🧢 Captain's Log

Sat 28 Sep 1996 🧢 2nd XIv Linton Park CC · HomeformDLWWW

Skipper's Log — Saturday 28 September 1996. Won the toss, and with the sun making a rare late-season effort, there was really only one decision to make. We batted.

218 for 4 off our 37 overs is the sort of total that has you allowing yourself a small, private smile at tea, and Stuart Cheesman was the man responsible for most of that smugness, cruising past his fifty to finish on 56. Dave Todd chipped in a fine 48 and Richard Piper 36, while your skipper contributed a modest 27 — enough to look useful without doing anything to trouble the record books. All told, it had the shape of a match-winning score, the kind of total you post and then quietly start planning what to say in the write-up.

Alas, Linton Park had other ideas, chasing us down with five wickets in hand and leaving us to trudge off rueing whatever it is one rues on days like this — a missed run-out, a dropped catch, the general unfairness of the universe. Elsewhere in the club, the season charts keep ticking along nicely regardless: Clive Newman sits fourth in the 1st XI standings on 778 runs, and Trevor Back fourth in the 2nds on 321, proof that somebody round here is doing something right.

Verdict: a batting performance to be proud of, a bowling and fielding effort to forget. Heads up, chins in, and back to the nets.

Wed 25 Sep 1996 🧢 Midweek XIv ? · HomeformDDDLL

Skipper's Log — Wednesday 25 September 1996

Home advantage, a decent tea in prospect, and I won the toss and stuck them in — a decision I stand by, even if the scorebook makes for slightly bracing reading. The visitors settled in nicely for 185/6 off their 45, built around a well-made fifty from H. Zaltzman, with N. Keest (30) and an unbeaten 20 from D. Smith padding things out. Credit where due: Darren Styles bowled beautifully for his 3-26, Stuart Cheesman chipped in with 2-12, and Trevor Back was a model of parsimony — 1-7 and three maidens, not a run given away lightly.

Chasing 186, we simply cantered — 189/3 in 26 overs, the game more or less put to bed by tea. Peter Whyte played a proper captain's innings of 86, well supported by Mike Elworthy's fine 67, and I rattled along to 16 of my own. Whyte had a tricky afternoon behind the stumps mind you, 30 byes going begging — we'll say no more about that.

One footnote for the club historians: Elworthy's 67 nudges him past Cliff Anscombe into 23rd on the all-time run-scorers list, while David Castle (2nd, 138) and Stuart Cheesman (3rd, 9 wickets) continue to climb this season's Midweek XI charts.

Verdict: runs a-plenty, wickets shared about, byes notwithstanding — a satisfying afternoon's work, and one to build on.

Sun 22 Sep 1996 🧢 1st XIv AC Anchorians CC · HomeformDDLLL

Here's the match report:

There are moments in a captain's season when the coin gods smile, and Sunday last was one of them. Anchorians duly arrived, I called correctly, and – ever the optimist, or possibly the pessimist about our bowling attack – I put us in.

We built something rather handsome: 175 for 5 off our 40, with David Castle at his fluent best for 55, Clive Newman keeping him honest with 49, and Matt Large finishing unbeaten on 24 to give the total a bit of late gloss. A total, I felt, with genuine teeth in it.

Alas, teeth can be blunted. Anchorians replied with the sort of assured innings that makes a captain rue every field placing, reaching 178 for 4 in the 41st over. M Claydon's unbeaten 58 and Eddie Stanford's 55 did most of the damage, and no amount of huffing from the boundary was going to stop them. Darren Styles at least gave us something to cheer, snaring 2 for 18, with Fred Cheesman and Michael Beeney chipping in a wicket apiece – Beeney's two maidens a small monument to discipline amid the carnage. I contributed a modest 24 with the bat, which felt rather beside the point by the close.

Not our day, then – beaten by six wickets, and no dressing it up otherwise. Still, David Castle sails on at the top of the season's run charts with 1046, and Darren Styles sits third among the wicket-takers with 24 – reminders that the campaign has plenty of substance beneath Sunday's disappointment. Heads up, chins out, and back to the nets.

Sat 21 Sep 1996 🧢 2nd XIv HC Higham & Mockbeggar CC · AwayformLDLWW

Saturday last took us out to Higham & Mockbeggar, and the coin, as is customary these days, let us down straight away — they won the toss and elected to bat, leaving us to trot out into the field wondering whether our knees would hold up for forty-odd overs.

Hold up they did, more or less. Nick Shackleton gave us a proper going-over, farming the strike to 115 not out, with N Scudder chipping in a handsome 53 and Colin Robson adding 26 for good measure. 218/3 from their 49 overs felt like rather a lot to chase, though there was a small mercy when K Short trudged off for a duck. Adrian Caddick did the honest yeoman's work, 2-53 with a couple of maidens thrown in to keep the scoring at least honest, and Carl Davis picked up a wicket too.

Chasing 219 sounds like the sort of target that ends in tea and quiet recrimination, but Tim Thirkell had other ideas, batting through for a glorious 111 not out, with Kevin Shrimpton's fifty (51) and Dave Todd's brisk 23 doing sterling support work. We got there in 41.1 overs with six wickets and, remarkably, some daylight to spare.

Thirkell now sits proudly atop the 2nd XI's season run-charts with 544 — the man is quite simply in irresistible form, and the rest of us are content to bask in his shadow. A fine win by 6 wickets, then, and one to savour on the drive home. Onwards.

Sat 21 Sep 1996 🧢 1st XIv HC Hastings & St Leonards Priory CC · HomeformLDDLL

Beaten by 27 runs, but I'll say this for the lads: we made Hastings & St Leonards Priory work for every one of them. Losing the toss and being asked to chase is never the tonic you want on a September Saturday, and N Chaplin made sure we felt it, ambling to 82 while we bowled with the resigned patience of men watching their tea go cold. Darren Styles did his level best to stem the tide with 2-50, and Stuart Cheesman and Michael Beeney chipped in with a wicket apiece, but 218/6 from their forty overs always had the look of a total with teeth in it.

Chasing 219 is the sort of task that separates the willing from the merely present, and Nigel Thirkell set about it in fine style with 73, well supported by Clive Newman's 48 and Piers McDonald's 25. I'll confess to a quiet pride in contributing 73 myself from the front — though "leading from the front" felt rather less glamorous once we'd fallen short at 191/8. Spare a thought for Keith Hatcher and Stuart Cheesman, both back in the pavilion for nought, and for Keith twice over, having also shipped 8 byes behind the stumps — a hard afternoon's graft with the gloves on.

Twenty-seven runs is not a canyon, merely a ditch, and one we'll clear with a bit more application next week. Credit to the visitors, but we'll be better for this.

Sun 15 Sep 1996 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformLLDDL

Sunday 15 September 1996, and a fine autumn afternoon it was for it at home. I won the toss and had no hesitation in taking first knock — the right call, I felt, and for once I was proved correct rather than left holding my head in my hands.

We were bowled out for 191 in 46.4 overs, which on a good day might have felt a touch light, but there was much to admire in the making of it. Rob Doick played a genuinely fine innings of 88, driving and cutting with real authority, and found good company in Stuart Cheesman's brisk 21. Elsewhere the ledger was less kind — Peter Whyte and Richard Ellis both endured the walk of shame for ducks, and I shan't dwell on it further, as I'm sure they'd rather I didn't either.

In the field we gave a good account of ourselves without quite landing the killer blow. Darren Styles was excellent, leading the attack with 2-14, well supported by Matt Large's 2-42 (including two tidy maidens) and Piers McDonald's 1-19 — nothing given away cheaply. But A Bray's 50 was the innings that did for us, ushered along by J Robertson's 40 and T Leach's 28, and they got home on 192/7 with three wickets and a few overs to spare.

Beaten by three wickets, then, in a match that had rather more good cricket in it than the result suggests. We'll be better for it next week.

Sat 14 Sep 1996 🧢 1st XIv CC Clarion CC · AwayformWLLDD

As we lost the toss last Saturday off to Clarion CC, went in first, and the innings folded for 134 in 43.2 overs. Daniel Thirkell top-scored with a fine 45, David Castle chipped in with 23, and extras — a generous 29 — very nearly outdid the top order. Sadly the same could not be said for Stuart Cheesman, Richard Ellis and Matt Large, who each contrived the walk of shame for nought. A middling total, and one I feared might be twenty short of a defendable one.

Defending it, though, is where this game turns into a proper club cricket fable. Clarion, needing just 135, crawled to 135/9 off 35.1 overs and somehow, agonisingly, got there with a wicket to spare. Steve Harris made a stubborn 48 and S Cox 37, but everything else went our way — Richard Hilson, M Jeffrey and Andy Driver all back in the hutch without troubling the scorers. Matt Large simply ran riot, 6 for 47 with two miserly maidens thrown in, and Stuart Cheesman chipped in with 2 for 10. As for the skipper — batting failure complete, a golden blob to my name — I did at least redeem myself with the ball, taking 6 wickets myself. Leading from the front, apparently, means bowling and not batting.

By one wicket. One. I shall be replaying that final over in my head at the bar for weeks. David Castle continues to lead our run charts for the season with 977, and Matt Large now boasts 43 wickets — small consolation on a day we simply couldn't close it out. Heads up, chin up, back to the nets.

Sat 14 Sep 1996 🧢 2nd XIv BC Betsham CC · HomeformDLDLW

Saturday 14 September 1996, and we welcomed Betsham CC to Linton Park in fine spirits — spirits that took something of a battering when we lost the toss and were sent out to field. Not the afternoon we'd have chosen, but cricket rarely asks permission.

Betsham settled in and made themselves thoroughly at home, racking up 214/3 from their 46.3 overs largely on the back of Roy Wilkinson, who reached three figures — 119, no less — and was ably supported by Jason Hardy (36) and an unbeaten 36 from Steve Whitfield. Our bowling toiled honestly in the face of it: Alan Boyns was miserliness personified, four maidens and figures of 1-45, with Adrian Caddick chipping in at 1-53. It felt, at tea, like a stiff ask.

Stiff it was, but not insurmountable. Roly Edwards played the innings of the day, 63 full of proper strokes, with Mike Elworthy (52) right alongside him and Adrian Robinson (26) keeping the scoreboard honest. Poor Iain Cardew will want this report burned before anyone reads of his duck, but the extras column — a generous 26 — more than made amends. We got there on 215/6 from 38 overs, three wickets and no little relief to spare.

A fine win, and a proud one to bank. Onwards.

Wed 11 Sep 1996 🧢 Midweek XIv ? · HomeformDDDDL

Wednesday 11 September 1996, and a fair crowd gathered as we won the toss and I elected to bat — the right call, I felt, and I'm not just saying that because it's my report to write.

Nigel Thirkell was the story of our innings, a well-made 67 that gave the whole knock its shape, with Paul Gibson (27) and Rob Doick (26) chipping in handsomely around him. We closed on 188/8 from our 39 overs — a total with enough about it to make the tea taste that bit sweeter. Mike Elworthy, meanwhile, contributed a golden duck, which he will no doubt dine out on for weeks to come, in the manner these things are always remembered rather longer than the fifties.

In the field, Michael Beeney was quite simply magnificent — 6-19 with five maidens thrown in, bowling with the miserly discipline of a man protecting the family silver. Trevor Back (2-13) and Piers McDonald (1-31) chipped away either end, and we had the visitors two down without scores on the board. But S- Ives had other ideas, striking a fine 72, well supported by P- Barnett (27) and C- Cornwallis (26), and between them they dragged the total to 170 all out from 45.1 overs — just enough.

Down by 18 runs, then, and not our day. Heads up, chins out, and back to the nets — Rob Doick and Jon Harris continue to lead the charge in the season's charts, and there'll be other Wednesdays.

Sun 08 Sep 1996 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformDWLLD

Sunday 8th September saw us welcome the visitors to Linton Park, and won the toss with what I like to think was my customary flourish before electing to bat first — a decision that, for once, I shan't be second-guessing over a pint.

The lads made themselves thoroughly at home, racking up 229/7 from 38.1 overs. Darren Styles led the charge with a splendid 68, striking the ball about with real intent, while Clive Newman anchored things beautifully with an unbeaten 42 and Dave Charlton chipped in a tidy 25. Even our extras column got in on the act with 29 — not quite a top-order partnership, but we'll gratefully bank the runs all the same.

Defending the total, we asked the opposition to chase down 230, and they gave it a proper go, closing on 208/8 from their 42 overs. P. Whyte played a lovely hand of 98, agonisingly short of the ton, well supported by D. Mills' 27. With the ball, Adrian Caddick was outstanding, snaring 4-51, while Darren Styles — clearly not content with his runs alone — added 2-19 with two tidy maidens, and Nigel Thirkell weighed in with 1-38. Poor Clive Newman had a torrid time behind the stumps, leaking 16 byes, though nobody's holding it against him after that innings with the bat.

So honours were shared, neither side quite able to force the issue. A fair result, and on this evidence, an afternoon Linton Park can be proud of.

