, the second wicket went to Bearsted CC at 8-1. We recovered nicely in the field, sending them from 82-6 to 94-9, before eventually bowling them out for 101 in 43.5 overs.

Right, here's the report.

Saturday 8th August 1992, and Bearsted CC rolled up the drive with the sun out and, rather unhelpfully, the toss going their way. Put in to field, one does wonder whether the cricketing gods enjoy watching me trudge out to set a field before I've had my tea, but there we are.

Keith Filmer gave us the early trouble, a well-constructed fifty that threatened to drag Bearsted to something respectable, but the middle order rather lost its nerve. From 82-6 they subsided to 94-9, poor Glyn Parham departing without so much as a single to his name, and Dave Todd — four wickets, four maidens, and barely a run conceded — bowled with the kind of miserliness usually reserved for splitting a round at the bar. Alan Boyns weighed in with three, Rob Doick two, and 101 all out from 43.5 overs felt, frankly, generous of us.

Chasing it down, Tim Thirkell batted with real composure for an unbeaten 42, well backed up by Mike Elworthy's 25 and Stewart Morrison's 22, and we cruised home at 105-2 in 30 overs for a five-wicket win. I'll confess to a quiet satisfaction with the ball myself, four wickets on the day — and a nod too to Alan Boyns, who passed 200 career wickets and climbed past George Champion to 21st on the club's all-time list. Two points, thoroughly earned, and a pot of tea well deserved.

Sat 08 Aug 1992 🧢 1st XIv Headcorn CC · AwayformWDWDD

Here it is:

Well, if you'd told me at the start of the season we'd be leaving Headcorn with our unbeaten record intact, I'd have taken it gladly — though "unbeaten" is doing some generous lifting for a game that finished honours even. Winning the toss on a fine Saturday, I had no hesitation putting us in to bat, and for a while it looked a shrewd call. Clive Newman led beautifully with 41, Paul Gibson chipped in a solid 29 and David Castle 22, the pair of them building a handy 51-run stand for the fourth wicket that gave the innings its spine. Alas, spines can crumble, and ours did spectacularly — 128 for 7 became 131 all out before anyone had time to find their thermos. Paul Bowles and Jon Harris both made the long walk back for ducks, and I shan't say more about that other than to note the ledger has been updated.

131 was never going to frighten anyone, and Headcorn set about it steadily, Simon Phipps top-scoring with 27, well supported by Rob Parnham's 25 and Graham Mackman's unbeaten 22. They stumbled early to 3 for 1 and again from 40 for 2 to 47 for 5 — Ian Pullen departing without so much as troubling the scorers — and for a heady spell it seemed we might sneak it. Matt Large was magnificent, five wickets for 54 with five miserly maidens, ably assisted by Gibson (2 for 23) and Nigel Thirkell (1 for 19). But Headcorn crawled home to 128 for 9 and the draw.

A fair result, honestly earned by both sides, and not a bad afternoon's cricket for all that.

Wed 05 Aug 1992 🧢 Midweek XIv BC Bexley CC · HomeformLDWLD

It was Bexley CC in the sunshine on Wednesday, and I lost the toss again — a run now stretching back further than I care to audit. They chose to bat, and 232/6 from their 47 overs looked a tidy total, built chiefly on John Flaherty's 75 and Richard Melbourne's matching 75, with Michael Ladbrook chipping in 29 and the pair adding a stand of 75 for the fourth wicket that did the real damage. Credit to the bowlers for keeping it honest throughout — Jon Harris toiled hardest for 2-58, Dave Todd and P Tagg chipped away with a wicket apiece, and Nick Froom's two maidens were the sort of miserly overs that make a captain sleep easier.

Chasing 233 is never a stroll, and an early loss at 0-1 rather set the mood before Peter Whyte took charge, carrying the innings with a splendid 69, well supported by Stewart Morrison's 38 and Fred Cheesman's unbeaten 33. A gutsy 82-run stand for the fifth wicket was the making of the run chase, though wickets tumbled alarmingly from 167-5 to 171-8, and the Duck Club welcomed three new members in Piers McDonald, David Cook and P Tagg — commiserations, gentlemen.

Two footnotes worth raising a glass to: Fred brought up 1,000 career runs for the club, and Peter's innings edged him past Maurice Fenner into 25th on our all-time run charts. He now leads the Midweek XI scoring for the season, with Jon top of the bowling pile.

A win by the barest of margins — one wicket — and frankly my nerves haven't fully recovered. Onwards.

Sun 02 Aug 1992 🧢 1st XIv BC Battle CC · AwayformWWDWD

Sunday the 2nd of August found us on the road to Battle CC, and for once the coin did as it was told, so I had no hesitation in sending us in. What followed was as handsome a batting effort as we've mustered all summer: 245 for 6 off 41.4 overs, built on Dave Charlton's fine 97 and my own contribution of 67, with Clive Newman chipping in 30 for good measure. The third-wicket stand between Dave and myself was worth 94, and I'll confess I allowed myself a rare moment of captainly satisfaction watching it unfold from the non-striker's end.

Defending it, though, proved a different proposition entirely. Battle's openers set about us with real intent, putting on 111 before we so much as looked like taking a wicket, and Tim Eldridge's 72 kept them in the hunt throughout, ably backed by N Hacking's 37 and Bill Mozley's 25. Credit where due — Paul Bowles hauled us back into it with 4-26, Jon Harris bowled with tremendous discipline for 3-65 and five maidens, and Matt Large picked up one. Mike Yardy departed for a golden duck, which offered brief cheer, rather undone by 19 byes that squeezed past poor Stewart Morrison behind the stumps.

In the end Battle closed on 180 for 8, well short but not quite short enough for victory. Honours shared, then — a draw that felt, on reflection, a fair verdict on an afternoon where both sides had their say and neither could land the final blow.

Sat 01 Aug 1992 🧢 2nd XIv YC Yalding CC · AwayformWDDWL

Saturday 1st August 1992 saw us make the trip to Yalding, and having called correctly at the toss, I saw no reason to complicate matters — up went the finger of confidence, and in we went to bat.

It proved a wise call, if not without its wobbles. We closed on 169 for 9 from our forty overs, a total built chiefly on the broad shoulders of Mike Elworthy, whose 62 was the innings' backbone, with Ron McCormick (29) and Fred Cheesman (22) chipping in handsomely around him. Elsewhere the Duck Club welcomed a new member, as poor Rob Doick departed for a nought — the walk of shame performed with all the dignity he could muster.

In the field, the lads set about defending it with real discipline. Yalding replied with 114 for 8, Crabtree's 28 the mainstay of their effort, but a collapse from 96 for 5 to 110 for 8 under mounting pressure told its own story. Alan Boyns was the chief tormentor, a superb 4 for 41 including four maidens — not a run given away lightly — with Trevor Back (2 for 10) and Dave Todd (1 for 27) offering fine support.

In the end neither side could force it home, and honours were shared. Elworthy now leads our 1992 run charts with 230, Boyns the wickets with 25 — a fair reflection, on this evidence, of two men in very good form. A draw, then, but an honest one, and no shame in that.

Wed 29 Jul 1992 🧢 Midweek XIv ? · HomeformDLDWL

Won the toss on a fine Wednesday and, with the square looking true and my top order itching for a bat, there was never really a decision to make. In it went. Paul Brattle then proceeded to bat as though he owned the ground, farming the strike to a composed 76 not out, while Rob Doick chipped in with 39 and Darren Brame stayed unbeaten on 31. The two of them put on 115 for the third wicket, which is the sort of stand that wins matches from the comfort of the pavilion, and even our extras column mustered a robust 38 to help us reach 196 for 3 from our 38 overs — a total that felt like runs in the bank.

Defending it, we made early inroads, reducing them to 1 for 1, before R Shurety settled in for a well-made 55, ably supported by G Howlett (39) and S Thew (37), the pair adding 94 for the third wicket to steady their ship. But the middle order then obliged us wonderfully, wickets tumbling from 96 for 3 to 107 for 6 in a hurry, and poor R Manning departed without troubling the scorers. Matt Large was superb, snaring 4 for 22, with Paul Bowles (2-41) and the ever-miserly Jon Harris (2-50, three maidens) squeezing hard throughout. They crawled to 170 for 9 at the close.

Honours shared, then — a draw that flattered neither side but satisfied both, and a thoroughly agreeable way to spend a Wednesday.