Sat 07 Sep 1996 🧢 2nd XIv BC Borden CC · HomeformLDLDL

Skipper's Log, 7th September 1996: Borden CC at home, and we lost the toss for the umpteenth time this season, which by now feels less like bad luck and more like a personal vendetta from the coin itself. They chose to bat, we had first use of the Dukes, and off we went into a long, warm afternoon of it.

Borden ground out 199 all out in 48.4 overs, built mainly around Steve Bicker's well-made fifty (53), with Paul Taylor (44) and Roger Truelove (27) filling in the gaps rather too comfortably for our liking. Only John Truelove departed cheaply, sent back without troubling the scorers — the family name having, on this occasion, no defence for him. Darren Styles was the pick of the attack with 3-32, Dave Todd and Alan Boyns chipped in with two apiece, and Boyns in particular bowled a spell of real discipline, four maidens and not a run given away lightly.

Chasing 200, we got home in some style — 202/6 off 36.5 overs, with Mike Elworthy playing the innings of the day for his own well-made fifty (53), backed up handsomely by Trevor Back (44) and Tim Thirkell (33), the latter continuing his fine season and stretching his lead at the top of the 2nd XI run charts to 418. Dave Todd, meanwhile, added to a fine all-round day with his bowling now sitting second in the wicket charts on 22.

Four wickets to the good, and a thoroughly good day for the club — even the coin can't spoil those.

Sat 07 Sep 1996 🧢 1st XIv BK Beverley CC, Kent · HomeformLDWLL

Beverley CC came to Linton Park on a fine Saturday, and when I lost the toss, I knew we'd be spending the day leather-hunting rather than putting our feet up with the tea urn. K Anson had other ideas entirely, ghosting to a magnificent 124 while P Begg chipped in a tidy 72 and M Slaughter finished unbeaten on 29, the pair of them squeezing every last drop out of a total that closed on a rather daunting 257/3 off 40.4 overs. Credit where it's due to Rob Doick, who toiled manfully for figures of 2-72, with Piers McDonald offering handy support at 1-17 — though truth be told, on that surface the bowlers were fighting a losing battle against a batsman in irresistible touch.

Set 258 to win, we knew it would take something special, and to our credit the lads didn't shirk the chase. Mike Caddick led the way with a fine 66, Nigel Thirkell wasn't far behind with a well-crafted 58, and I'm not too proud to mention I managed to contribute 58 of my own from the front — three half-centuries and not a duck in sight, which for this club is practically a golden age. We fell short at 205/8 off our 46, but honours were shared in the end, neither side quite able to land the killer blow.

A draw, then, and no shame in it against a total like that. Mike Caddick continues to bat like a man possessed, now top of our 1996 run charts with 968 — the rest of us merely along for the ride.

Sun 01 Sep 1996 🧢 Tour XIv BC Beacon CC, Cornwall · AwayformDDLLW

Beacon CC, away, September the first — never an easy fixture on their patch, and never one I'd have swapped for a lazy Sunday in the garden. I called it right at the toss and, with the sun out and the outfield fast, batting first was hardly a decision at all. Michael Beeney set the tone with a crisp 73, and once David Castle and Rob Doick both cantered past their fifties (55 apiece, no less), we were sitting pretty on 283/7 from our 45. A total that felt less like a total and more like a small mountain range for Beacon to climb.

And climb it they did not. Larry Martin battled to 29 and Kevin Thomas chipped in 25, but our attack simply would not be denied — Daniel Thirkell steamed through with 3-2 to lead the charge, Richard Piper and Mike Elworthy mopped up two apiece, and Michael Beeney, not content with his runs, bowled four maidens as if bowling were merely his hobby and batting his profession. Beacon were bowled out for 138 in 33.1 overs, Christopher Fine and Steve Proctor both departing without troubling the scorers.

A special word, too, for Rob Doick, who brought up 2,000 career runs for the club — a landmark worth savouring over a pint or three, and rightly toasted alongside his season-topping 144 runs in the Tour XI charts.

We ran out winners by a rather emphatic 145 runs. A fine team performance, a proud individual milestone, and — dare I say it — a very good day indeed for Linton Park.

Sat 31 Aug 1996 🧢 2nd XIv SC Sibton Park CC · AwayformWLDLD

Saturday 31 August 1996, and the road took us to Dummy Site with the toss lost and the ball taken away from us before we'd even had a say in the matter. Chasing was the order of the day, and we set about our overs with more hope than menace — until Darren Styles decided he fancied a bowl, that is, and proceeded to spin his way through the innings for a scarcely believable 7-17. Trevor Back was the model of restraint at the other end, seven maidens and 2-16 to his name, with Paul Bowles chipping in a wicket for good measure. Between them C. Clarke's 40, T. Kingston's 30 and F. Hodgkiss's 23 dragged the opposition to 138 all out from 55 overs, though R. Timms and A. Tutton both trudged back for ducks.

138 looked gettable, and for a while it was, Paul Davey batting with real class for his 55 and Tim Thirkell ably supporting with 46. I contributed 46 of my own, for what little that's worth in the final reckoning, while poor Paul Bowles bagged a golden duck to balance his heroics with the ball. Roly Edwards had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, nine byes the unwanted souvenir of a tricky pitch.

139/5 from 38 overs wasn't enough in the end — down by five wickets, and a familiar walk back to the nets awaits. Not our day, but with Thirkell 2nd and Back 4th in the season's charts, there's plenty still to play for.

Thu 29 Aug 1996 🧢 Tour XIv FC Falmouth CC · AwayformTDDLL

Thursday 29 August 1996, and the road took us down to Falmouth, where I duly lost the toss and watched them elect to bat, as is apparently traditional whenever I'm the one flipping the coin. What followed was a lesson in watchfulness from one G Floydd, who ground out a superb 127 not out and simply would not be shifted, steering them to 182/4 from their 46 overs. Credit to the bowlers for keeping it respectable in the face of such obduracy — Matt Large was miserly beyond words, 2-9 with seven maidens, the sort of spell that makes batsmen question their life choices, with Michael Beeney (1-14) and Adrian Caddick (1-28) chipping in dutifully.

With the bat we chased with more purpose than usual. Rob Doick played the anchor role beautifully for 64, Nigel Thirkell matched him stroke for stroke with a classy 63, and between them they did the heavy lifting as we reached 183/5 in 35.3 overs. I contributed a workmanlike 19, David Castle had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps (17 byes — sorry, David), and poor Daniel Thirkell joins the Duck Club ledger with a nought for his troubles.

A proud footnote: Stuart Cheesman brought up his 100th appearance in Linton colours, a fine milestone on a fine day.

Verdict: a five-wicket win, Floydd's century notwithstanding — professional, composed, and thoroughly good for the soul.

Wed 28 Aug 1996 🧢 Tour XIv ? · AwayformWTDDL

The scoreboard read: Nigel Thirkell 26, extras 38, all out 139 — Wednesday, 28 August 1996

I won the toss, elected to bat, and told myself firmly that this was the correct decision. Whether the scorebook agrees is another matter. We limped to 139 all out from our 42 overs, rescued largely by Nigel Thirkell's watchful 26 and, rather more generously, by 38 extras — a tally that owed more to the opposition's wayward lines than to any batting brilliance of ours. Young Daniel Thirkell, meanwhile, made his contribution in the form of a golden duck, the sort of innings best forgotten over a pint afterwards.

In the field we fought back gamely. Nigel Thirkell, clearly determined to make up for his batting effort, ran through the innings with 3 for 21 and four maidens of positively miserly intent, well supported by Stuart Cheesman (2-22) and Jon Harris (1-24). I chipped in with three wickets myself, which I shall be mentioning at every opportunity for the rest of the season. Poor Mike Elworthy had a torrid time behind the stumps, 9 byes escaping his gloves like eels, and the visitors squeezed home to 142 for 7 from 41.4 overs, C- Bostock unbeaten on 36 and C- Williams chipping in 30.

So it finishes: beaten by an innings and 2 runs — a margin that flatters nobody. Nigel Thirkell leads our Tour XI charts with bat and ball alike, which is either splendid form or a worrying reliance on one man. Not our day. Heads up, back to the nets.

Mon 26 Aug 1996 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · AwayformWLDWL

From the captain's chair — Monday 26 August 1996. We took ourselves off to Bearsted CC in what I'd like to call fine fettle, though the scorebook may tell a different tale.

Batting first, we assembled 163 all out from 47.3 overs, and for a while it looked a tidy effort. Piers McDonald led from the front with 41, Nigel Thirkell chipped in a handy 38, and Daniel Thirkell added 21, the pair putting on 53 for the fourth wicket to give the innings some backbone. But this being village cricket, backbone can dissolve alarmingly fast, and so it proved: 146 for 6 became 158 for 9 before you could say "tea's ready", with poor Ollie Priestly's golden duck the low point of an otherwise honourable card.

With the ball, we toiled manfully but Bearsted eased to 164 for 2 in 38.3 overs, Nigel Baker unbeaten on a chanceless 83, well supported by David Parkes (29) and Stephen Pearce (20), their second-wicket stand of 82 doing the real damage. Nigel Thirkell was the pick of our attack with 1 for 18, Michael Beeney toiled through five miserly maidens for 1 for 31. My afternoon with the gloves, meanwhile, was best described as leaky — ten byes is not a number I'll be framing. I did at least manage 38 with the bat.

Two bright notes amid the gloom: Piers brought up 5,000 career runs, and Michael passed 100 career wickets — both thoroughly deserved. But an eight-wicket defeat is an eight-wicket defeat. Heads up, chaps — back to the nets.

Sat 24 Aug 1996 🧢 2nd XIv M Marden · AwayformLWLDL

Skipper's Log — Saturday 24 August 1996, away at Dummy Site.

Won the toss, and with the sort of confidence that generally precedes a wobble, I stuck us in. And wobble we did: 112/9 from our 46 overs, the card rather resembling a row of ducks at the fairground, with Stewart Morrison, Trevor Back and Stuart Cheesman all back in the hutch without troubling the scorer. Thankfully Ron McCormick played the innings of a captain's dreams, 46 not out and carrying what bat there was to carry, with Keith Hatcher's 25 and Alan Boyns's 24 lending it a bit of respectability. I contributed a workmanlike 24 myself, more grit than glamour.

With the ball, though, we were a different side entirely. Chris Tymms was in destructive form, 2-8, while Alan Boyns bowled with the miserliness of a Yorkshireman totting up the tea money, four maidens and barely a run conceded. The opposition, chasing shadows at 20/3 from 14.4 overs, wisely decided enough was enough, and honours were shared.

A word for the mantelpiece: Alan Boyns brought up 2,000 career runs for the club, a landmark that puts the rest of us rather in the shade. Elsewhere in the 2nd XI charts, Mike Elworthy sits fourth in the season's run-scoring with 275, and Chris Tymms leads the wickets with 23 — the engine room of this side, plainly.

Verdict: a scrappy batting effort rescued by grit and Boyns's milestone, and a bowling performance sharp enough to salvage a draw from the jaws of something worse. We'll take it.

Sun 18 Aug 1996 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformDWLDW

Sunday 18th August 1996, home fixture, and the sun was doing its bit as I won the toss and elected to bat — the right call, I felt, and I'm sticking to that story regardless of what follows.

David Castle led the way with a handsome 72, well backed up by Clive Newman's 69 and Dave Charlton's steady 32, while I chipped in with 27 of my own down the order. Poor Richard Ellis will want that duck struck from the record, though the umpires' books are less forgiving than memory. Twelve extras... sorry, thirty-three of them, kept the scoreboard ticking along nicely to 236/4 off our 42 — a total that looked, over tea, like a match-winning one. It rather wasn't. Special mention, and a proper round of applause in the pavilion, for Clive Newman bringing up 4,000 runs for the club — a landmark that deserves more than a footnote.

In reply they made a real fist of it. I. Henson's unbeaten 60 and H. Haywood's 55 did the damage, with J. Robins chipping in 32, and they eventually got home on 240/7 with a whole over to spare. Matt Large bowled beautifully for 3-37, Stuart Cheesman and Alan Boyns chipped away either end, and I managed three wickets myself, which was some consolation. Poor Jim Hall, though — fourteen byes behind the stumps tells its own sorry tale.

So: beaten by three wickets, heads up, and back to the nets. Not our day, but with Castle and Large both flying at the top of the season's charts, there's plenty still to play for.

Sat 17 Aug 1996 🧢 1st XIv HC Harrietsham CC · HomeformLDWLD

Here's my report of the run.

Saturday the 17th, Harrietsham CC visiting, and the sun was kind enough to stay for the duration — which, in this club's long and occasionally soggy history, is a result in itself. Won the toss, had a look at the wicket, and elected to bat. Right call, if I say so myself, though I'd have said that whatever happened.

Dave Charlton had other ideas about a quiet Saturday, carving out a magnificent 120 while the rest of us admired from the other end. Matt Large chipped in a fine 44, David Castle a tidy 40, and I contributed a workmanlike 44 of my own before getting myself out in a manner I'd rather not relive. All told, 243 all out from 45.3 overs — a total that felt, walking off, like it might just be enough.