Sun 26 Jul 1992 🧢 1st XIv The Mote CC · HomeformDWWDW

We hosted The Mote CC on Sunday, and won the toss — I elected to bat, and for once I shall permit myself a small pat on the back for the decision. In went the lads, and out came 170 all out from 48.2 overs, built on a fine 45 from Matt Large and gritty support from Brian Piper (40) and David Castle (23), the pair sharing a stand of 54 for the seventh wicket that held the innings together nicely. I even chipped in with 45 of my own, which I shall mention only briefly before moving swiftly on to spare the blushes of Piers McDonald and Fred Cheesman, both of whom made the long walk back for ducks. The Duck Club ledger grows ever fuller.

With the ball, we made early inroads, reducing them to 3 for 1, and John Rayner and Matthew Dunk both departed without troubling the scorers — two more entries for the ledger. But Mike Foster had other ideas, cruising to 66 and dragging The Mote to 133 for 7 from their 40 overs. Matt Large was again the pick with 2 for 13, well supported by Nick Froom (2-24) and Paul Gibson (1-14), while David Lines bowled three tidy maidens that gave away nothing.

A draw, then — honours shared, as they so often are on a good Sunday. With Paul Bowles sitting second in this season's run charts and Matt Large leading the wickets, the engine room is purring nicely. No losers today, just tea, sunshine, and a few more ducks for the annals.

Sat 25 Jul 1992 🧢 1st XIv HC Hollingbourne CC · HomeformDDWWD

It was Hollingbourne CC at home, Saturday 25 July, and the coin landed the wrong way up as usual — I called, they chose to bat, and off we trudged into the field wondering what sort of afternoon it would be. They dug in gamely and posted 163 all out from 45.4 overs, Mike Donald compiling a thoroughly fine 67 with Trevor Scrivens chipping in 26, the pair adding 70 for the third wicket and threatening to bat us out of the game altogether. But once we broke that stand we ripped through the rest of the order in a hurry — 109 for 3 became 115 for 6 before anyone quite knew what had happened, with Bob Dyer, Geoff Griffiths and Dave Hales all sent back without troubling the scorers. The bowling honours belonged unarguably to Matt Large, whose 5 for 75 — six maidens included — was a spell of real discipline, well backed up by Jon Harris with 4 for 49.

Chasing 164, we made harder work of it than the position demanded, stumbling home on 167 for 6 from 40.4 overs. Nigel Thirkell was the rock, 73 well past his fifty, with David Castle (27) and Piers McDonald (21) lending sturdy support in a 51-run second-wicket stand. I confess to a certain quiet satisfaction leading from the front with 73 myself.

Nigel now tops the 1st XI run charts for the season with 579, and Matt leads the wickets with 45 — the engine room of the side, no less. Two points, thoroughly earned, won by 4 wickets. A scratchy chase, but a win's a win, and I'll take it with a smile and a cup of tea.

Sat 25 Jul 1992 🧢 2nd XIv AK Ashford CC, Kent · AwayformDWDDW

Down at Ashford, put in to bat on a Saturday that will live longer in the memory for its cruelty than its cricket, we shuffled to 82 all out from our thirty overs. There was a period in the middle when things looked almost respectable, before the middle and lower order decided that 74 for 7 was quite enough batting for one afternoon, and we subsided to all out for 82 shortly after. Tim Thirkell, Roly Edwards and Richard Piper all contributed the same golden nought to the cause — three ducks in convoy, which even by our modest standards takes some doing.

With the bat having let us down, it fell to the bowlers to keep us in it, and for a while they very nearly did. Dave Todd was superb, two maidens and 1 for 23, with Alan Boyns chipping in for 1-26, but Ashford's Matthew Barlow (37 not out) and D Kendal (30 not out) saw them home comfortably at 83 for 2 from 22.3 overs. An eight-wicket defeat, no dressing it up.

One bright note amid the wreckage: Trevor Back's unbeaten-in-spirit 11 runs nudged him past Malcolm Pay into 15th on the club's all-time run-scorers list — a small pin in a big map, but ours. Dave Todd remains 4th in this season's 2nd XI run charts, Alan Boyns still tops the wicket-takers with 21.

Not our day, then. Heads up, chins out, back to the nets.

Wed 22 Jul 1992 🧢 Midweek XIv HH Hibs Zami - Holland · HomeformWDLDW

Skipper's Log — Wednesday 22 July 1992. We lost the toss at home to Dummy Site, and with it any say in proceedings, so out we trooped into the field first. Dummy Site ground their way to 178 all out in 44.2 overs, F Geurse the chief culprit with a fine 54, well supported by A Bijlstra's 27 and D Laan's 25, their fourth-wicket pair adding a stubborn 52. Jon Harris was in imperious form, 4-42, with Fred Cheesman (2-6) and Rob Doick (2-21, two maidens and not a run given away lightly) chipping in gamely. R Goldman departed for a duck without so much as troubling the scorers. I even found some rhythm myself, finishing with 4 wickets, and a tip of the cap to Trevor Back, whose brace edged him past Dick Langridge into 15th on the club's all-time wicket-takers list — history quietly made among the chaos.

With the bat, Peter Whyte simply took the game away from Dummy Site, a majestic 104 not out lighting up the afternoon, ably backed by Brian Piper's 49 and a generous 26 in extras as we cruised to 179/1 from 32.4 overs. Poor Steve Cheesman had a torrid time behind the stumps, 9 byes escaping his gloves, but nothing could dampen the day.

A comfortable win in the end, Dummy Site beaten by 9 wickets — Whyte now third in the season's run charts, Harris still top of the bowling pile. Cricket, when it goes right, really is rather splendid.

Sun 19 Jul 1992 🧢 1st XIv CC Clarion CC · AwayformLDDWW

Sunday 19 July 1992, and off we trotted to Clarion CC in the sort of weather that makes an Englishman reckless. I called correctly at the toss — a rare event in itself — and never hesitated: we were batting.

What followed was as fine an afternoon as I can remember. Nigel Thirkell played an innings of pure theatre, 128 that carried us from start to finish, and en route brought up 25,000 career runs for the club — a landmark that will need a rather larger mantelpiece. He was well supported by Paul Bowles, whose brisk 68 helped forge a 136-run stand for the second wicket that took the game away from Clarion before it had properly begun. We closed on 241/4 from our 41 overs, and I confess I was rather pleased to have led from the front myself, top score and all.

The afternoon in the field was less glamorous. Richard Hilson (38) and Keith Elsden (31) gave Clarion something to build on, with B Hoffman unbeaten on 22, and poor Trevor Back had a torrid time behind the stumps — 26 byes is not a number one puts in the scorebook with any pride. But Jon Harris was magnificent, 4-30 to keep us in it, with Matt Large and Fred Cheesman chipping in, and Rob Doick tight as a drum with two maidens. Clarion finished on 207/7 from 43, short of the target but not disgraced.

A draw, then — honours shared, and no shame in it. With Bowles leading our run charts and Large our wickets for the season, the engine room is purring nicely. A afternoon to be proud of.

Sat 18 Jul 1992 🧢 1st XIv KK Kennington CC, Kent · HomeformLLDDW

Saturday the eighteenth of July, and Kennington CC of Kent came calling. I lost the toss — a coin that has developed a rather personal dislike of me this season — and duly found ourselves out in the field, which on a warm afternoon is either a blessing or a slow roasting, depending on your outlook.

Happily, it turned into rather good sport. We had them 8 for the loss of an early wicket, then watched them wobble from 34-2 to a distinctly shaky 40-5, and they never quite recovered their poise, all out for 96 in 38.2 overs. Trevor Bridger (21) and Russell Lancaster (21) did what they could to steady things, but the damage was done: your correspondent enjoyed a thoroughly happy afternoon with the ball, finishing with 4-29, Sean Charlton bowled a spell of admirable meanness for 3-17 including four maidens, and Paul Bowles chipped in with 3-24. Andrew Austen and James Callow departed without so much as troubling the scorers.

Our reply began with the sort of jitters that seem to be club cricket tradition — Dave Charlton gone for nought with the total still at 0 — but Peter Whyte settled matters magnificently, compiling a fine 59, ably supported by Tim Thirkell's unbeaten 28, the pair adding 81 for the second wicket to see us home at 98-2 in 30.2 overs.

A five-wicket win, two points thoroughly earned, and a satisfying day all round for skipper and side alike.

Sat 18 Jul 1992 🧢 2nd XIv KK Kennington CC, Kent · AwayformWDWDD

Saturday 18 July 1992, and off we trundled down to Kennington in Kent, myself having called correctly at the toss for once and, with no great hesitation, plumped to bat first. I'd like to say it was a masterstroke of tactical genius rather than a coin behaving itself, but I'll take it.

We got to 201 for 9 off our 56, which on a good pitch and against decent bowling is a very acceptable afternoon's work. Trevor Back led the way with a handsome 61, Dave Todd chipped in with 49 and Fred Cheesman 31, the three of them stitching together the innings after D Cooke departed for nought without troubling the scorers. A 91-run stand for the seventh wicket was the real spine of the innings — proof, if any were needed, that a partnership built lower down the order can be worth more than any number of top-order fireworks.

Kennington's reply never got out of first gear. An early wicket with the score on nought set the tone, and from 29 for 4 to 32 for 7 they simply came apart at the seams — Lancaster, Chandler and Standing all back in the pavilion for ducks. Simon Thirkell was magnificent, five for 18 and every bit deserved, with Fred Cheesman (2-5) and Dave Todd (2-15, four maidens and not a run given cheaply) doing the mopping up. Todd also passed his hundredth career wicket for the club along the way — no small landmark, and one to raise a glass to.

We ran out winners by 154 runs. A very good day for the club indeed.

Sun 12 Jul 1992 🧢 1st XIv FC Folkestone CC · AwayformLLLDD

Sunday 12 July 1992 saw us make the pilgrimage to Folkestone, and the coin, as it so often does when it matters least, betrayed us — we were put in to field. Gary Waddup had clearly had his Weetabix, ghosting to 146 and anchoring a fearsome 177-run stand for the second wicket with Steve Salisbury, who himself finished an unbeaten 49. Lawrence Po-Ba chipped in with 21, and by the time their innings closed on 230/3 from 45 overs we felt we'd been handed rather a tall order. Small mercies: Kevin Allon departed for nought, and David Castle, best of our bowlers with 2-51, at least kept the arithmetic honest, with Matt Large's 1-73 a supporting act.

Chasing 231 is the sort of task that separates the cricketers from the picnickers, and after Steve Masters fell for a duck we might have feared the worst — but a brisk opening stand of 65 settled the nerves. From there it was, without wishing to sound immodest, rather my afternoon: I found some form and carried on to an unbeaten 114, with Piers McDonald's 40 and David Castle's 28 keeping the scoreboard honest company. We got there on 232/5 with half an over to spare — three wickets in it, heart in mouth throughout.

Two points, thoroughly earned, and a timely reminder that even a chap who spends most Sundays fielding at deep fine leg can, occasionally, have his day. David Castle now sits second in our season's run charts, Matt Large tops the wickets — and Folkestone, I rather think, will remember us fondly, if reluctantly.

Sat 11 Jul 1992 🧢 2nd XIv HC Horton Kirby CC · HomeformWWDWD

Skipper's Log — Saturday 11th July 1992. Horton Kirby CC visitors at Linton Park.

Won the toss, and for once didn't dither about it – flat pitch, decent outfield, in we went. Mike Elworthy took it upon himself to give the bowlers a torrid afternoon, cracking 81 that had the tea urn rattling with every boundary, while Paul Davey played the perfect supporting hand with an unbeaten 42, calm as you like while wickets fell around him at the other end. Between them they hauled us to a handsome 141 for the loss of just one wicket off 21 overs – the sort of scoring rate that makes a captain look considerably cleverer than he actually is.

Alas, cricket has a way of humbling even the best-laid declarations, and despite our efforts with bat in hand, Horton Kirby proved stubborn enough to see the match out level – honours shared, a draw that satisfied nobody and disappointed nobody in equal measure. There's a certain English poetry in that.

Elsewhere in the season's proceedings, Rob Doick continues to quietly plunder runs for fun, sitting proudly atop the 1992 Second XI charts with 203 to his name – a man building a very tidy summer indeed.

As for the verdict on the day itself: a draw shared is a draw earned, and with knocks like Elworthy's and Davey's in the bank, we'll take it and toast the tea urn regardless.

Wed 08 Jul 1992 🧢 Midweek XIv Gravesend CC · HomeformWWDLD

Wednesday 08 July 1992, and Gravesend CC came calling. Lost the toss – no change there, then – and were sent out to bowl, which suited us rather well as it turned out. They never really got going: 5-1 inside the first over or two set a nervous tone, and while Tony Howard battled to 46, poor Tony Calvo departed without troubling the scorers 🦆. Jon Harris was the chief tormentor with 2-18, Alan Boyns bowled with the miserly discipline of a man counting his pennies (2-21 and four maidens), and N-E Armstrong chipped in with 2-26. Gravesend were shot out for 112 in 39.4 overs, and honestly, we felt rather pleased with ourselves.

Chasing was a formality in the end, though we took our time about it, ambling to 114/2 in 35 overs. Rob Doick played the innings of the day, an unbeaten 68 full of good sense and good timing, with Darren Brame keeping him company on 31 not out. Seven wickets to spare, and never really a moment of alarm.

A special mention on a day of milestones: Jon Harris brought up 1800 career wickets 🎯 – a staggering number for a club side, and one the tea urn nearly didn't survive the celebrations for. He and Jeremy Chapman continue to lead the season's charts, wickets and runs respectively, and long may it continue.

Two points, thoroughly earned, and a thoroughly enjoyable Wednesday. We'll take that all season.

Sat 04 Jul 1992 🧢 1st XIv SC Staplehurst CC · AwayformLLLLD

Saturday the fourth of July found us on the road to Staplehurst, boots polished and optimism, as ever, rather ahead of the evidence. The coin obliged me for once, and with a rare glint of tactical confidence I put us in to bat, reasoning that runs on the board never hurt anyone. Whether the lads entirely shared my enthusiasm for the decision is a matter I shall leave to the tea-hut gossips.

We limped rather than galloped to 55 for 4 off 17.5 overs, the sort of total that has opposition bowlers dreaming and your captain reaching for excuses. I did my modest bit with 15, more graft than grace, and was grateful enough to still be standing at the end of it. It is not a score that will trouble the record books, but it is, at least, a score.

Out we went to defend it, braced for the worst, and somehow the worst never quite arrived — their innings closed without troubling the scorers further, and honours were shared. A draw, then, snatched from what looked for all the world like a lost afternoon, which in this game counts as a minor triumph of stubbornness over sense.

Elsewhere in the season, Paul Bowles continues to bat like a man with somewhere better to be, his 494 runs leading the 1st XI table by some distance, and putting the rest of us rather in the shade. A curious, scrappy draw at Staplehurst — not our finest cricket, but honest cricket, and we'll take it.

Sat 04 Jul 1992 🧢 2nd XIv SC Staplehurst CC · HomeformWWWDW

Skipper's Log, Saturday 04 July 1992: we welcomed Staplehurst CC to Linton Park, and I duly lost the toss — a coin that has developed a worrying allergiance to away sides this season. Put in to bat, we ground our way to a respectable 156/7 from our 46 overs, with Tim Thirkell (35 not out) the picture of calm and Paul Davey (29) keeping him honest company. I chipped in with 35 myself, more by accident than design. Special mention, as tradition demands, to Steve Cheesman, who contrived a golden duck and completed that lonely, studs-clicking walk back to the pavilion to muted sympathy and rather less muted laughter. 🦆

In the field we set about defending our total with good intent, and Trevor Back struck early to have them one down for his lone wicket. But Staplehurst's Longfield settled in for the long haul, an unbeaten 39 seeing them home to 69/1 from 22 overs with I Gosling (22) offering steady support. Neither side, in truth, had quite enough left in the tank to force the issue.

Up the season's ledger, Rob Doick continues to lead our 2nd XI run-scorers with 195, while Trevor Back's tidy bowling nudges him to fourth in the wicket charts with six. As for Saturday: honours shared, pride largely intact, and the tea urn, as ever, the real match-winner.

Wed 01 Jul 1992 🧢 Midweek XIv ? · HomeformWWWDL

Wednesday 1st July saw us welcome the visitors to Linton Park, and having called correctly for once, I had no hesitation in sticking us in — a decision I stood by right up until the scoreboard read 0-1 and Stewart Morrison trudged back for a duck without so much as troubling the umpire's finger. Cricket, as ever, has a sense of humour. But the middle order steadied the ship handsomely: D Cooke played the anchor role with a fine 35, while Rob Doick chipped in a brisk 28, and between them we hauled our way to a respectable 129/8 from our 24 overs.

Out in the field, the lads set about defending it with real purpose. Paul Davey was magnificent, ripping through with 2-8, and found excellent company in Ron McCormick (2-22) and Stuart Cheesman (1-24) — a proper team effort with the ball. R Barnes departed without scoring, a small mercy, though J Way had other ideas and played the innings of the day with a chanceless 44 to drag them to 100/5 from their 17 overs.