It very nearly wasn't. Micky Tong set about our bowling with real intent, racking up 87, well supported by Dave Brooks (27) and John Prosser (24), and for a spell Harrietsham looked ominously capable of chasing us down. But Darren Styles, spinning it prodigiously, ripped through their middle order for 5-65, and Matt Large — three maidens and all — added 3-76 for good measure, with Michael Massey gone for a duck in the mix. I managed 3 with the ball myself, which I shall mention only once more. They finished 215/9 from their 44.

A win by 28 runs, then, earned rather than gifted. Onwards we go.

Sat 17 Aug 1996 🧢 2nd XIv S Shoreham · AwayformWLWLD

Saturday 17 August 1996 saw us make the trip out to Dummy Site, and for once the coin behaved itself — I called correctly and, with barely a flicker of doubt, sent us in to bat. It wasn't the most fluent of afternoons with the willow, and 134/9 from 43.5 overs tells its own modest story, but Adrian Caddick held things together nicely with an unbeaten 21 to give us something to bowl at.

And bowl we did. The Dummy Site innings never quite got going, R- Trick's 23 aside, and we picked off wickets steadily to have them back in the pavilion for 123 in 41.3 overs. Richardson and C- Robinson departed without so much as a nibble at the strike rate — ducks both, poor souls. Adrian Caddick, clearly not content with his runs, took the ball and ran through them for 4-45, while Alan Boyns bowled with the miserly discipline of a man who simply does not believe in boundaries — 2-4 from his allocation, seven maidens included. Stuart Cheesman chipped in with 2-26 for good measure. Poor Mike Elworthy had a torrid time behind the stumps, ten byes going begging, and he'll not thank me for mentioning it.

Season-wise, Trevor Back continues to purr along in third on the 2nd XI run charts with 276, and Alan Boyns sits third among the wicket-takers with 19 — both quietly excellent, whatever today's result.

And the result: down by 11 runs. Not our day. Heads up, chins out, back to the nets.

Wed 14 Aug 1996 🧢 Midweek XIv ? · HomeformLDDDD

In sultry mid-August heat, I called it right at the toss and, with a wicket that promised runs, needed no second invitation to bat.

What followed was as fine an afternoon's hitting as Linton Park has seen in some time. Mike Caddick played the innings of the summer, a magnificent 129, while David Castle gave him stout company with a classy 99 — cruelly denied the century by the width of a whisker, though he'll take the runs and no complaints. Between them they hauled us to a mighty 278 for 4 off 36.5 overs, the kind of total that has the tea urn buzzing with optimism before a ball's been bowled in anger the other way.

Defending it, though, proved a rather more breathless exercise than the batting card suggested it should be. Dev Shivmangal (35 not out) and M. Robertson (23) threatened to make a match of it, but Matt Large was in inspired form, ripping through with 5 for 38 — a five-for thoroughly earned and richly celebrated. Kevin Shrimpton (2-24) and Stuart Cheesman (1-25) chipped away dutifully, and Rob Doick sent down three tidy maidens, though his 21 byes told their own sorry tale of a keeper having one of those days.

Bowled out for 184 in 38.2 overs, they still contrived to beat us by 94 runs — a scoreline that makes no earthly sense and yet there it is in black and white. We'll be better for it next week.

Tue 13 Aug 1996 🧢 Midweek XIv The Mote CC · AwayformLLDDD

Tuesday last found us on the road to The Mote, and for once the coin behaved itself — heads, and into bat we went without a second thought. It proved the right call. Steve Pierce played the innings of the day, 72 of increasingly regal stroke-play, while Iain Cardew's 38 and Piers McDonald's 37 gave the total a proper backbone. 193 for 5 off our fifty-two overs felt like a score with some steel in it.

Defending it was another matter entirely. The Mote dug in, and G. Fryer's unbeaten 33 — shepherded along by N. Mullarkey's 29 and Mike Foster's 26 — kept dragging them back into contention. Jon Harris toiled magnificently for his 3 for 54, with Piers McDonald (2 for 19, doing a fine job with bat and ball both) and David Crompton (1 for 11) chipping away, and R. Shepherd's four maidens the sort of over that makes a batsman question his life choices. I managed 3 wickets myself, which I shall be mentioning at the bar for some weeks. Poor Clive Newman had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, 8 byes rather giving the game away.

They closed on 153 for 7 from 53, and honours were shared. Rob Doick still tops our run charts with 174 for the summer, Jon Harris the wickets with 10 — proper contributions, those. A draw, then: no shame in it, no glory either. Just Linton Park doing what Linton Park does — turning up, having a go, and going home for tea with the job unfinished but the spirit very much intact.

Sun 11 Aug 1996 🧢 1st XIv BC Benenden CC · HomeformLLDWL

Sunday 11 August 1996, and Benenden CC rolled up to Linton Park for what turned into a proper tussle. Winning the toss, I had no hesitation in taking first knock — on a good drying pitch you bat, that's the law of the village game — and for once the skipper's instincts weren't found wanting.

What followed was as handsome a display as we've managed all summer. I'll confess to a certain quiet satisfaction at leading from the front with 88 of my own, though the real substance came from Clive Newman, whose well-constructed 88 was the innings' backbone. Rob Doick chipped in an unbeaten 41 to see us home in style, while Mike Caddick's brisk 36 kept the scoreboard ticking along nicely. All told, 197 for the loss of just two wickets in 32.4 overs — the kind of total that has the tea urn practically applauding itself. Caddick, incidentally, continues to plunder runs like a man possessed, and now sits proudly atop the 1st XI's season charts with 893 to his name — form the rest of us can only admire from a respectful distance.

Benenden, to their credit, refused to be blown away, and the match petered out into a draw, honours shared and nobody quite able to force the issue. Not the outcome the scoreline might have promised, but a thoroughly good day's cricket for all that — runs on the board, sunshine overhead, and the lads content. A draw, yes, but one earned rather than surrendered.

Sat 10 Aug 1996 🧢 2nd XIv HC Higham & Mockbeggar CC · HomeformLWLWL

From the captain's chair — Saturday 10 August 1996. We hosted Higham & Mockbeggar CC, and having called correctly at the toss for once, I saw no reason to do anything but bat. It was, if I say so myself, the right call, and we settled to 165/7 from our 45 overs. Trevor Back was the class act, a well-made 54 that gave the innings its backbone, with Stewart Morrison chipping in a handsome 31 alongside him. Poor Mike Elworthy will not thank me for the mention, but honesty is the first duty of a captain's report, and a golden duck is a golden duck.

With the ball in hand we were made to work for it, but work we did. Darren Styles was magnificent, 3-14 with three maidens thrown in for good measure — the kind of miserly spell that has opposition batsmen muttering into their tea — and Adrian Caddick backed him up superbly with 3-26. Nick Shackleton and David Abernethy both departed for ducks at our hands. Allan Twitchett, unbeaten on 51, and M Southwold's 40 kept the visitors afloat, and they closed on 124/6 from 41, just short of what they needed.

Milestones abounded: Caddick reached his century of career wickets, and Back's 54 eased him past William Buck into 12th on the all-time run charts. As for my own contribution — nought, and the less said the better.

A tight, honourable draw, then, honours shared. On the balance of the cricket played, I'd call it a fair result, though I suspect Darren Styles felt he deserved the extra reward for his afternoon's toil.

Sat 10 Aug 1996 🧢 1st XIv ? · AwayformLLLDW

We won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first, and thank heavens for that, because Mike Caddick decided this was to be his day — a proper, watch-him-walk-off-to-warm-applause century, 102 of the finest, that dragged us to a handsome 237/6 from our forty overs. Clive Newman chipped in with a tidy 34 and Neville Smith 33, the pair doing the unglamorous but essential work of rotating the strike while Caddick did the fireworks.

Out in the field, though, we discovered the opposition hadn't read the script. S. Phipps played the innings of his life, 79 of pure defiance, with A. Lee (54) and A. Fordham (26) refusing to let the required rate trouble them. Matt Large toiled manfully for his 4-77, Dave Charlton chipped away with 3-54, and I managed to find a bit of rhythm myself with four wickets — for all the good it did us. They got home by three wickets with overs in hand, closing out at 238/7 in the 36th.

In the bigger picture, Caddick now sits proudly atop the season's run charts with 857, and Large leads the wicket-takers with 31 — small consolations, but consolations nonetheless.

A century squandered is a painful thing, and this one stung. We batted like champions and bowled like a side still finding its feet under pressure. We'll be better for it next week — we'd better be.

Wed 07 Aug 1996 🧢 Midweek XIv BC Bexley CC · HomeformWLLDD

Chasing 211 after Bexley won the toss and asked us to bowl first, we spent the morning watching them make themselves rather too comfortable — 210 for 8 off their 47, built around a well-made fifty from Michael Ladbrook, with Richard O'Sullivan (40) and John Taylor (34) offering sturdy support. Credit to the attack for keeping it that tight: Stuart Cheesman was pick of the bowlers with 2 for 39, including two maidens of positively monastic discipline, while Jon Harris (2-46) and Rob Doick (1-19) did their bit to chip away at the other end.

Our reply had one unmistakable centrepiece. Rob Doick strode out and simply refused to stop, carving out a magnificent 144 — three figures and then some — that carried our innings almost single-handedly. Sadly, not everyone caught the same bus: Dave Todd, Richard Piper and Stuart Cheesman all made the long, familiar walk back for nought, additions to the Duck Club ledger that will not go unmentioned in the bar. Jim Hall had an uncomfortable afternoon behind the stumps, ten byes slipping through, and as for the skipper — well, a captain is meant to lead by example, and on this occasion I did exactly that, setting a golden-blob example nobody in their right mind would wish to follow.

We finished on 205 for 9 off 42, agonisingly short of the target, and the match was settled — or rather unsettled — as a draw, honours shared between two sides neither able to force the issue. Small consolation, but a proud one: Rob Doick now tops our 1996 Midweek XI run charts with 153, and Jon Harris leads the wickets with 7. A fair result, then, even if my own contribution was rather more fowl than foul.

Sun 04 Aug 1996 🧢 Sunday NVKCv LC Langleybury CC · HomeformLLWWW

Not our day, but a spirited effort — 250 runs of village cricket squeezed into 40 overs. Here's the report.

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Sunday 4th August, Langleybury CC visiting, and I lost the toss for what felt like the hundredth time this season — they had few doubts about batting first on a decent looking morning. What followed was a lesson in patient accumulation from Javed Khan, whose well-crafted 58 formed the spine of their innings, with Asad Khan's 34 lending sturdy support as they pushed on to 189/9 from their 40. Credit where due, though — Rob Doick bowled his heart out for figures of 4-66, Ian Brattle was the picture of miserliness with 2-20 and four maidens to boot, and Nigel Thirkell chipped in with 2-26 to keep us in the hunt. S-N- Palmer, at least, we sent back for a duck without so much as troubling the scoreboard.

Chasing 190, we set about our task with more heart than composure. Paul Gibson batted beautifully for an unbeaten 80 — the innings of the day by some distance — ably assisted by Nigel Thirkell's brisk 44, and I managed to scratch together 44 of my own in the middle. But cricket has a cruel arithmetic, and with Peter Whyte and Matt Large both departing for ducks, we simply ran out of partners and overs, finishing on 187/7.

Two runs. Just two. The sort of margin that has you replaying every dot ball on the walk to the car park. Nigel Thirkell continues to lead our Sunday run charts with 249, and Matt Large tops the wickets with 14 — small consolations on an afternoon that got away from us. Heads up, chaps. Back to the nets.

Sat 03 Aug 1996 🧢 1st XIv SC Southborough CC · AwayformWLLLD

As a wet Saturday chaser away at Southborough, we came home 3 wickets up — here's the report.

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Skipper's Log, Southborough away, Saturday 3rd August. Lost the toss, asked to field — the traditional Linton Park welcome to any away ground, and Southborough took full advantage, ambling to 181/7 from their 46 overs. Simon Fisher was the chief architect at 63, with Alex Presnell (31) and Chris Bass (25 not out) filling in the gaps, and a stand of 51 for the fifth wicket did the real damage to our afternoon. Michael Beeney was the pick of a willing attack, 3-55 with three maidens thrown in for good measure — proof, if any were needed, that miserliness is a virtue on the cricket field if nowhere else — and Rob Doick chipped in handsomely with 3-62.

Chasing 182, we might have feared the worst when both David Castle and Clive Newman were back in the pavilion without troubling the scorers, and your correspondent did his bit for the Duck Club ledger too — nought, and the less said the better. But this is where Nigel Thirkell decided enough was enough, striding to a magnificent 102, ably assisted by Neville Smith's 36, and steering us home with two overs and three wickets to spare.

A first-class effort from Thirkell, who now sits third in the season's run charts, with Beeney lurking third among the wicket-takers. As for me — I shall be having quiet words with myself about that duck. A fine win, ducks and all. Onwards.