Neither side could quite land the killer blow, and honours were shared in the end. Pleasing, too, to see Rob Doick and Paul Davey both climbing the season's charts — fourth and fifth respectively. All in all, a draw that felt fair, and a fine afternoon's cricket for all that Stewart might disagree.

Sun 28 Jun 1992 🧢 1st XIv HC Hadlow CC · HomeformWLLLL

Piers McDonald's knock steadied us into 185/6, Nigel Thirkell and Dave Charlton both weighing in with useful twenties and that third-wicket stand of 53 doing the real donkey work.

Sunday 28th June, and Hadlow CC rolled up to Linton Park with the sun out and the covers, mercifully, in the shed. Winning the toss, I did what any captain worth his salt does on a decent morning and had us in to bat first. It wasn't always pretty, but 185/6 off our 39 overs gave the bowlers something to bowl at, built chiefly around Piers McDonald's fine 68, with Nigel Thirkell and Dave Charlton chipping in twenty apiece and a sturdy third-wicket stand of 53 doing the heavy lifting while I contributed my customary unspectacular 20.

Hadlow made a fist of the chase, Phil Large and C Griggs adding 47 and 37 respectively and a fourth-wicket stand of 65 threatening to run away from us, but we kept plugging - Nigel Thirkell the pick of the attack with 2-6, well backed by Jon Harris (2-34), Tim Thirkell (2-47) and four miserly maidens from Matt Large that strangled the scoring when it mattered. Andy Portlock departed for a duck at our hands, small mercies. Poor Roly Edwards had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, 8 byes testament to some lively bowling rather than idle gloves.

A word too for Tim Thirkell, who brought up 8,000 career runs for the club - a landmark achieved almost in passing amid the general scrap.

In the end honours were shared, 139/7 leaving Hadlow short. A draw, then - not the stuff of legend, but an honest afternoon's work all round.

Sat 27 Jun 1992 🧢 1st XIv Meopham CC · AwayformLWLLL

As Linton Park CC hosted... wait, we travelled — let me write straight to the brief.

Saturday 27 June 1992 saw us make the trip to Meopham CC, and the day started as so many of ours seem to: I lost the toss, they had first knock, and I trudged out to the field wondering what fresh punishment awaited.

Plenty, as it turned out. Their openers put on 112 before we so much as glimpsed a wicket, and C Beard went on to make a thoroughly rude hundred, 117 no less, with Mark Wellbelove (35) and S Beard (27) chipping in around him. They closed on 246/4 from their 46 overs, by which point the bowling arm was aching and the will somewhat dented. Credit where due: Nigel Thirkell bowled beautifully for 3-46, Jon Harris toiled for 1-58, and Ian Brattle refused to be milked, sending down two maidens.

Chasing 247, we made a fair fist of it. Nigel Thirkell, having already done his bit with the ball, then top-scored with a splendid 76, well supported by Peter Whyte (43) and Paul Gibson (20), and a stubborn 107-run stand for the seventh wicket dragged us into contention. Extras did their bit too, with 27 to the good. Alas, Brian Piper, Piers McDonald and Matt Large all made the sorry walk for ducks, and we finished 187/9 from 44, 59 runs shy.

Not our day, then — but a personal 76 with the bat and 3 wickets with the ball made for a rare afternoon where I couldn't grumble about my own contribution, even as the scoreboard did the grumbling for me. Heads up, chaps. Back to the nets.

Sat 27 Jun 1992 🧢 2nd XIv Meopham CC · HomeformLWWWD

With the toss in our pocket and, for once, a decision I'd stand by, we chose to bat, and it was Dave Charlton who made an afternoon of it — 116 not out, an innings of real substance, with Alan Boyns tucked in beside him for an unbeaten 39. We hadn't exactly begun in style, losing the first wicket for the princely sum of one, and truth be told the middle order came and went with more enthusiasm than application — Dave Todd, Trevor Back and Steve Masters all completing that most ignominious of club cricket rituals, the duck's walk of shame. Your correspondent, for the record, joined them in that sorry procession; the less dwelt upon, the better. But a defiant last-wicket stand of 112 dragged us to a thoroughly respectable 187 for 7 off 46 overs, and no one watching would have guessed how precarious it once looked.

If the batting had its wobbles, the bowling had none whatsoever. Meopham were bowled out for a paltry 63 in under 22 overs, Dennis Smart and Roddy Campbell shipped out without so much as troubling the scorers. Alan Boyns was quite unplayable, turning his way to 5 for 24, with Rob Doick a superb foil at 4 for 27, three of his overs conceding nothing at all. There was extra cause for cheer too, as Alan brought up 1,000 career runs for the club along the way — a fine milestone on a fine day for him.

A 124-run win, two points banked, and honestly, for a side that started the day one down and finished it with half the order back in the pavilion for nought, we'll take that all day long.

Sun 21 Jun 1992 🧢 1st XIv MC Maidstone Dissidents CC · HomeformLLWLL

Sunday 21st June, and Maidstone Dissidents CC rolled up to Linton Park under a sky that promised more than it delivered. I called correctly and, in a fit of confidence I may live to regret less often than I feared, stuck us in. We were bowled out for 182 in 38 overs, a total that flattered to deceive at various points along the way — 34 for 3 became 44 for 6 in the sort of collapse that has middle-order batsmen suddenly discovering urgent business at the tea urn. Paul Gibson held firm for a fine 70, well supported by Matt Large and Paul Bishop, 26 apiece, and it was the ninth-wicket pair who rescued proceedings with a defiant 63. Alan Boyns and Mark Stevens contributed golden ducks to the cause, as club cricket occasionally demands of somebody.

Defending 182 always felt a stretch, and so it proved, agonisingly. The Dissidents crept to 185 for 9 off 42.3 overs, Piers McDonald's 71 the backbone, with David Castle and R Dearden chipping in either side of a crucial third-wicket stand of 54. Paul Gibson was magnificent with the ball too — 5 for 63, a five-for that nudges him up to 25th on the club's all-time wicket-takers list, past Michael Morton. Nigel Thirkell and Jon Harris toiled well alongside him, though nine byes suggested Clive Newman was having one of those days behind the stumps.

Beaten by a single wicket. Cruel, honest, and back to the nets we go.

Sat 20 Jun 1992 🧢 1st XIv West Farleigh CC · AwayformWLLWL

Saturday 20 June 1992 found us on the road to West Farleigh, and the day began as these days so often do for us — with a lost toss and a long afternoon in the field ahead. They chose to bat, and duly made themselves at home, closing on 200 for 8 from their 46 overs. Adrian Smith was the chief architect, farming the strike to a fine unbeaten 75, with Andy Golding chipping in a sound 30 and the pair adding a crucial 59 for the fourth wicket that rather took the game away from us. Tim Baker at least departed for nought at our hands, and honest toil from Matt Large (4-101) was well supported by Ian Brattle, whose 3-36 included two maidens of proper miserliness, and Sean Charlton's 1-16.

Set 201 to win, we mustered only 111, David Castle's watchful 47 the backbone of the innings after he and his opening partner had put on 57 for the first wicket. From 82 for 4 to 97 for 7 the innings then simply evaporated, and the Duck Club welcomed Nigel Thirkell, Dave Charlton, Ian Brattle — and, I confess with a wince, your correspondent — into its ranks. Peter Whyte had a torrid time behind the stumps, twelve byes testament to a lively surface.

One bright note: Paul Gibson's four runs eased him past William Buck into tenth on the club's all-time run-scorers list, while David Castle continues to sit second in this season's charts on 383, with Matt Large leading the wicket-takers on 37. Beaten by 89 runs — not our day. Heads up, back to the nets.

Sat 20 Jun 1992 🧢 2nd XIv YC Yalding CC · HomeformWLWWW

It was a right belter of a Saturday, this one, and I make no apology for calling correctly at the toss and sticking us in — a captain's prerogative I intend to keep exercising until it stops working. Rob Doick set about the Yalding attack with real purpose, motoring past his fifty and finishing unbeaten on 67, with Dave Todd (36 not out) and Fred Cheesman (21) keeping him honest company as we closed on a handsome 183/5 from our 44 overs. Runs enough, I thought, to make an afternoon of it.

And so it proved, though not without a proper scrap. Yalding's Alan Snowden played a lovely hand of 53 not out, with Richard Gardner (43) and Chris Quirk (23) doing their bit to keep the chase alive — but our bowlers had other ideas. Trevor Back was the chief tormentor with 3-27, including the small mercy of Cattermole's golden duck, while Jon Harris toiled away for 3-36 with four maidens that gave nothing whatsoever away. I even chipped in with 36 myself, more through stubbornness than style.