Sat 03 Aug 1996 🧢 2nd XIv SC Southborough CC · HomeformLLWLW

I called correctly on Saturday and, with the sun out and the outfield running fast, there really was only one decision to make: we'd bat. Dummy Site duly took the field and watched us post 243/8 from our 46 overs, a total built on a proper captain's-eye half-century from Mike Elworthy (61), fine support from Paul Bowles (52) and a busy 39 from Tim Thirkell. Twenty-six extras did their bit too — I shan't complain about runs however they arrive. Less gloriously, Stuart Cheesman and Roly Edwards both made the long walk back for ducks, and the Duck Club ledger has been updated accordingly. 🦆

Defending 243 always promises a tale, and so it proved. The visitors fought hard through P- Spencer's fifty (55), with D- Thorpe (38) and M- Thorpe (23) keeping the scoreboard honest, but Dave Todd was in irresistible mood, spinning his way to 5-70 and dragging us right back into it. Adrian Caddick chipped in smartly with 3-41, Paul Bowles picked up 1-9, and Alan Boyns bowled two tidy maidens to squeeze the runs. S- Bliss and J- Booth joined our own duck-collectors' club for good measure. 🦆 Still, 208 all out from 43.5 overs left them 35 runs short of us in the end — the wrong side of the ledger, this time.

Tim Thirkell continues his fine season, now second in the 2nd XI run charts on 339, and Dave Todd sits second in the wicket charts with 20 scalps — both thoroughly deserved. As for the result: a defeat, honestly earned by a battling opposition, but with performances like these scattered through the side, we'll take plenty into next week.

Wed 31 Jul 1996 🧢 Midweek XIv ? · HomeformDWLLD

From the captain's chair — Wednesday 31 July 1996.

Well, the visitors turned up in decent nick, and having lost the toss we found ourselves in the field first — never my favourite way to spend an afternoon, but there we are. They rattled along to 182/7 from their 35, with J Manning stroking a fine 55 at the top and getting handy support from Rick Jones (34) and T Taylor (33). Credit where it's due though: Ian Brattle bowled beautifully for 3-35, Michael Beeney and Matt Large chipped in with 2-19 and 2-33 respectively, and Stuart Cheesman was positively parsimonious with two maidens. L Rayner and M Thew both trudged off for ducks, which at least kept the scoring rate honest.

Chasing 183, we made a fair fist of it without ever quite threatening to get there, closing on 124/7 from our 40. Stuart Cheesman again the mainstay with 24, well supported by Neil Manning's unbeaten 21, while poor Gareth Thomas will want to forget his duck as quickly as possible. Keith Hatcher had a torrid time behind the stumps, shipping 15 byes — the sort of afternoon that ages a wicketkeeper prematurely.

In the end neither side could force the issue, and honours were shared. Cheesman continues his fine season, now 4th in our Midweek XI run charts, with Brattle 3rd among the wicket-takers — small consolations from a match that promised more than it delivered. A draw, then: cricket's way of saying "nil-nil, see you next week."

Mon 29 Jul 1996 🧢 Midweek XIv CC Cleethorpes CC · HomeformDDWLL

As Skipper (Linton Park CC), 29 July 1996 — hosting Cleethorpes CC:

Lost the toss, lost the argument, and lost any say in proceedings before a ball had been bowled — Cleethorpes won the coin and, with the confidence of men who'd clearly checked the forecast, sent us out to field. What followed was a long, honest afternoon's toil in which Bob Leafe made merry to the tune of 73, John Coles kept him company for an unbeaten 45, and I Drummond weighed in with 38, the visitors closing on a healthy 220/5 from their 47 overs. Credit where due — Jon Harris ran in all day for his 2-77, complete with two maidens prised from an unforgiving pitch, while Dave Todd (1-6) and Ian Brattle (1-38) chipped away at the other end.

Chasing 221 was always going to ask questions of our top order, and the top order, it must be said, rather fluffed the oral exam. Adrian Caddick's 21 was the innings' centrepiece — practically an epic by our standards — while I contributed a workmanlike 19 that felt heroic at the time and rather less so in the scorebook. Rob Doick and Ian Brattle both departed for ducks, proving that lightning, sadly, does strike twice. We limped to 85/8 from our 40, saved only by the clock rather than the bat.

A draw, then — honours shared, pride dented but intact. Trevor Back and Jon Harris continue to lead our season's run and wicket charts respectively, and long may they carry the rest of us. Not our finest hour, but not, thankfully, our last.

Sun 28 Jul 1996 🧢 1st XIv CC Clarion CC · AwayformDWLLL

Sunday 28 July 1996 saw us make the journey to Clarion CC, and having called correctly at the toss, I had no hesitation whatsoever in sticking us in to bat — a decision that, for once, I couldn't be blamed for.

The lads did me proud with 211/5 from our 44 overs. Mike Caddick played the innings of the day, a crisp 69, while Dave Charlton chipped in with 41 and David Castle finished unbeaten on 38 to give the total real substance. Not everyone's day, mind — poor Matt Large took the long walk back for a golden duck, and I'm afraid I can't talk, as you'll shortly discover.

Defending it, Clarion fought hard to 168/8 from their 42, Andy Driver's fifty (64) the backbone of their reply, well supported by J Marcus's 27, though M Jeffrey departed without so much as troubling the scorers. It was Alan Boyns who did the real damage with a superb 3-17, backed up nicely by Jon Harris (2-33) and Adrian Caddick (2-53), while Matt Large made amends for his batting with two tidy maidens. Poor Peter Whyte had a torrid time behind the stumps, 16 byes leaking away — and as for the skipper, a golden blob rather undermined any claim to lead from the front.

Honours shared in the end, and rightly so — a hard-fought draw that neither side deserved to lose. David Castle continues to purr along at the top of our run charts with 823 for the season, and Jon Harris sits handily in fourth with 16 wickets. All in all: a fair result, even if my own contribution was strictly ornamental.

Sat 27 Jul 1996 🧢 1st XIv HC Hollingbourne CC · HomeformDDWLL

Saturday 27 July 1996, and Hollingbourne CC rolled up looking altogether too pleased with themselves. Won the toss, took first knock — the right call, I still maintain, whatever the scorebook now suggests. We were bowled out for 135 in 45.2 overs, a total that flattered to deceive. Nigel Thirkell battled to 39 and I chipped in with 39 of my own, Mike Caddick chiming in with a tidy 32, but poor Clive Newman and Stewart Morrison both walked back for ducks, and 135 always looked a par-at-best score on a day when the outfield seemed to be running quicker than our bats.

With the ball we made a proper fist of it. Ian Brattle was magnificent — 3 for 41 with three maidens thrown in, bowling like a man with a grudge — and Matt Large (2-52) and Michael Beeney (1-23) chipped in nicely, with Dan Pritchard sent back for a duck of his own. But Mike Donald had other ideas, ground out past his fifty to finish on 51, well supported by S Wall's 28, and Hollingbourne squeaked home at 136/6 with three wickets and, frankly, more composure than us in hand.

A word for the season so far: David Castle continues to plunder runs for fun with 785 to his name, and Matt Large's 27 wickets remain the envy of the county. As for Saturday, though — not our day. Heads up, chins up, and back to the nets we go.

Sat 27 Jul 1996 🧢 2nd XIv HC Hollingbourne CC · AwayformWLLWL

As the club's honorary chronicler, elected to bat, and Hollingbourne's bowlers duly obliged.

Skipper's Log — Saturday 27th July 1996, away at Hollingbourne CC.

Won the toss, elected to bat — and I make no apology for that decision, whatever the wife says about my confidence outweighing my judgement. 231/8 from our 46 overs was a total built on proper application: Trevor Back playing the innings of the day for a well-made 63, Ron McCormick not far behind with a fine 59, and Chris Tymms chipping in a brisk 30. The tea urn, I'm reliably informed, was on the boil early.

Defending it was, for once, a formality. Hollingbourne never remotely threatened, subsiding to 121 all out in 39.4 overs. Steve Wilson's 45 and Andrew Hales's 32 were the only real resistance; J Bannister, P Bannister and J Hudson all trooped back for ducks, which is never a pleasant walk. Rob Doick was the chief tormentor with a superb 4-15, Trevor Back backed up his batting with 3-3 and two miserly maidens, and Darren Styles picked up 1-21 for good measure. Not a run given away that wasn't earned.

A word too for the season's form men — Tim Thirkell now 2nd in the 2nd XI run charts with 300, and Alan Boyns 2nd in the wickets with 17 — both quietly going about their business while the rest of us take the headlines.

Verdict: a 110-run win, comprehensive from first ball to last. A very good day for the club indeed.

Sun 21 Jul 1996 🧢 Sunday NVKCv BC Barns Green CC · AwayformLLLWW

Sunday 21 July 1996, and off we trundled to Barns Green CC with hope in our hearts and, as ever, no luck at the coin — they had first use of the bat and took it gladly.

Forty overs in the field is a fair old shift, and Barns Green made the most of it, posting 172/7. John Coxon carried his bat to an unbeaten 48, with A Taylor (34) and Steve Godfrey (26) chipping in handsomely around him. Credit where it's due: Matt Large did the damage with 2-37, Ian Brattle and Michael Beeney chimed in with a wicket apiece, and Nigel Thirkell bowled two overs so tight you couldn't post a letter through them. A total that felt gettable, if not gimme-able.

And gettable it proved. Dave Charlton played the innings of the day, a fine 72, while Paul Gibson kept him company with an unbeaten 56 of his own — between them they did rather more than their fair share of the arithmetic, and we cantered home on 173/4 with 35.4 overs gone, six wickets still in the shed.

Elsewhere in the ledger, Nigel Thirkell continues to top the Sunday NVKC run charts with 205 for the season, and Matt Large leads the wicket-takers with 13 — the club in rude health on both fronts.

All told, a thoroughly satisfying afternoon's work: professional in the field, ruthless with the bat, and home in time for tea. A good day for the club, and no arguments from this skipper.

Sat 20 Jul 1996 🧢 2nd XIv Bearsted CC · AwayformWWLLW

Beaten by 5 wickets at Bearsted on Saturday, but not without a tale or two to tell.

Batting first, we huffed and puffed our way to 147 all out from 35.1 overs — never quite fluent, but Chris Tymms's 41 gave the innings a spine, with Stewart Morrison chipping in a handy 27 alongside him. Not a total to strike fear into anyone, if we're honest, but enough to make a game of it.

And a game it was. Bearsted lost an early wicket with just 5 on the board, which had us dreaming of a repeat of the top order's habit of gifting us the odd nervous moment — but a stubborn 58-run stand for the third wicket put paid to that fantasy. Darren Styles chipped away for 1-12, well backed by Alan Boyns (1-13) and Dave Todd (1-14), but David Parkes's fifty proved the difference, ushered along by Stuart Gorman's 31 and P Martin's 28. Poor Roly Edwards had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, ten byes conceded telling their own story, and the home side got there on 151/5 with plenty of overs to spare.

Amid the gloom, one shaft of sunlight: Mike Caddick brought up 4,000 career runs for the club, a landmark thoroughly deserved and toasted in the bar. Stewart Morrison continues to lead the 2nd XI run charts and Alan Boyns sits second among the wicket-takers — the engine room is clearly in good order even when the scoreboard isn't.

Five wickets is five wickets, but there was enough character on show to suggest we'll be better for it next week.

Thu 18 Jul 1996 🧢 1st XIv The Mote CC · AwayformDDDWL

From the captain's chair — Thursday 18 July 1996. We travelled to The Mote CC, and with the coin obliging me I did what any optimist does on a green-looking morning: put us in.

Well, that decision will haunt me for a while yet. Sixty all out from fourteen overs is not the stuff of gazette headlines, though David Castle's 24 stood like a lone oak in a flattened field and deserves every credit going. Michael Beeney and Ian Brattle both departed for golden ducks, which is the sort of symmetry nobody asks for, and by the time the innings folded we were left doing sums about how on earth we might defend it.

The answer, predictably, was that we couldn't. The Mote strolled to 61 for 2 in just nine overs, M. Laurenson unbeaten on 36 and looking entirely unbothered by our efforts. Credit where due, Ian Brattle at least gave us something to cheer with 1 for 19, and Matt Large chipped in with 1 for 25 — Matt continuing to prove why he sits atop the wicket charts with 25 for the season, while David's 24 runs kept his own tally ticking towards a very tidy 774.

Beaten by eight wickets, then, and no arguing with the scoreboard. A chastening Thursday, but the sort that sharpens rather than discourages — we'll be better for it next week.

Wed 17 Jul 1996 🧢 Midweek XIv IC Ingham CC · HomeformDDDWL

From the captain's chair — Wednesday 17 July 1996. We hosted Ingham CC on a day that started with the coin letting us down, as it usually does; Ingham won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first, leaving us to toil away in the field.

Toil we did, but not without reward. Ingham ground their way to 207 all out from their 45 overs, built chiefly around M Mixer's 59 and a handsome 57 from S Jessup — the kind of stand that makes a captain start rearranging his field in increasingly desperate patterns. Credit where due, though: Darren Styles was excellent, prising out 2-29, with Gavin Saunders (2-33) and Jon Harris (2-37) chipping in, and David Castle bowling two tidy maidens to keep the scoring honest, if not entirely in check.

Chasing 208 was always going to ask questions of us, and we answered rather too many of them incorrectly, bundled out for 134 in 36 overs. David Castle led the resistance with 23, and I did my modest bit with 23 of my own, but Mike Elworthy, Trevor Back and Steve Cheesman all made the long walk back without troubling the scorers — three golden ducks in one innings takes some doing. Only the extras, a generous 31, batted with any real freedom.