In the end Yalding fell short at 172/7 from their 43, and honours were shared — a draw that satisfied nobody and disappointed nobody either. With Doick now heading our 1992 run charts on 174 and Back sitting handsomely fourth in the wickets, this feels less like a stalemate and more like a side finding its rhythm. A good day's cricket, and a fair result, even if the scorebook rather wishes someone had finished the job.

Wed 17 Jun 1992 🧢 Midweek XIv SC Sevenoaks & District Wednesday CC · AwayformDWWWD

Wednesday 17th June, 1992, and the old bus rattled us down to Sevenoaks & District Wednesday CC in fine spirits, if not entirely fine form. I lost the toss — a habit I'm cultivating this season, it seems — and we were duly sent out to field first, which some of the lads took as a compliment to our bowling and others as a slight to our batting. Both, probably, would prove correct.

Our innings never quite got out of second gear. Five for one inside the first exchanges had me pacing the boundary rather more than the scorebook liked, but Jeremy Chapman played a lovely hand of 36, well backed up by Paul Spencer's 32, and between them they dragged us to a respectable-ish 147 all out from 54 overs. Respectable, that is, until Sevenoaks got their pads on.

G Styles set about us with an unbeaten 81, and J Bowden kept him company with a polished 62 not out, and together they simply strolled to 149 for 1 in barely 24 overs. Rob Doick worked hard for his solitary wicket, conceding 59 in the process, and Alan Boyns bowled with real discipline — two maidens amid the carnage, bless him — while P Day at least departed for a duck, small mercies and all that.

Beaten by eight wickets, then, and no arguments about it. Chapman's form continues to be the one bright thread through our season, now top of the Midweek XI charts with 136 runs. For the rest of us: heads up, chins high, and back to the nets.

Tue 16 Jun 1992 🧢 1st XIv West Farleigh CC · HomeformLWLLW

Tuesday 16 June 1992, and West Farleigh CC rolled up as our visitors. I lost the toss — no change there — and they had no hesitation in asking us to field first, which on a warm afternoon felt like a decision made with some relish on their part.

They made us pay early promise count for little: seven on the board and Adrian Smith was back in the pavilion without troubling the scorers, a proper golden duck. But West Farleigh steadied and then rather ran away from us, closing on 158/4 from their sixteen overs. Don Fermor stood firm for 46 not out, well supported by Brian Aiston's unbeaten 39 and Andy Golding's 30. Paul Gibson toiled manfully for 3-34, with Rob Doick chipping in at 1-27, but it was a total that always felt a stroke or two ahead of us.

Chasing 158, we made a nervous start — the first wicket gone with just one run on the board — before Matt Large and Piers McDonald rebuilt with 39 and 36 respectively. Matt's innings also brought up 1,000 career runs for the club, a landmark that deserved better company. From 92-5 we stumbled to 105-8 in the blink of an eye, Paul Gibson and Jeremy Thorpe both departing for ducks, and my own 39 couldn't quite drag us over the line. We finished 116/9, beaten by 42 runs.

Not our day. Heads up, and back to the nets.

Sun 14 Jun 1992 🧢 1st XIv BC Bexhill CC · AwayformWLWLL

Sunday 14th June, and the Fates decreed we should lose the toss and be sent into the field at Bexhill — never the news you want with the tea urn barely warm. Matthew Blackman and Jason Wickenden had other ideas about our afternoon, both compiling unbeaten fifties (64 and 60 respectively) that we simply couldn't shift, with Richard Matthews chipping in 31 for good measure. Bexhill closed on 204/3 from their 42.3 overs, a total built on the sort of batting that makes a captain reconsider his field placings hourly. Credit where due — Matt Large toiled hard for his 2-51, and Rob Doick was a model of discipline, four maidens among his figures of 1-25, refusing to be collared even as the runs flowed elsewhere.

Chasing 205 is never a stroll, and so it proved, though Clive Newman's well-crafted 52 gave us the spine we needed, backed up handsomely by Steve Masters (30) and Fred Cheesman (28). The fifth-wicket pair's 71 was the platform from which the chase was truly won, and I'll happily take my own 27 as a supporting hand rather than a headline. A generous 32 in extras from our hosts didn't hurt either — not that we're complaining.

We got home by three wickets, with barely a heartbeat to spare, and District Castle continuing his quietly excellent season sitting second in our run charts, Matt Large still leading the wicket-takers. A proper scrap, a proper win, and a proper reason for an extra pint at the bar. Verdict: a good day for the club, and a very good day for the captain's blood pressure.

Sat 13 Jun 1992 🧢 2nd XIv SC Sheldwich CC · AwayformDWLWW

Saturday 13 June 1992 took us down to Sheldwich, and winning the toss I chose to field first — occasionally a captain gets one right. The lads made it look shrewd, too. We had Sheldwich in all sorts of bother, sliding from 93 for 6 to 102 for 9 as the pressure told, and they were bowled out for 108 in 34.5 overs. Only Tony Marsh, with 29, and David Sanderson, with 20, offered any real resistance, while Robert Heward, Sam Hill and Graham Carter all trooped back for ducks. Alan Boyns was in irresistible form, spinning his way to 5 for 43 with three miserly maidens thrown in, well backed by Dave Todd's 3 for 10 and Rob Doick's 2 for 48. Not a run was given away cheaply.

Chasing 109, we made harder work of it than perhaps we should have, stumbling to 109 for 7 from 34.2 overs, but Tim Thirkell held the innings together beautifully with an unbeaten 55, ushering us home despite Stewart Morrison's golden duck along the way. I even chipped in with 3 wickets myself, which made for a rather satisfying afternoon all round.

A word too for the record books — Alan Boyns's five-for nudged him past Brian Fuller into 23rd on the club's all-time wicket-takers list, and he now leads our 1992 second-eleven wicket charts with 15, with Tim Thirkell topping the run charts on 143.

A fine win by 3 wickets, then, and a thoroughly deserved one. Onwards.

Thu 11 Jun 1992 🧢 1st XIv LC Loose CC · HomeformLWLWL

Thursday 11 June 1992 — we welcomed Loose CC and, for once, I looked at the pitch, won the toss, and actually made the right call by choosing to bat. Not something I'll be allowed to forget over a pint any time soon, but credit where it's due.

David Castle set about the Loose bowling with real purpose, finishing unbeaten on a handsome 54, while Peter Whyte matched him stride for stride with an equally polished 50 not out. Between them they carried us to 126/1 from our sixteen overs, which felt like a total with a bit of bite to it — though as it turned out, not quite enough teeth.

In the field, Sean Charlton was the pick of the attack, snaring 3-28 and giving Loose no end of trouble, with Rob Doick (2-66) and Matt Large (1-18) chipping in gamely. M McLaren went for a golden duck, which raised the loudest cheer of the afternoon. But Chris Cooper's 29, backed up by Peter Austen's 28 and Dave Arter's unbeaten 26, ground us down over their sixteen overs, and Loose got home by 3 wickets.

A touch harsh on a side that batted so well, and further proof that 126 in this form of the game is rarely enough to relax behind. Heads stay up, though — we'll be better for it next week.

Tue 09 Jun 1992 🧢 1st XIv HC Hollingbourne CC · AwayformWLWLW

Down at Hollingbourne, we lost the toss on a Tuesday evening in June and were sent out to field — never the outcome I'd have chosen, but there we are. The lads did well enough, restricting the hosts to 139/5 from their 16, with Matt Large steaming in for a fine 3-13 and Paul Gibson and David Castle both chipping away for one apiece. Trevor Scrivens (49 not out) and Geoff Griffiths (37) did rather too much of the damage for our liking, but 139 felt gettable on a good evening.

It wasn't a good evening. We subsided to 75/9 from our 16 overs, P Kirsten's battling 21 the only real resistance, while your correspondent contributed precisely nought to the cause — a duck I shall not dwell on, except to say misery loves company, and Matt Large kept me honest by bagging one of his own. Small mercies: I found some rhythm with the ball earlier, taking 3 wickets, so I wasn't entirely surplus to requirements.

Amid the wreckage, a note of genuine cheer — Brian Piper's unbeaten little cameo of 5 runs was enough to nudge him past Basil Sears into 6th on the club's all-time run-scorers list, a landmark worth raising a glass to. Elsewhere Clive Newman continues to purr along in 2nd on this season's run charts with 277, and Matt Large's 30 wickets keep him out in front.