There was a shaft of sunshine amid the gloom: David Castle brought up 13,000 career runs for the club, a landmark worth raising a glass to regardless of the result.

Beaten by 73 runs, then — not our day. Heads up, and back to the nets.

Sun 14 Jul 1996 🧢 1st XIv FC Folkestone CC · AwayformWDDDW

Sunday 14th July found us on the road to Folkestone, and my luck with the coin — such as it ever is — deserted me entirely. They won the toss, chose to bat, and settled in for what would prove a long afternoon in the field for us.

Paul Bradbury led the charge with a fine 85, and Steve Salisbury chipped in a handsome 54, with Joe Dawes unbeaten on 45 to round things off nicely — for them, at least. Poor Paul Webb never got off the mark before departing, one of the few crumbs of comfort on offer. Matt Large was the pick of our attack, miserly and threatening in equal measure with 2-32 and two maidens, well backed by Gavin Saunders (1-17) and Adrian Caddick (1-35). All told, though, 245/5 from their 40.4 overs was a mountain we had little appetite to climb.

And climb it we did not. Our reply folded for 73 in 35.5 overs, Neville Smith's battling 25 the only knock of real substance. Richard Piper and Gavin Saunders both departed for ducks, which about summed up our afternoon with the willow.

A hefty 172-run defeat, then, and no dressing it up as anything else. On the bright side, Matt Large continues to top the 1st XI's wicket charts with 24 for the season — some consolation amid the wreckage. For the rest of us: heads up, and back to the nets.

Sat 13 Jul 1996 🧢 2nd XIv HC Horton Kirby CC · HomeformLWWLL

From the moment I called correctly and had a look at the surface on Saturday, there was only ever going to be one decision at the toss — we were batting. And how the lads repaid that confidence. Trevor Back led from the front with a cracking 61, Tim Thirkell wasn't far behind with a well-crafted 57, and Paul Davey brought up his own fifty, finishing unbeaten on 53 to see us home to 230/7 from our 46 overs. Not every man's day, mind — poor Stuart Cheesman will be buying the teas after departing for a golden duck — but with that sort of top-order firepower, one blob was easily absorbed.

Defending 230 against Horton Kirby was always going to take some doing, but Dave Todd had other ideas, ripping through with 3-43 — and in doing so, quietly nudged past Paul Gibson into 22nd on the club's all-time wicket-takers list, which is the sort of thing that ought to earn a man a pint. Trevor Back backed up his runs with 2-22, Darren Styles chipped in with one, and Chris Tymms strangled the run rate with two tidy maidens. Ryan Bull's 29, with useful support from R Green and M Walters on 21 apiece, kept the opposition interested without ever threatening, and they fell short on 150/9 from their 44.

Eighty runs the right way, Thirkell and Boyns both climbing the season's charts — a thoroughly good day for Linton Park.

Sat 13 Jul 1996 🧢 1st XIv HC Horton Kirby CC · AwayformLWDDD

Skipper's Log, 13 July 1996 — Horton Kirby CC

Lost the toss again — I'm beginning to suspect there's a two-headed coin somewhere in Kent — and duly found ourselves fielding first-up rivals invited to bowl at us instead. In truth it mattered little, as we posted a handsome 199 all out in 43.2 overs. Nigel Thirkell led the charge with a splendid 74, well supported by Stewart Morrison's polished 59, though the Duck Club secretary was kept busy logging ducks for Rob Doick, Michael Beeney and Jon Harris, who shall not be dwelling on their afternoon.

Defending the total, the lads were magnificent. Horton Kirby fought hard through M Wray's fifty (55) and useful contributions from Alan Powell (44) and Alastair Scott (20), but Matt Large was in irresistible form, tearing through the order with 6-34 and six miserly maidens — not a run given away lightly. Ian Brattle (2-39) and Jon Harris (1-33) chipped in handsomely, and Adam Washington joined our own feathered club, dismissed without troubling the scorers. They were bowled out for 172 in 44.4 overs.

Personal milestones abounded: I was quietly pleased to lead from the front with 74, Stewart Morrison brought up 2,000 career runs for the club, and Matt Large sailed past 900 career wickets. David Castle continues to top our season's run charts and Matt the wicket column.

We got home by 27 runs. A thoroughly good day for the club.

Sun 07 Jul 1996 🧢 Sunday NVKCv RC Rowledge CC · HomeformLLLLW

Rowledge CC came to Linton Park on Sunday 7th July needing bowling out, and on a good day for it, we duly obliged.

Losing the toss and being put in is rarely a captain's favourite way to start a Sunday, but the lads set about repairing my luck with the bat. Nigel Thirkell led the charge with a really fine 61, and I'm told a personal contribution of the same figure was satisfying — quite right too. Paul Gibson chipped in with 42 and David Castle 38 to give the innings some proper backbone, and between them they steered us to a healthy 229 for 7 off our forty overs. Rob Doick, not to be left out of the fun, went first ball for a golden duck — the sort of thing that gets you a round in but not a mention in the averages.

Defending 229 always feels like a job half done until the fielders make it count, and today they made it count in some style. P Offord battled hard for his 43, but he had precious little support, as Matt Large tore through the middle order with a magnificent 6 for 34, well backed up by Doick's 3 for 36 — clearly deciding that a duck with the bat demanded a response with the ball. Rowledge folded for 154 in 36 overs, and we walked off 75 runs to the good.

Two points, thoroughly earned, and with Thirkell topping the Sunday run charts and Large the wickets, the season is shaping up rather nicely. A proper team performance — verdict: comfortably, deservedly won.

Sat 06 Jul 1996 🧢 1st XIv ? · AwayformDLWDD

Saturday 06 July 1996. Won the toss, and with the sun out and the outfield running quick, there was really only one decision to make — I put us in.

What followed was as fine a batting display as we've mustered in a while. Two hundred and seventeen for three off our forty overs, and it was built on a proper foundation from top to bottom. I managed a tidy 42 myself, glad to say the captain's innings held its shape, before Nigel Thirkell (42) and David Castle (46) kept the scoreboard humming along nicely. But the day belonged to Clive Newman, unbeaten on 89 and playing with the sort of calm authority that makes the rest of us look like we're swinging a gate rather than a bat. Word from the scorers afterwards was that those runs eased him past Peter Whyte and up to 21st on the club's all-time run-scorers list — not a bad line to add to the CV on a Saturday afternoon. David Castle, meanwhile, continues to lead our 1996 run charts with 733 for the summer, and shows no sign of slowing down.

For all that fine work with the bat, the opposition dug in and refused to be shifted, and honours finished shared — a draw when neither side could force it home.

A draw with 217 on the board always leaves a captain scratching his head on the drive home, but there's no arguing with the quality on display. A proud day for Clive Newman, a landmark for the record books, and a result that, while not quite the win we chased, felt very much like a job well batted.

Sat 06 Jul 1996 🧢 2nd XIv SC Staplehurst CC · HomeformLLWWL

Here goes.

---

Saturday the sixth of July, and Dummy Site rolled up to Linton Park with the sun out and, rather cruelly, the toss lost before we'd even had a cup of tea. They chose to bat, and for a good long while looked rather pleased with that decision, grinding their way to 156 all out in 40.3 overs. J- Ward's 35 and C- Rogers' 24 gave them the backbone, though we did at least send J- Munn back for a golden duck to remind them not to get too comfortable. Chris Tymms was magnificent with the ball, 4 for 65 and utterly relentless, while Alan Boyns bowled with the sort of miserly discipline that suggested a personal vendetta against the scoreboard — 3 for 44 and four maidens to show for it. Trevor Back chipped in with 2 for 6, tidy as you like.

Chasing 157, we never quite found our stride. Paul Bowles top-scored with a battling 27, Stuart Cheesman lending decent support with 22, but the middle and lower order rather crumbled — Stewart Morrison, Trevor Back and Dave Todd all departed without scoring, and I'm afraid your correspondent must confess to a golden duck of his own. Mercifully I found some redemption with the ball, taking three wickets, though it did little to soften the blow of being bowled out for 104 in 40.2 overs.

Fifty-two runs the wrong side of the ledger, then, and a long, quiet drive home. Tim Thirkell continues to purr along nicely in the 2nd XI run charts, and Chris Tymms remains imperious atop the wicket-takers — small consolations on an afternoon that otherwise belonged, thoroughly, to Dummy Site. Heads up, lads. Back to the nets.

Sun 30 Jun 1996 🧢 1st XIv The Mote CC · HomeformDDLWD

Sunday 30 June 1996, and The Mote CC came calling. I won the toss and, with the sun out and the square looking benign, there was really only one decision to make — we batted.

What followed was largely one man's afternoon. David Castle played the innings of the season, 117 not out, carrying us through to 200 for 8 from our 55.1 overs with Alan Boyns a steady hand at the other end, 20 not out. Elsewhere it was rather less glorious — Rob Doick, Richard Ellis and Adrian Caddick all completed the walk of shame for a duck apiece, which I'm told is some sort of club record for enthusiasm if not execution.

Defending 200 always promises a nervy afternoon, and so it proved. The Mote replied with 198 for 8 from their 50, B- Piper top-scoring with a fine 64, well supported by M- Dunk (42) and Mark Bristow (30). But we had an answer in Rob Doick, whose 2 for 35 — three tidy maidens included — was the difference between a defended total and a beaten one, backed up nobly by Jon Harris (2-58) and Darren Styles (1-15). I contributed a watchful 19, more spectator than hero.

In the end two points fewer than a win, but honours shared felt about right — a match that gave everything except a result. With Castle now sitting proudly atop the run charts, morale remains, as ever, unreasonably high.

Sat 29 Jun 1996 🧢 1st XIv ? · AwayformLDDLW

Sixty-nine from Paul Gibson, sixty from Nigel Thirkell, thirty-seven from David Castle and the pot was up to a very respectable 205 for 4 off our 46 overs — I'd won the toss, called correctly for once in my captaincy career, and never doubted for a second that we should bat first on a day like Saturday.

Then came the small matter of defending it. They set about the chase with more application than I'd have liked, J- Fotheringham grinding out 43, S- Beard unbeaten on 37, Mark Wellbelove chipping in with 34, and for a good while it felt like the runs might just get away from us. But Nigel Thirkell, having already done his bit with the bat, decided one good turn deserved another and simply ran riot with the ball — 5 for 42, three of those overs maidens, figures that any club bowler would frame and hang in the pavilion. Ian Brattle and Matt Large chipped away either side of him (1-9 and 1-46), and L- Hogg went for a golden duck, which always raises a cheer from the boundary rope.

In the end they crawled to 193 for 7 off their 44, and honours were shared. A personal contribution of 60 with the bat and 5 wickets with the ball made for a satisfying afternoon in the field for the skipper, even if the scorebook insists on calling it only a draw. With Mike Caddick still ploughing his lone furrow at the top of the run charts and Ian Brattle leading the wickets, the season ticks pleasantly along — and a draw against a side that batted like that feels, if I'm honest, rather like a win in disguise.

Sat 29 Jun 1996 🧢 2nd XIv Meopham CC · HomeformWLLWW

Saturday the 29th of June found Dummy Site visiting Linton Park, and when the coin fell my way I had no hesitation in taking first knock — the pitch looked a belter, and for once I actually got the call right. The lads duly obliged: 229 for 7 off our 46 overs, built on a lovely fifty from Daniel Thirkell (62), well supported by Stewart Morrison's own fine half-century of 55, with Mike Elworthy chipping in a busy 26. Tea was taken in good spirits and rather too much cake.

With the ball, we set about defending it. Chris Tymms was the star turn, prising out four for a miserly 24, with Daniel Thirkell following his runs with the ball for 2 for 13 and Trevor Back grabbing one for 11. Darren Styles bowled three maidens of the sort that make batsmen mutter to themselves. Thatcher (33), Payne (26) and Smart (21) kept the visitors in the hunt, and poor Roly Edwards had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, leaking 10 byes for his troubles — the pitch was doing more than any of us bargained for. The opposition closed on 174 for 9 from their 44.

A word for Mike Elworthy, whose 26 runs quietly nudged him past Ray Howard into 25th on the club's all-time run-scoring list — history made without a murmur of celebration, as is the Linton Park way. Stewart Morrison continues to lead the 1996 second XI's run charts on 346, with Chris Tymms top of the wicket pile on 17.

And yet, beaten by 55 runs in the end. We'll be better for it next week.

Sun 23 Jun 1996 🧢 Sunday NVKCv EC Eynsford CC · HomeformLLLLL

Sunday 23 June 1996 saw Eynsford CC pitch up at Linton Park in fine weather, and if the coin didn't fall my way, the day rather made up for it. They elected to bat, and truth be told I feared the worst when Pete Day settled in for a chanceless 53, with Greg Playfoot (41) and Lindsay Hamill (33) lending stout support. But this is where the tale turns: Ian Brattle, forever the tone-setter this season, ran through them with 3-23, while Nigel Thirkell (2-29) and Matt Large (2-44) mopped up round the edges. Sean Charlton, meanwhile, bowled with the parsimony of a man checking every receipt twice — four maidens and barely a run conceded. Paul Geear, T Haden-Scott and Dan Wise all trudged back for ducks, and Eynsford were all out for 155 from their forty overs.