Verdict: beaten by 64 runs, fielding the better half of our game but batting like strangers to the sport. Back to the nets.

Sat 06 Jun 1992 🧢 2nd XIv PC Petts Wood CC · AwayformDDWLW

As we left Petts Wood with the coach's brakes smelling faintly of triumph, I could reflect that this was as tidy a day's work as the 2nd XI has produced all season. Losing the toss and being sent into the field is never the news a captain wants over his cornflakes, but the lads set about it with good cheer, and when our turn came with the bat we posted a respectable 175/6 from 51 overs. Stewart Morrison led the way with a sturdy 48, well supported by Tim Thirkell's 30 and Roly Edwards's 29 — nothing flashy, just the sort of accumulation that wins matches on unforgiving June afternoons.

Defending it was another matter entirely. Petts Wood's Andy Symonds played a proper captain's-nightmare innings of 37, and when Greg Snape (22) and Eddie Sharr (21) put on a stubborn 53 for the seventh wicket, I confess my tea went rather cold. But Dave Todd was magnificent, prising out 3-36, with Rob Doick (3-48, three maidens of pure miserliness) and Tim Thirkell (2-24) squeezing the life out of the chase. I even managed to rustle up three wickets myself, more by good fortune than design.

They were bowled out for 171 from 45 overs, four short of our total, and we held our nerve to get over the line. Rob Doick continues his fine season, top of the run charts and second among the wicket-takers — a man in thoroughly good form. A cracking win, and a very good day for the club.

Wed 03 Jun 1992 🧢 Midweek XIv AK Ashford CC, Kent · AwayformLDWWW

Wednesday 3rd June, and off we trundled to Ashford CC, hopes modestly high and the coin, as ever, unpersuaded by my calling. They won the toss, elected to bat, and settled in for the afternoon while we had first use of the new ball.

Credit where it's due: Peter Westrop compiled a handsome 63, and Vincent Tyrrell purred along to an unbeaten 57, the pair putting on a chastening 100 for the fourth wicket while we searched increasingly hopefully for inspiration. That inspiration arrived, eventually, in the shape of Daryl Gregory, whose 4-48 (three of those overs maidens, mind you — not a run given away lightly) dragged us back into things, with Alan Boyns (2-20) and Fred Cheesman (1-11) chipping in for good measure. Ashford were bowled out, though not before they'd made us work rather harder than the scorebook perhaps suggests.

Chasing was never quite our forte on the day. We limped to 113 for 8 from our 37 overs, Alan Boyns again to the fore with an unbeaten 21, your captain contributing a workmanlike 15, and poor Fred Cheesman completing a chastening pair with a golden duck to round off his afternoon.

So: honours shared, a draw when neither side could quite force the issue. Elsewhere, Jeremy Chapman continues to top our run charts with 100 for the season, and Daryl Gregory's efforts today lift him to second in the wickets column. A fair result, all told — Ashford will feel they let one slip; we'll take the point and the sandwiches gladly.

Tue 02 Jun 1992 🧢 1st XIv The Mote CC · HomeformWWLWL

Here's the match report:

Not for the first time, Tuesday the 2nd of June began with the coin letting me down — The Mote called it right and, as is traditional, elected to have a bat. Undeterred, we set about them in the field, and things could hardly have started better as the first wicket tumbled with just five on the board. A stubborn seventh-wicket stand of 59 threatened to drag them to respectability, but once that partnership broke the innings fell apart in glorious fashion — 22 for 4 in a heap, with R Moore, Neil Tillott and M Howie all trudging back without so much as a run to their names. Matt Large was magnificent, 3 for 6 with two maidens thrown in for good measure, ably backed up by Rob Doick's 3 for 16 and David Castle chipping in with one. All told, 98 for 8 from their sixteen overs looked a modest target, Nigel Mullarkey's 35 and Matthew Dunk's unbeaten 29 the only real resistance.

Chasing it, we made hard work of the start — a wicket down with none on the board, and David Castle's name added to the duck club before he'd troubled the scorers. But Clive Newman's 31 and Matt Large's 30 steadied things nicely, and I was rather pleased to contribute 30 of my own with the bat before turning my arm over for three wickets besides. We got home with five wickets in hand and overs to spare.

A fine win, and a thoroughly satisfying one at that. Onwards.

Sun 31 May 1992 🧢 1st XIv Leeds & Broomfield CC · HomeformLWWLW

31 May 1992 — Beaten by 28 runs at home to Dummy Site, but not before the lads gave the gazette plenty to write about.

Winning the toss, I had no hesitation in taking first knock, and for a while it looked the shrewdest of decisions. Then 3-1 arrived to remind us this is cricket, not chess, and from there the innings had the rhythm of a deckchair collapsing. Piers McDonald played the innings of the day with a fine 42, Jon Harris chipping in gamely with 21, but the middle order chose Sunday to stage a mass disappearing act — 57-4 became 65-7 before anyone had finished their tea, with Paul Gibson, David Cook and Matt Large all departing for identical, undignified ducks. All out 113 in 44.4 overs felt about 40 short, and I include my own contribution — a golden duck I shall not dwell on further — as exhibit A.

With the ball, however, we were a different proposition entirely. Their innings fell apart even more spectacularly than ours, tumbling from 0-1 to 85 all out in 36.2 overs, the middle and late order collapsing from 79-7 to 85-10 in what can only be described as a rout. Paul Gibson was magnificent, mopping up 4-7, Matt Large bowled with real discipline for 3-21 and four maidens, Ian Brattle took 2-34, and I found some rhythm myself with 3 wickets — small consolation for the horror show with the bat.

In the end, 28 runs the wrong side of victory. A funny old game: we should have won it by lunchtime and contrived to lose it by tea. We'll be better for it next week.

Sat 30 May 1992 🧢 1st XIv Milstead CC · AwayformWLWWL

It was our turn to bat first up at Milstead, and having called correctly for once, I fancied a bowl-first pitch and stuck us in. Paul Bowles clearly agreed with the decision, playing beautifully for 53, while Matt Large (22) and Nigel Thirkell (21) chipped in either side of a stand of 63 for the second wicket that gave the innings its spine. All out for 159 from 46 overs — not a total to frighten anyone, perhaps, but enough to work with, and rather more than I managed myself lower down.

Milstead set off in pursuit and promptly lost their first wicket for 8, which was pleasing, if not entirely conclusive given what followed. Stuart Burnop (39) and Chris Rawson (27), with N Fisher chipping in 21, dragged the chase back into contention, and for a few overs it looked rather too close for comfort from where I was standing at mid-off. But Sean Charlton was in inspired form, plundering 3 for 9, and Matt Large — not content with his runs earlier in the day — took 3 for 75 and bowled three maidens for good measure, squeezing the life out of the scoring when it mattered.

In the end, 145 for 8 from their 44 overs left them 14 runs short, and us with two well-earned points. Paul Bowles continues to lead our run charts for the season with 467, and Matt Large the wickets with 21 — the two of them, frankly, are doing most of the heavy lifting this summer, and long may it continue. A scrappy, nervy, thoroughly satisfying win.

Sat 30 May 1992 🧢 2nd XIv Milstead CC · HomeformDDDWL

We were sent in to field on Saturday, and heaven knows the toss had never done us a bigger favour. Milstead CC huddled together over 30 overs and mustered a paltry 46 all out, undone by an opening burst that saw them slide from 26-4 to 34-7 before most of us had finished our second cup of tea. R Bartlett, Ken West and Glen Rawson all trooped back for ducks, victims of a Linton Park attack that showed no mercy whatsoever.

The architect of the collapse was Alan Boyns, who spun a web of pure devilry to finish with 6-25 — the sort of spell that has opposition batsmen quietly reconsidering their technique on the walk home. Rob Doick played the perfect foil, tight as a drum with 8 maidens on his way to 3-21, and between the two of them Milstead simply had nowhere to hide.

Chasing such a modest total was, frankly, the easy part, and we knocked it off for the loss of no wickets in just 12.5 overs, Mike Elworthy anchoring things with a composed 36 not out. He's now up to second in the season's run charts, while Boyns, unsurprisingly, sits proudly atop the wicket pile with 10 to his name.

A seven-wicket win, two points banked, and not a single alarming moment along the way — the sort of afternoon that makes captaincy feel almost too easy.

Mon 25 May 1992 🧢 1st XIv XM XII Men · HomeformLWLWW

Monday 25 May 1992 and the coin let us down again — I lost the toss, Dummy Site fancied a bat, and I fancied I knew what was coming. Sure enough they ground their way to 194 all out in 59.1 overs, Mark Skinner top-scoring with a watchful 46, with Andrew Baker (24) and Martin Ballands (21) chipping in. But the ball was in good hands: Matt Large was simply relentless, 4-39 with a miserly eight maidens thrown in, Jon Harris picked up 3-18, and Alan Boyns weighed in with 2-51. Not a run given away lightly, though Peter Whyte behind the stumps had a torrid afternoon of it, ten byes leaking through.

Then came the reply, and what a reply. Paul Bowles played an innings for the ages — 104 not out, chanceless and commanding — with Brian Piper (39 not out) and Piers McDonald (37) offering fine support as we cantered to 195/1 in just 42.3 overs. I even had a rare moment of glory myself with the ball, four wickets to enjoy in the earlier innings — every dog has his day.

Bowles now sits proudly atop the 1st XI run charts for the season with 414, and Harris leads the wicket-takers with 20 — the engine room of this side, no question.

Runs on the board, wickets in the bag, byes notwithstanding — a proper team performance, and a very good day's cricket indeed.

Sun 24 May 1992 🧢 1st XIv EC Elliotts CC · AwayformLLWLW

As Sunday, 24 May 1992 dawned, I won the toss against Elliotts and, against every instinct that tells an Englishman to bat first and worry later, I stuck us in the field. I felt rather pleased with myself for it too. Elliotts crawled and occasionally sprinted to 163 all out from 51 overs, built around a handsome fifty from Ian Crickmore (54) and useful support from Alan Ricketts (35), their second-wicket pair adding a stubborn 72 before the innings rather pleasingly imploded, 141-5 becoming 149-8 in the time it takes to pour a tea. Jon Harris was the chief architect of the collapse with 3-24, Rob Doick chipped in with 2-23, Alan Boyns took 1-7, and Paul Bowles bowled with the miserly discipline of a man counting out someone else's petty cash — three maidens and barely a run to his name. Justin Hodge, for the record, bagged a golden duck at our hands.

Chasing 164, we lost an early wicket with the board reading just 1 — the sort of start that has grown men reaching for the biscuit tin — but Paul Bowles, having already bowled beautifully, then batted beautifully too, carrying us home unbeaten on 77, ably assisted by Alan Boyns's unbeaten 42. We finished 165-3 from 46 overs, home by six wickets. Trevor Back, meanwhile, endured a testing afternoon behind the stumps, 15 byes leaking through like a village hall roof in a downpour.

A word too for Alan Boyns, whose solitary wicket nudged him past Michael Morton into 24th on the club's all-time list — history quietly made while the tea urn boiled. A thoroughly good day for Linton Park.

Sat 23 May 1992 🧢 1st XIv CK Castle Hill CC, Kent · HomeformWLLWL

As the summer of ninety-two rolls on and the Castle Hill fixture arrives, I'll set the scene: Saturday 23 May, the coin toss goes as coin tosses in my captaincy so often do — against us — and the visitors from Kent elect to bat.

Forty-six overs and 200/5 later, we'd learned rather a lot about T Rudd's technique. His 67 was the innings that mattered, and he had willing company in N Bardsley (48) and Mike Wheeler (28), the pair putting on a stubborn 61 for the fourth wicket while I moved fielders about the boundary to increasingly little effect. Ian Brattle was the pick of us with the ball — 2 for 42, three maidens of positively monastic discipline — with Matt Large (2-67) and Jon Harris (1-30) chipping away either side of him. Worth noting, too, that Matt's two scalps quietly nudged him past John Ames into fifth on the club's all-time wicket-takers list — the sort of milestone that means rather more to the man himself than to the scoreboard.

Chasing 201, we made surprisingly serene work of it. Paul Bowles played the innings of the day, 85 not out and unmoved by anything Kent threw at him, with Nigel Thirkell (58) alongside him in a marvellous third-wicket stand of 96 that did the heavy lifting, and Piers McDonald (31 not out) seeing us home. I contributed 58 myself, more relieved than heroic. Five wickets to spare, and a thoroughly good day for the club — David Castle and Matt Large can carry on leading the run and wicket charts respectively; the rest of us will just enjoy the tea.

Sat 23 May 1992 🧢 2nd XIv SC Stockbury CC · AwayformLDDDW

Not a bad toss to win, and I'll confess I rather fancied batting first at Stockbury — the right call, I felt, even if the scorebook needed a nervous glance early on when we lost a wicket with just 6 on the board. Roly Edwards settled things down beautifully, compiling a composed 58 not out, with Fred Cheesman's 41 and Steve Masters's unbeaten 40 giving the innings real backbone. The tail wagged handsomely too, an aggravating final 87 runs for the fielding side to chase down in the field, though poor D Cooke will want to forget his golden duck in a hurry. We finished on a very respectable 207 for 6 from our 45.1 overs.

With the ball, we simply couldn't find a way through a stubborn stand of 127 for the second wicket, Nigel Sharp (72) and I Sharp (61) both passing fifty and doing the real damage. Trevor Back was excellent for us, 2 for 16 and picking up his usual share of the wickets, well backed by Paul Bishop and Paul Spencer with a wicket apiece, while Rob Doick — miserly as ever with two maidens — refused to give anything away cheaply. I contributed a modest 27 with the bat when my turn came round again.

In the end Stockbury got home by 5 wickets, and there's no dressing that up. But with Roly's fifty, Rob's season-leading run tally ticking along nicely, and Trevor now up to third in the wicket charts, there's plenty to build on. We'll be better for it next week.

Wed 20 May 1992 🧢 Midweek XIv TC Tenterden CC · AwayformDLDWW

Wednesday 20th May found us on the road to Tenterden, and for once the coin did as it was told, so I put us in to have a bat.

What followed was rather more than we had any right to expect. Jeremy Chapman played the innings of the season so far, 85 well-struck runs that set the tone, and found the perfect foil in Nigel Thirkell, unbeaten on a composed 80. Between them they added 159 for the fourth wicket, the sort of stand that turns a par score into a match-winning one, and we closed on 214 for 5 from our 36 overs feeling rather pleased with ourselves.

Defending that lot, Tenterden gave it a decent go, Mike Pearman top-scoring with 48 and P Hill chipping in with 36, but B Chinning departed for a duck without so much as a swish. The real story, though, was Jon Harris, who span a web through their middle and lower order to finish with a scarcely believable 6 for 23. I chipped in with 6 wickets myself, which I shall be modest about for approximately one paragraph, while Fred Cheesman bowled with characteristic meanness, 5 maidens in his 1 for 32, and Paul Bowles took 1 for 37. Poor Piers McDonald had a torrid time behind the stumps, 13 byes leaking away, but with Tenterden bowled out for 143 in 33.3 overs it mattered not a jot.

A 71-run win, and a thoroughly good day for the club.

Tue 19 May 1992 🧢 1st XIv OC Offham CC · AwayformDWLLW

Down by five wickets at Dummy Site on Tuesday 19 May 1992, but with rather more to smile about than the scoreboard lets on. Losing the toss on a ground called Dummy Site felt like a metaphor waiting to happen, and so it proved – put in to field, we watched the opposition rack up 114 all out in just 14.4 overs, with M- Bowen (29) and Mervyn Brooker (25) doing most of the early damage before our attack got a proper grip. M- Chapman, mercifully for us, never troubled the scorers. Matt Large was the chief tormentor with a splendid 4-22, backed up nicely by Jon Harris (2-31) and David Castle (1-28) – bowling of a standard that had me quietly optimistic in the tea interval.

With 115 to chase, Piers McDonald played the innings of the day, a fine 46 that gave us something to build on, well supported by David Castle's 20. Poor Fred Cheesman departed for a duck, a blot on an otherwise tidy card, and I contributed a workmanlike 19 of my own – plus, in a rare moment of captain's-privilege glory, 4 wickets with the ball to boot.

David Castle continues to top the season's run charts with 227, and Jon Harris leads the wickets with 13 – the engine room is clearly in good order even when the results aren't. Five wickets down at the death is no disgrace against a side that batted us into a corner early doors. Heads up, chins out, back to the nets – there are better days coming.

Sun 17 May 1992 🧢 1st XIv CC Crockham Hill CC · AwayformWDWLL

It rather sums up our season that I lost the toss again, watched Crockham Hill bat first, and still somehow walked off with the points.

S Keith settled in for a well-made 64, and with T Burke (47 not out) and J Hitchens (45) either side of him, plus a hefty 70-run third-wicket stand, the total was creeping towards something uncomfortable. Their last pair then had the cheek to bolt on 45 we could well have done without — the kind of late-innings mugging that makes a captain age visibly at mid-off. Still, 229/8 from 49 overs felt gettable, and credit to the bowlers: Matt Large steamed in for 4-46, well backed by Ian Brattle (2-22) and Sean Cook (1-30), with G Moir and S Smith both back in the hutch without troubling the scorers.