Chasing 156, David Castle played the innings of the day, a composed 53, with Paul Gibson unbeaten on 47 and Mike Caddick chipping in with 28 — the sort of top-order performance that makes captaincy look easy, which it rarely is. I contributed a watchful 19, more caretaker than architect, before we brought it home at 158/2 with a good number of overs unused, an eight-wicket win with something to spare.

With Caddick now topping the Sunday NVKC run charts on 182 and Brattle leading the wickets column with seven, the season has rather a healthy look to it. A thoroughly good day for the club — the sort of afternoon that makes the teas taste sweeter and the drive home shorter.

Sat 22 Jun 1996 🧢 1st XIv CK Cobham CC, Kent · HomeformDLDDL

Saturday 22 June 1996 found us welcoming Cobham CC, Kent to Linton Park, the sun doing its bit and my coin-tossing arm doing rather less — I called wrong, and it was Cobham who chose to bat.

Sent into the field, we found early control with Jon Harris in fine, probing form, his 3-32 the backbone of a disciplined display; Nigel Thirkell chipped away at the other end with 2-11, Matt Large weighed in with 1-56, and Rob Doick bowled with real miserliness, three maidens to his name. Cobham crawled to 133/6 from their 46 overs, Andrew Powney's 37 the innings' spine, with T Mitchell (28) and an unbeaten 20 from Matt Waters adding late respectability. All told, a total that felt distinctly gettable over the tea urn.

And gettable it proved. Mike Caddick, in the sort of form that suggests the run charts aren't lying (643 for the season and counting), led the chase with a crisp 45, David Castle kept him fine company with 41, and Paul Gibson saw us home unbeaten on 30. I contributed a watchful 17, more organist than soloist, and watched the shackles come off around me as we cantered to 136/2 in just 22 overs.

A five-wicket win, then, achieved with overs and dignity both to spare — Harris and Caddick the men of the match in all but name, and the tea, as ever, thoroughly deserved. Onwards.

Sat 22 Jun 1996 🧢 2nd XIv West Farleigh CC · AwayformLWLLW

From the captain's chair — Saturday 22 June 1996, away at West Farleigh CC.

No luck with the coin; they called correctly and stuck us in the field. No complaints, though — we had first use of the ball, and it showed. West Farleigh were bundled out for a modest 81 in 29.5 overs, S. Phillips digging in for an unbeaten 31 while wickets tumbled around him. Dave Todd was the story of the day, a superb 5-44 that had the lads purring, with Chris Tymms (3-9, and six miserly maidens to boot) and Trevor Back (2-13) mopping up the rest. A bowling performance to write home about.

Chasing such a modest total should have been a formality, and in the end it very nearly wasn't. We stumbled to 85/5 from 24.2 overs, with a. Smith, I. Daniels and P. Curtis all trudging back without so much as a nibble at the bowling. Keith Hatcher, too, joined the Duck Club with a golden nought — the walk of shame performed with due solemnity. Thankfully Stewart Morrison kept his head, top-scoring with 37 and steering us home with something to spare.

Stewart continues to lead the 2nd XI run charts for the season with 291, and Chris Tymms tops the wicket pile with 13 — the engine room of the side, and no mistake.

A scrappy nervy chase, but a five-wicket win is a five-wicket win. We'll take it, dust off the ducks, and march onwards.

Fri 21 Jun 1996 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformLDLDD

Captain's Log, Friday 21 June 1996. Fine evening for it, and we had first use of the ball against our visitors, which on paper felt like the advantage. It rather looked that way too, until I. Henson settled in and helped himself to 45, with A. Henson chipping in 20 to push the total along to 120/7 from their 16 overs. Credit where it's due — Matt Large bowled beautifully for 2-22, and Michael Beeney (2-38) and Ian Brattle (1-31) kept things honest when the runs threatened to run away from us.

120 in 16 overs is no small target, but we do enjoy making life difficult for ourselves in the chase, and for a while it looked like we might pull it off. Dave Charlton played the innings of the night, 47 full of the sort of composure the rest of us can only dream about, with Keith Hatcher unbeaten on 30 and Paul Gibson adding a tidy 23. We closed on 121/3 from our 12 — but the equation had already slipped beyond us, and we fell seven wickets short.

Not our day, then, heads up and back to the nets it is. Small consolations: David Castle remains second in the season's run charts on 492, and Ian Brattle still tops the wicket pile with 18. Character-building stuff, this game — chins up, tea was good, and there's always next week.

Wed 19 Jun 1996 🧢 Midweek XIv SC Sevenoaks & District Wednesday CC · AwayformLDDDW

Beaten by a mile, but there's a certain dignity in being beaten thoroughly rather than scrappily, so let's take what comfort we can from that.

Wednesday 19 June saw us make the trip to Sevenoaks & District Wednesday CC, and it was clear from the moment we lost the toss that the day had decided to test our character rather than flatter our egos. Put in to bowl, we watched R. Alexander cruise to 60, with Peter Day (49) and Stuart Taylor (38 not out) chipping in to haul the hosts to a healthy 215/8 from their 46 overs. Credit where it's due: Adrian Caddick was superb with 2-28, Michael Beeney chimed in with 2-48, and S. Hallows picked up 1-17, while at the other end J. Bowden, G. Styles and S. Iqbal all had the good manners to depart for ducks against us.

Chasing 216 was always going to be a stretch, and so it proved. Darren Styles top-scored with a battling 39, well supported by Michael Beeney's 38, but beyond that the innings had the structural integrity of a garden shed in a gale — S. Hallows, Stuart Cheesman and Mike Elworthy all fell without troubling the scorer, and we folded for 112 in 30.1 overs.

There were individual bright spots amid the wreckage: Styles now sits third in the Midweek XI run charts with 43 for the season, and Caddick leads the wicket-takers with 4. Small mercies.

In the end, 103 runs was too wide a gap to bridge, and honesty compels me to call this one a proper hiding. We'll dust ourselves down, have a word about application, and go again next week — the tea, at least, was excellent.

Sat 15 Jun 1996 🧢 1st XIv SC Sheldwich CC · HomeformLLDLD

Sheldwich CC came to Linton Park on Saturday 15 June under a sky that gave nothing away, and having won the toss I did what any captain raised on tea and false confidence does — stuck us in to bat. It proved the right call. David Castle played the innings of the day, an assured 90 built on a well-made fifty, with Neville Smith chipping in a handy 40 and Keith Hatcher unbeaten on 29 to help us home to a stout 201/4 from our 46 overs. Modesty forbids me mentioning that I top-scored with 90 myself, so I shall mention it anyway and move swiftly on.

Defending it proved a stern afternoon's work. Sheldwich dug in, with a- Godden's 35 the only real thorn, while a- Marsh departed without so much as a nibble. Jon Harris was the destroyer-in-chief with 4-49, backed up handsomely by Sean Charlton (2-38) and Dave Charlton (1-5), while Rob Doick strangled the life out of proceedings with four maidens. For all that industry, Sheldwich's tail wagged just enough, closing on 130/9 from their 44 — nine down, but not out.

So honours shared, a draw wrung from neither side quite forcing the issue. With Castle now sitting second in our season's run charts and Charlton fifth among the wicket-takers, there's plenty to be pleased about — even if, as ever at Linton Park, we left a fair bit of unfinished business on the table.

Sat 15 Jun 1996 🧢 2nd XIv SC Sheldwich CC · AwayformLLWLL

Saturday 15th of June saw us make the trip to Sheldwich, where the coin came down against us and we were sent out into the field — never our first choice, but the lads set about it with good cheer nonetheless.

And what a spell it turned out to be. Trevor Back was in miserly, metronomic form, bowling six maidens on his way to 4-17, with Chris Tymms (3-18) and Darren Styles (1-14) mopping up admirably around him. D- Ray departed without so much as a nibble at the scorers' pencils, and Sheldwich were shuffled out for 94/9 from their 46 overs, B- Hulks' 21 the only real resistance. Mike Elworthy had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps — 8 byes is the sort of statistic best left unmentioned in the pub, though naturally I shall mention it here.

Chasing such a modest total ought to have been a formality, and so it proved: Stewart Morrison led from the front with a crisp 45, and Tim Thirkell (20 not out) and Richard Ellis (20 not out) eased us home for the loss of a single wicket, wrapping things up in just 18.4 overs.

Off the field there was a rather lovely moment too — Stuart Cheesman brought up his 50th career wicket, a landmark thoroughly deserved and thoroughly celebrated. Morrison continues to top our run charts for the season with 254, while Tymms leads the wickets with 10.

A comfortable nine-wicket win, then, and a thoroughly good day for the club.

Sun 09 Jun 1996 🧢 Sunday NVKCv ? · AwayformLLLLL

Batting first at 165/5 (Hatcher 44, Castle 41, 27 extras), we restricted the opposition to 133/9 but still lost by 32 runs.

Called it right at the toss, and with the sun out and the tea urn already on, batting first felt like the only decent thing to do. Keith Hatcher played the anchor beautifully for his 44, with David Castle chipping in a handsome 41 alongside him, and between the two of them — plus a generous 27 in extras, for which we thank the opposition's line more than our own bat — we posted 165/5 from our forty. Not a total to frighten anyone, perhaps, but a platform all the same.

With the ball we scrapped hard. Michael Beeney was superb, tearing through with 3-28, well backed up by Dave Charlton's 3-38, while Ian Brattle chimed in with 1-28 — a wicket that, minor footnote though it may be, nudges him past John Thirkell and into 10th on the club's all-time list. Nigel Thirkell, meanwhile, bowled with the miserly discipline of a man counting every run like it was coming out of his own pocket, four maidens to his name. For all that, P. Westrop and A. Lee steadied things with 34 and 23 respectively, and they got themselves over the line with 133/9, beating us by 32 runs.

So the run charts and wicket charts carry on regardless — Caddick and Beeney still out in front for the season — but for the side, it was one that got away. We batted a shade too politely, bowled well enough to have deserved better, and were, in the end, simply beaten by the better team on the day. We'll be better for it next week.

Sat 08 Jun 1996 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformLLLDL

Saturday 8th June 1996, and a fine day for it as the visitors rolled into Linton Park. Winning the toss, I had no hesitation in taking first knock — and for once my judgement wasn't entirely misplaced. Clive Newman played the innings of the day, a handsome 62, while Nigel Thirkell's 40 and Paul Gibson's 26 gave the total real backbone. Poor Neville Smith will want this one struck from the record — a duck to nurse over his tea and biscuits — but 188/9 from our 46 overs felt a defendable sort of score, even if none of us were entirely sure defendable against what.

The answer, it turned out, was a chap by the name of Perks, who cantered to 75 with the unhurried air of a man who'd seen our bowling before and hadn't been much troubled by it. Martin (35) and Cornwall (28) chipped in dutifully, and at 150/4 with seven overs still standing it looked, briefly, ominous. Credit to Matt Large, though, whose 3-37 kept us in the fight, well backed by Michael Beeney's solitary but valuable scalp — Beeney now second in the club's wicket charts this summer. Pete Humphries departed for nought, at least giving Neville some company in the duck pond. I contributed a watchful 40 myself, more stubborn mule than stallion.

In the end neither side could land the decisive blow, and honours were shared. A draw is cricket's way of telling both captains to stop being so pleased with themselves — and on this evidence, fair enough.

Sat 08 Jun 1996 🧢 2nd XIv RC Rumwood CC · AwayformLLLWL

Saturday 8th June saw us take the long road out to Dummy Site, and I'll confess I fancied our chances the moment I won the toss and stuck us in to bat — a decision I'm rather pleased to say I'll stand behind, whatever followed. Trevor Back set about the bowling with real intent for a well-crafted 73, Mike Elworthy chipped in handsomely with 55, and Alan Boyns's 34 rounded out a total of 229 all out from our 44 overs — the sort of score that has you allowing yourself a quiet pint at tea.

Alas, cricket has a habit of humbling the confident. Their reply never quite got away from us on paper — 161 all out in 44.5 overs, D. Light top-scoring with 38 and M. Jenkins unbeaten on 26, with R. Seath back in the hutch for a golden duck at our hands — but 68 runs is 68 runs, and somewhere in there the game slipped from our grasp. Trevor Back backed up his batting with the ball, 2-11, well supported by Chris Tymms (2-27) and Alan Boyns, who bowled three tidy maidens en route to 2-36 — though his afternoon behind the stumps was rather less serene, 13 byes going begging.

Not our day, then, and no use pretending otherwise. Tim Thirkell continues to purr along nicely in the run charts, Alan Boyns leads the wickets table with ten, and the rest of us shall be found in the nets this week, quietly reacquainting ourselves with line and length.

Sun 02 Jun 1996 🧢 1st XIv BC Broadstairs CC · HomeformDLLLD

Won the toss on a fine Sunday against Broadstairs CC, and there was never much debate in my mind: we'd bat. Runs went on at a fair old clip, 206 for 2 off 41.3 overs, and I'll confess to rather enjoying my own contribution — 102 not out, my first century in what felt like an age, though I'll let others do the bragging on my behalf. Mike Caddick was the perfect foil, 72 of real substance, and between us we gave the middle order the rare luxury of padding up for nothing.