Chasing it down, David Castle played the innings of the day — 102, no less, three figures and barely a hair out of place — while an opening stand of 95 gave us the platform, and Clive Newman (46) and Paul Bowles (36) kept the scoreboard honest thereafter. I even found some rhythm myself with the ball for four wickets earlier, which I shall be mentioning at every opportunity for the rest of the season.

A nice footnote: Matt Large brought up 600 career wickets, a proper landmark for a proper bowler. Clive Newman still leads our run charts for the year, Jon Harris the wickets — both duly noted and duly envied.

A fine win by five wickets. Onwards.

Sat 16 May 1992 🧢 1st XIv Headcorn CC · HomeformDWDWL

It was Headcorn CC at home on the sixteenth of May, and I won the toss with the sort of confidence that usually precedes a batting collapse — though for once, gentle reader, I was right to bat first.

The lads set about it steadily, closing on 193 for 5 from our 46 overs. Clive Newman was the innings' backbone, unbeaten on 60, with Brian Piper (35 not out) and Paul Gibson (33) chipping in handsomely — the pair of them stitching together a vital 55 for the fifth wicket when things could easily have unravelled. A total to be quietly pleased with, if not one to have Headcorn quaking in their whites.

And quake they did not. Simon Phipps played the innings of the day with 46, well backed by Ian Pullen (36) and Rob Mansell (27), the two of them putting on 65 for the fourth wicket while our lead evaporated like the tea urn on a hot afternoon. Matt Large toiled manfully for 3 for 67, and Ian Brattle was typically parsimonious — 2 for 56 with five maidens to his name, bowling as though each run conceded caused him personal offence. It wasn't quite enough. They got home by two wickets, and there's no dressing that up.

Not our day, then, but there's no shame in a match this tight. Heads up, back to the nets, and on to the next one.

Sat 16 May 1992 🧢 2nd XIv Headcorn CC · AwayformLLDDD

Off the Headcorn coach and into memory: 16 May 1992, and a fine day for it.

The coin behaved itself for once, and I had no hesitation in sending us in on winning the toss. What followed was as handsome an innings as the 2nd XI have played all season. Rob Doick set about the Headcorn bowling with real intent, cruising to 64, while Tim Thirkell settled in alongside him for a composed 58 of his own — the pair adding a magnificent 121 for the fourth wicket, the kind of stand that decides matches before tea is even poured. Mike Elworthy chipped in with a brisk 28, and 191/6 from our 46 overs had the look of a total to bowl at.

And bowl at it we did. G Wickens threatened to spoil the party with a well-crafted 57 not out, but he had precious little support — R Woolley won't want reminding of his golden duck — and Headcorn were mopped up for 131/7. Alan Boyns was quite magnificent, four wickets and five maidens of proper miserly bowling, with Rob Doick weighing in with three more to complete a splendid all-round day, his fiftieth career wicket to boot.

Sixty runs the margin, two points the reward, and thoroughly deserved. A red-letter Saturday for Linton Park — long may the season continue in this vein.

Tue 12 May 1992 🧢 1st XIv KH KCC Highways · HomeformDDWDW

From the captain's chair — Tuesday 12 May 1992. We hosted Dummy Site, and having won the toss I elected to bat, a decision I shall permit myself a small pat on the back for, as it turned out rather well.

The lads set about their work with real purpose, racing to 176/3 from our sixteen overs. David Castle was the architect, an unbeaten 57 that anchored everything around him, with Matt Large (46) and Paul Gibson (37) both playing their part in a total that had the tea urn practically bubbling with excitement.

Defending it should, by rights, have been the formality it looked on paper. Sean Cook was magnificent with the new ball, 2-5, and simply unplayable — poor P Moore departed without so much as a single to his name, the kind of duck that makes for uncomfortable viewing from square leg. Jon Harris (2-15) and Rob Doick (1-13) chipped in handsomely, and I even managed 46 myself with the ball, more through enthusiasm than craft. Yet somehow the opposition's 71/7 was enough — we fell by 105 runs, a scoreline that flatters nobody and baffles me still.

David Castle continues to sit third in our 1st XI run charts with 95 for the season, and Jon Harris leads the wicket-takers with ten — small consolations on an afternoon that got away from us. Not our day, then. Heads up, chins out, and back to the nets.

Mon 04 May 1992 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · HomeformWDDWD

We beat Bearsted CC on Monday 4th May 1992, and I shan't pretend I wasn't rather pleased with myself for calling the toss right and sticking us in to bat.

Paul Bowles played the innings of the summer — a superb 103, and while he was piling on the runs he also brought up 26,000 career runs for the club, which is the sort of milestone that rather puts my own contribution in perspective. Clive Newman weighed in with a composed 43 not out, the two of them stitching together 91 for the fourth wicket while the rest of us admired from the boundary. I chipped in with 16, which felt almost surplus to requirements by the time we'd reached 192 for 5 off our 46 overs.

Bearsted made a fair fist of the chase, their openers putting on 65 before the breakthrough, but once Jon Harris got among them the innings rather fell apart — 5 for 38 of pure mischief, well supported by Nigel Thirkell's two, while Matt Large strangled the life out of the middle overs with four maidens. Poor Ray Dines never troubled the scorers. Nine byes did rather suggest Peter Whyte was having one of those days behind the stumps, but no matter — Bearsted subsided to 144 for 8 off 44, and we ran out winners by 48 runs.

A thoroughly good day for the club, and Jon Harris and Clive Newman continuing to lead the season's charts besides. We'll take that all summer long.

Sun 03 May 1992 🧢 Sunday NVKCv High Halstow CC · AwayformWWLWW

Beaten by the toss before we'd even bowled a ball — High Halstow chose to bat, and by the tea interval 152 all out looked a stiffer chase than the scorecard perhaps suggests. Paul Whelan's 41 and S Johnson's 24 did the damage, but the story of the innings was really told with the ball: Nigel Thirkell, metronomic as ever, took 3-22 with two maidens thrown in for good measure, Paul Gibson chipped in with 3-38, and Matt Large 2-26. We had them 0-1 early doors and never quite let the innings breathe.

Chasing 153, we made a hash of it. Tim Munday and Carl Dockwray both departed without so much as troubling the scorers, Matt Large's name went down for a duck of his own, and we subsided to 95 all out in 34 overs. Only Paul Bowles, with a fighting 26, gave the innings any shape at all. Fifteen byes conceded speaks for itself and poor Peter Whyte will want that one back.

Small mercies: I found some rhythm and picked up three wickets myself, and Matt Large's brace saw him leapfrog Terry Whittaker into 6th on the club's all-time wicket-taking list — a nice line for the history books on an otherwise chastening afternoon. Bowles and Thirkell remain our early-season standard-bearers, leading the Sunday run and wicket charts respectively.

Beaten by 57 runs in the end, and fairly so. Byes, ducks and a batting collapse don't win cricket matches — we'll regroup, and we'll be better for it next week.

Sat 25 Apr 1992 🧢 1st XIv Penshurst Park CC · HomeformLWDDW

Saturday 25th April, and Penshurst Park Park CC – sorry, force of habit, Penshurst Park CC – arrived to find me winning the toss and, in a rare fit of decisiveness, deciding to bat first.

It proved a shrewd call, or at least a lucky one. Clive Newman set about the Penshurst attack with real purpose, cashing in for 69, while Paul Gibson kept him company all the way to an unbeaten 51. The pair put on 66 for the second wicket and, frankly, did most of my job for me. Nigel Thirkell chipped in with 31, I rattled along to 31 myself, and we declared our innings closed at a healthy 195 for 3 off 41 overs.

Defending it looked simple enough on paper. Jon Harris steamed in for 3-25, with Ian Brattle and Matt Large chipping away either side of him — Large's four maidens were as tight as anything bowled all season. But G Higgs had other ideas, compiling a fine 55, well supported by V Widgery's 22, and the pair's 67-run stand for the fifth wicket dragged Penshurst to safety at 126 for 6. Poor Piers McDonald, meanwhile, was given the runaround behind the stumps and shipped 14 byes for his trouble — the wicketkeeping equivalent of chasing shadows.

So honours shared, and a draw when neither side could quite land the killer blow. Not the result the batting effort deserved, but there's a certain nobility in a good old-fashioned stalemate — everyone home in time for tea, nobody too disgraced.