Defending it should have been the easy part. Broadstairs had other ideas, grinding to 207 for 7 off 36.3 overs in a run chase that had my nails bitten to the quick. Chris Newton's 65 did the most damage, with Lee Hewit's 40 and Ben Futter's 24 keeping the required rate honest — though we did at least send R Muir back for a duck. Dave Charlton was superb, 2 for 21, backed up by Rob Doick's 2 for 40 and Michael Beeney's 1 for 20. In the end it came down to the very last pair, and they got home by a single wicket. Cruel margins.

Small mercies amid the gloom: my 102 apparently nudges me past Cliff Anscombe into 22nd on the club's all-time run list, Caddick still leads our 1996 run charts on 547, and Beeney sits second among the bowlers with 13 wickets. The season, at least, has some shape to it. As for Sunday — beaten by one wicket, chastened, but we'll be better for it next week.

Sat 01 Jun 1996 🧢 1st XIv ? · AwayformLDLLL

The road took us out on Saturday the 1st of June, and what greeted us was pure club cricket theatre — heroics, one horrible duck, and a result that pleased precisely nobody and everybody in equal measure.

Put in first, we ground our way to 132 for 8 from our 46 overs, a total that owed rather more to application than fireworks. I was happy enough to chip in with 30, well supported by Neville Smith's tidy 24 and Mike Caddick's 23 — Caddick now sitting proudly atop our 1996 run charts with 475 for the season, the show-off. Poor Clive Newman, meanwhile, will want the scorebook burned: a golden duck to remember, or rather forget.

In the field we huffed and puffed but couldn't quite prise the win loose. Their openers Baxter and Moxon put on a fine stand — Baxter finishing unbeaten on a classy 51, Moxon chiming in with 47 — before Sellar saw them home unbeaten on 23 as they closed on 133 for 2 from 35.1 overs. Small mercies: N. Fisher went the way of poor Newman, back for nought. With the ball I managed 1 for 10, Michael Beeney huffed to 1 for 42 (still second in our season's wicket charts on 12), and Matt Large bowled beautifully tight, three maidens and not a run given away lightly.

Honours shared, then — a draw when neither side had quite enough about them to force the issue. Frustrating, fair, and thoroughly English.

Sat 01 Jun 1996 🧢 3rd XIv OC Old Anchorians CC · Awayform—

Saturday 1 June 1996 found us on the road to Dummy Site, and having called correctly at the toss, I fancied a bowl at a fresh pitch — sorry, I mean I had no hesitation in batting. As it turned out, my finger on the pulse of the coin was matched by the lads' feel for the bat: 221/5 from our 43 overs was a proper score by any Linton Park standard. Ron McCormick set the tone with 60, Trevor Back gave it a stylish 50, and Richard Ellis fell agonisingly one short of his own half-century with 49. A fine day to be sat with a cup of tea watching the scoreboard tick over.

Then came the small matter of defending it, and here the lads were positively ruthless. The opposition were bowled out for 80 in just 30 overs — R- Beale gone for a duck to open proceedings, and it barely let up from there. J- Stapleton was magnificent, tearing through with 3-11, Brian Piper chipped in with 3-19, a- Francis picked up 2-4, and Darren Styles bowled with the miserly precision of a man guarding his allotment, sending down four maidens.

A rout, in short — and yet, cricket being cricket, it was we who somehow contrived to lose the plot along the way. Not our day, down by 141 runs despite outscoring and outbowling them by a distance. Heads up, lads — back to the nets, and no doubt back to the pub first.

Sat 01 Jun 1996 🧢 2nd XIv Milstead CC · HomeformLLLLW

From the captain's chair — Saturday 01 June 1996. It was Dummy Site at home, and for once I got the coin toss right in more ways than one: heads it was, and bat we did.

We made a solid fist of it, posting 215/7 from our 46 overs. Stewart Morrison was in fine touch, cracking a well-made 75, and found willing company in Paul Bowles, who chipped in a handy 42. Between the two of them the innings had the sort of backbone that lets a captain sit back with his tea and pretend he always knew it would go this way.

Defending it was another matter, and for a good while our opponents made us sweat. K- West anchored things with an unbeaten 33, well supported by P- Tooke's unbeaten 31 and C- Pearson's 30, while R- Frizzell departed for a golden duck at our hands. But Dave Todd was the pick of the attack, snaring 3-41, with Chris Tymms not far behind on 2-31 and two tidy maidens besides — nothing given away lightly there. Poor Roly Edwards, though, will want to forget the eight byes that slipped past him; a testing day behind the stumps if ever there was one.

In the end they closed on 155/6 from 44, and we fell 60 runs short. Stewart Morrison continues to lead our 1996 run charts with 209, and Dave Todd sits second among the wicket-takers with 6 — small consolations on a day the scoreboard didn't favour us. We'll be better for it next week.

Thu 30 May 1996 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformDLDLL

Thursday 30 May 1996, and the visitors rolled up to Linton Park with the sun almost cooperating, which is about as much as we ever ask of an English spring. Put into the field, we set about them with more purpose than we've managed all season. a. Knowler top-scored with a watchful 24, but R. Knowler barely troubled the scorers before trudging back for a duck — one imagines a frosty conversation in the car home. They limped to 97/9 from their sixteen overs, the destroyer-in-chief being Ian Brattle, who span it prodigiously for a magnificent 6-28. Sean Charlton chipped in handsomely with 2-8, and Dave Charlton kept things tidy with 1-23.

Chasing it down, Nigel Thirkell batted with real composure for an unbeaten 41, well supported by Paul Gibson's brisk 25, as we reached 100/3 in 15.3 overs. On paper that reads like a job nicely done; on the scoreboard, somehow, it wasn't — down by seven wickets, and no amount of tea-hut arithmetic will make that add up any prettier.

Elsewhere, the season rolls merrily on regardless of our Thursday wobbles: Mike Caddick sits proudly atop the 1996 run charts with 452, and Ian Brattle now leads the wicket-takers with 17 — a man in irresistible form, whatever the final result. As for the rest of us: not our day. Heads up, chins out, and back to the nets.

Wed 29 May 1996 🧢 Midweek XIv BC Boughton Monchelsea CC · HomeformDLDDD

Boughton Monchelsea rolled into Linton Park on Wednesday 29 May, and having won the toss I did the sporting — some might say foolhardy — thing and put us in to bat. 147 all out from 41.2 overs was a distinctly middling effort, rescued from the ordinary only by Trevor Back's well-crafted 55 and Neville Smith's fine fifty alongside him. Beyond that, the innings had all the resilience of a wet paper bag: Dave Todd, Adrian Caddick and Jon Harris all took the long walk back for nought, and I can hardly claim the moral high ground — a golden blob from the skipper is not the example a captain hopes to set, though I like to think I led from the front in spirit if not in runs.

With the ball, however, we were a different proposition entirely. Boughton Monchelsea were bowled out for 128 in 41.5 overs, M Tucker's 37 and J Knowles's 20 the only real resistance, while Steve Kember, M Hogben and S Smitherman departed without so much as troubling the scorer. Paul Bowles led the charge with 2-17, Adrian Caddick chipped in 2-29, Darren Styles took 1-6, and Jon Harris was miserly as ever with four maidens — poor Roly Edwards behind the stumps had his hands full, 8 byes and all.

There was a lovely moment amid the toil too: Trevor Back brought up 6,000 career runs for the club, a landmark worth savouring long after the scorebook is shut. A win by 19 runs, then — scrappy, occasionally comic, but a win nonetheless. Onwards.

Mon 27 May 1996 🧢 1st XIv XM XII Men · HomeformWDLDL

From the captain's chair — Monday 27 May 1996. Dummy Site were the visitors, and I lost the toss for what would prove the least of my problems all afternoon. They elected to bat, and by close of their innings I understood why: 225 all out from 51.5 overs, built around a handsome 83 from John Hartridge, with Brad McNee (46) and Andrew Baker (35) chipping in to make our life thoroughly uncomfortable. To our credit we kept plugging away — a-Francis picked up 2-17 to lead the attack, Adrian Caddick and Michael Beeney weighed in with 2-24 and 2-46 respectively, and Matt Large bowled with the meanness of a man who begrudges every run, four maidens to his name. It wasn't a bad shift in the field, all told.

Then we batted. I shan't dwell on it longer than the innings itself lasted — seventeen-point-three overs, forty-six all out, and a distinctly unwanted hat-trick of ducks for Neville Smith, Adam Pooley and Peter Whyte, who between them did the walk of shame not once but thrice. There was, in fairness, a silver lining amid the wreckage: Mike Caddick's defiant 19 nudged him up to 20th on the club's all-time run-scorers list, past Peter Whyte no less, and he continues to lead our 1996 run charts with 448, with Michael Beeney topping the wicket-takers on 11.

Beaten by 179 runs, then — a proper hiding, no dressing it up. But the lads kept their chins up in the bar afterwards, as is tradition, and we'll be better for it next week.

Sun 26 May 1996 🧢 Sunday NVKCv ? · HomeformWLLLL

Sunday 26 May 1996 dawned fine enough for me to have no qualms whatsoever about calling correctly at the toss and sticking us in to bat — a decision I was rather pleased with myself for, at least at the time. Dave Charlton played the innings of the day, a composed 60 not out that gave the innings its spine, with Nigel Thirkell and David Castle both weighing in with 32 apiece, and I chipped in with a modest 32 of my own before getting out of the way. All told, 190/6 from our 40 overs felt like a total with a bit of bite to it.

With ball in hand we made early inroads, sending N- Chambers back for a golden duck to loud but brief celebration, and for a while it looked like the sort of Sunday where everything clicks. Nigel Thirkell was magnificent, 3-20 with two maidens thrown in for good measure, and I managed to find some rhythm myself with 3 wickets, while Matt Large (2-29) and Michael Beeney (2-36) kept the pressure on. But Andrew Knowler's 41, backed up by useful contributions from J- Hammond and T- Wright, dragged the opposition to 148 all out from 36.5 overs — enough, in the end, to see us beaten by 42 runs.

A defeat, then, but not a shameful one — Mike Caddick and Nigel Thirkell continue to lead the season's charts, and there was enough good cricket in this performance to suggest we'll be sharper next week.

Sat 25 May 1996 🧢 2nd XIv Bearsted CC · AwayformWLLLL

With the score locked at 164 plays 162, Bearsted's last pair must have felt the finish line rushing towards them — and mercifully for us, it stayed just out of reach.

Saturday last took us down the road to Bearsted, and I won the toss and had no hesitation putting us in — the pitch looked one for runs first, chase later, and so it proved. Keith Hatcher played the innings of the day, a fine 76 that has quietly nudged him past Malcolm Pay and up to 17th on the club's all-time run-scorers list — no small thing, that. Dave Todd chipped in nicely with 22, and the pair of them put on 61 for the seventh wicket to drag us to a defendable 164 for 9 off our 46. Poor Stuart Cheesman will want to forget his contribution entirely — a duck, and not the sort you'd want mounted on the clubhouse wall.

With the ball, Bearsted gave us a proper fright. Gareth Oakland batted beautifully for his unbeaten 66, with Glyn Parham (39 not out) and Ian Lambert (27) doing their bit either side of a stand of 54 for the third wicket that had us all reaching for the scorebook nervously. But Alan Boyns kept his nerve and his line to pick up 1 for 27 — enough to see him leapfrog Terry Donovan into 14th on the all-time wicket-takers list — while Dave Todd and Chris Tymms weighed in with a wicket apiece, and Daniel Thirkell bowled with the meanness of a man guarding his allotment, three maidens and barely a run given away.

In the end it came down to two runs. Two. I shan't pretend my heart was steady watching the finish, but a win's a win, and this one was thoroughly, nervously earned.

Sat 25 May 1996 🧢 1st XIv Bearsted CC · HomeformLWDLD

Beaten by 13 runs at home to Bearsted on Saturday, and if I'm honest, the coin toss set the tone for the afternoon — theirs to lose, ours to chase, and in the end neither of us quite obliged.

Put in the field, we watched Stephen Pearce play the innings of the day, an unbeaten 108 that carried Bearsted to 180/6 from their 46 overs, with a stubborn fourth-wicket stand of 59 doing most of the damage and a last-pair flourish of 35 that we really could have lived without. Credit where it's due: Ian Brattle was superb with the ball, 3 for 42, backed up nicely by Matt Large's tidy 2 for 64 (four maidens — miserly stuff) and Nigel Thirkell's 1 for 33. We did at least have the satisfaction of sending Stuart Gorman back for a duck.

Chasing 181, we made a nervous start — one wicket down with the board still reading 1 — before David Castle, marking his 400th appearance in Linton colours in some style, top-scored with 51. Paul Gibson's 34 and Neville Smith's 28 kept us in the hunt, and a third-wicket stand of 59 was as good as it got, but wickets tumbled from 141-5 to 151-8 in a rush we never recovered from, Mike Caddick's duck a footnote to a jittery finish. We closed on 167/9.

Small mercies: Ian Brattle's three wickets take him past Tony Gauna into 11th on the club's all-time list, and Castle now sits second in this year's run charts with 262. Thirteen runs short, honest toil throughout — we'll be better for it next week.

Sun 19 May 1996 🧢 1st XIv JC J & E Hall CC · AwayformLLWDL

Sunday 19 May 1996 saw us pack the kit bag for J & E Hall CC, and for once I got the coin toss right — bat first, I said, with all the confidence of a man who's guessed wrong the previous five times. This time it paid off handsomely.

What followed was less an innings than a demolition, conducted at leisure. Mike Caddick and David Castle simply declined to get out, ambling to 244 without loss from 37.2 overs — Caddick unbeaten on a magnificent 151, Castle a classy 87 not out alongside him. I'm told there are captains who worry about their batting order; I spent the afternoon working out how many teas I could reasonably ask for.

Defending that mountain, J & E Hall gave it a proper go — R Scudder's well-crafted 62, with J Stapleton (30) and N Winterman (23 not out) chipping in, dragged them to 180/6 from their 39. Ian Brattle was the pick of our attack, 3-29 with three tidy maidens thrown in for good measure, Ollie Priestly (2-33) and Michael Beeney (1-11) doing their bit besides. Poor David Castle, having batted like a dream, spent the field innings leaking 14 byes — you can't have everything.

A draw, then — honours shared, neither side quite able to force the issue. With Caddick sitting proudly atop the season's run charts and Beeney leading the wickets, the signs for the summer are rather promising. A day, on balance, we'll happily take.

Sat 18 May 1996 🧢 2nd XIv Headcorn CC · AwayformLWLLL

From the captain's chair — Saturday 18 May 1996. We travelled to Dummy Site with the sun more or less behaving itself and, having won the toss, I had no hesitation in taking first knock — the right call, I felt, and for once I shall be permitted to say so without a chorus of groans from the boundary.

The lads set about the bowling with real purpose. Stewart Morrison anchored things beautifully with 99, agonisingly denied the century by whatever cruel arithmetic governs these things, while Mike Elworthy chipped in a handy 42 and Chris Tymms finished unbeaten on 38. We closed on a formidable 228/5 from our 46 overs — the sort of total that lets a captain stroll out to the field with his hands in his pockets.

And stroll I did, because what followed was pure theatre. Alan Boyns was simply unplayable, tearing through them for 6-30 with four maidens thrown in for good measure — the sort of spell that has opposition batsmen suddenly remembering pressing appointments elsewhere. Adam Pooley (2-21) and Adrian Caddick (1-15) mopped up the rest, with only Deacon, unbeaten on 24, offering any real resistance. They were bowled out for 90 in 38.3 overs. I even had a rare rummage among the wickets myself, taking six — not that I'll let anyone forget it.

Alan Boyns now leads our 1996 wicket charts with seven, and Stewart Morrison the run charts with 123 — the future looks bright indeed. A thoroughly satisfying afternoon's work, and, on this evidence, very much our day.

Tue 14 May 1996 🧢 1st XIv ? · HomeformDLLWD

It was a tidy afternoon's work at home, and I'll admit I rather enjoyed watching this one unfold. Put into the field, we kept them to 107/5 from their sixteen overs, though a well-crafted unbeaten fifty from Perks — 57 not out, no less — did its level best to make our lives difficult. Credit to the attack for reining things in regardless: Matt Large the pick of the bowlers with 2-25, while Nigel Thirkell and Dave Charlton chipped in with a wicket apiece to keep the scoreboard honest.

Chasing 108, we made light work of it, cantering home to 111/2 in just 12.3 overs. Mike Caddick was the architect, 46 well-struck runs that did the heavy lifting, with Nigel Thirkell unbeaten on 26 to see us over the line in some style.

Two rather lovely footnotes to the day. Nigel brought up his 900th appearance in Linton colours — a staggering number by any club's reckoning, and testament to a man who simply keeps turning up. And Mike's 46 nudged him past Cliff Anscombe and into 21st on the all-time run-scorers list, with 278 runs now to his name this season and top of our 1996 charts, while Matt sits a creditable 4th among the wicket-takers.

All told, a proper club cricket occasion — good runs, tidy bowling, and a milestone worth raising a glass to. We'll happily take it.

Sun 12 May 1996 🧢 Sunday NVKCv ? · HomeformWWLLL

Beaten by 48 runs, but I'll tell you what — a crowd that arrived expecting to watch a modest village knock got rather more than they bargained for. Winning the toss, I never seriously considered anything but batting, and the lads repaid that confidence handsomely: 265/3 from our forty overs, built around a truly magnificent 122 from Mike Caddick, with Nigel Thirkell purring along to 79 and Clive Newman chipping in a tidy 27. It was the sort of total that makes the tea urn taste sweeter than usual.

Defending it proved a rather sterner examination of our bowling and my own resolve. The visitors batted with real application, Armitage compiling an unbeaten 64 that anchored their innings, ably supported by Pitcairn-Knowles (36) and Mitchell (28), though we did at least send Williams back for a duck to remind ourselves we hadn't entirely lost our teeth. Jon Harris was pick of the attack with 2-35, with Ian Brattle (2-51) and Nigel Thirkell (1-31) chipping away dutifully as I tried, with 79 of my own, to lead by example rather than by hand-wringing from mid-off.

There was cheer amid the defeat: Caddick's century nudges him to 22nd on the club's all-time run-scorers list, and he now leads our 1996 Sunday run charts, with Harris topping the wickets column. All told, 217/6 wasn't enough to catch us, but 265 wasn't quite enough to hold them off either. We were the better side for thirty-nine overs of the match — sadly there are forty. We'll be better for it next week.

Sat 11 May 1996 🧢 2nd XIv FC Flimwell CC · AwayformWLWLL

From the captain's chair — Saturday 11 May 1996, and the road took us to Flimwell CC in reasonable spirits, if not entirely reasonable weather-readiness.

Winning the toss, I had no hesitation in electing to bat, and for once the decision looked shrewd rather than merely stubborn. We ground our way to 166/7 from the full 49 overs, the innings resting largely on Brian Piper's fine 48, with J- Stapleton chipping in an unbeaten 21 to see us home to a total with a bit of respectability about it. Not every contribution sparkled, mind — Roly Edwards's golden duck being the sort of thing best forgotten over a pint in the bar afterwards.

Out in the field, defending 166 felt like a fair proposition, but Flimwell had other ideas. Martin Noon played the innings of the day, 48 well-crafted runs, backed up by Richard Holloway's 32 and Ian Atkin's 25, and between them they chased us down in a brisk 28.2 overs. We did have our moments — John Bates back in the hutch without troubling the scorers, and J- Stapleton bowled beautifully for 2-15, well supported by Tim Thirkell's 1-9 and Adam Pooley's 1-16. I even managed 19 with the bat for what little comfort that offered.

In the end, though, it wasn't to be — beaten by two wickets, a match that slipped through our fingers rather than one we were outclassed in. Heads up, chins forward, and back to the nets.

Sat 11 May 1996 🧢 1st XIv RC Rumwood CC · HomeformLDLLW

Saturday 11th May, and Linton Park welcomed Dummy Site under skies that, for once, seemed to favour bat over bowl. Winning the toss, I had no hesitation in taking first knock — and for once my instincts didn't betray me. We compiled a handsome 211 for 3 off 48.4 overs, Nigel Thirkell leading the charge with a splendid 58, before Neville Smith (48 not out) and Clive Newman (47 not out) saw us home in style. I even managed to contribute 58 myself, which I mention purely for the record and not at all for the pleasure of it.

In reply, Dummy Site made a game fist of things, reaching 165 for 3 from their 44 overs. Pete Humphries played the innings of the day with an unbeaten 78, ably assisted by a- Perks (38) and S- Martin (29), while poor D- Brame departed without troubling the scorers. Darren Styles was the pick of our attack with 1 for 8, Nigel Thirkell chipped in likewise, and Paul Bowles toiled for his 1 for 42. Alan Boyns bowled two tidy maidens, though his afternoon behind the stumps was rather less serene — eight byes will do that to a man's composure.

A word of cheer amid the draw: Clive Newman's 47 nudged him past Mike Caddick into 22nd on our all-time run charts. A fair and honest draw, then — honours shared, and nobody's tea spoiled.

Mon 06 May 1996 🧢 1st XIv MC Maidstone Dissidents CC · HomeformDLDLL

Steve Heap won the toss for once and stuck us into the field on a bright May Monday, and for once the coin's cruelty barely mattered. Maidstone Dissidents huffed and puffed to 174 all out in 33.4 overs, undone chiefly by their own opener — Steve Heap, of all people, turning his coin-toss misfortune into a magnificent unbeaten hundred, 104 not out, with Russell Longmuir chipping in a handy 45. Meanwhile our attack did the real damage: Ian Brattle bowled beautifully for 3-44, Dave Charlton chimed in with 2-19, and Michael Beeney was positively parsimonious, 2-32 with two maidens that must have felt like an eternity to face. Tim Lush, Mike Bains and Andrew Naish all walked back for ducks, which I'm sure they'll want struck from the record.

Chasing 175, we wobbled just enough to keep it interesting — Peter Whyte's golden duck won't make his highlights reel — but Mike Caddick anchored things nicely with 49, Dave Charlton stayed unbeaten on 34, and Paul Gibson added a tidy 30 to see us home at 175/5 in 38.1 overs. A quiet word too for Clive Newman, whose 18 runs nudged him past Robert Murray into 22nd on the club's all-time run charts — history made in the gentlest possible fashion.

Caddick continues to lead our 1996 run charts and Beeney our wicket column, and on this evidence neither looks like relinquishing top spot soon. A fine win by five wickets, then, and a thoroughly satisfactory afternoon's work. Onwards.

Sun 05 May 1996 🧢 1st XIv Chestfield CC · HomeformDDLDL

From the captain's chair — Sunday 05 May 1996. Chestfield CC were the visitors, and having called correctly for once in my life, I stuck us in, fancying our chances on what looked a decent surface.

We batted with real purpose. Piers McDonald led the way with a well-made 67, Keith Hatcher was steady as a rock for an unbeaten 54, and Daniel Thirkell chipped in a handy 38, taking us to a very respectable 215/6 from our 42 overs. I confess I allowed myself a quiet smile at tea, thinking we had enough runs on the board to make Chestfield sweat.

Sweat they did not. One Ian Wigg had other ideas, farming the strike with an innings of quite ruthless efficiency — 149 not out, three figures and then some, the sort of knock that makes a captain wish he'd never left the pavilion. Paul Wickens offered useful support with 21, and between them they simply outlasted us, getting home at 218/7 with three balls of the 44th over to spare. Michael Beeney toiled manfully for 3-71, with a couple of maidens to show for his honest labour, while Jon Harris (2-57) and Adrian Caddick (1-54) chipped away without quite stemming the tide. Poor Mike Elworthy had a torrid afternoon behind the stumps, ten byes going begging.

Not our day, then — beaten by two wickets in a match that slipped through our fingers rather than being wrenched from them. Heads up, and back to the nets.

Sat 04 May 1996 🧢 2nd XIv HC Horsmonden CC · HomeformWWLWL

Beaten by 5 wickets against Horsmonden CC, but honestly, I'll take the shape of this one over plenty of wins.

Winning the toss and having a bat felt right at the time, and I still maintain it was — 131 for 9 off 46.5 overs is a total you can defend if the ball behaves. Tim Thirkell led the way with 38, Paul Bowles matched him stroke for stroke with 38 of his own, and Stewart Morrison chipped in a handy 24 to give us something to bowl at. Spare a thought, though, for poor Roly Edwards, who made the long walk back for nought — the Duck Club welcomes another member.

With the ball we scrapped hard, and for a while it looked promising, but Mark Flemington had other ideas — 66 not out is the kind of innings that wins matches on its own, and with Dean Larkin (30) and Chris Bills (21) offering support, Horsmonden got home with four overs unused. Small consolation: we sent G Dilton back without troubling the scorers. Ollie Priestly was superb with the ball, 2 for 10, while Paul Bowles and Dave Todd both picked up a wicket apiece. I even managed to get among the runs myself with 38.

So it's five wickets the wrong way, and Horsmonden go home happy. Tim Thirkell tops our run charts for the season and Ollie leads the wickets — the season's building nicely even if the results aren't yet. We'll be better for it next week.

Sat 04 May 1996 🧢 1st XIv BC Bidborough CC · AwayformDDDLD

Saturday last, we ventured out to Bidborough, and winning the toss I did what any sensible captain does on a decent morning — stuck us in to bat. Two hundred and nine for four off our forty-eight overs was a tidy total, built on a fine seventy-seven from Mike Caddick, with good support from Nigel Thirkell (44 — yes, that's me, and I shan't apologise for it) and Clive Newman's steady 36. All told, runs enough to feel rather smug walking off for tea.

The smugness didn't survive the afternoon. Bidborough's Peter K Eames played an innings of real quality, 85 well-crafted runs, backed by David Tolhurst's 53 and Tom Bayley's 20, and between them they chased our total down with five wickets and a few overs to spare. We did have our moments — A Steptoe back in the hutch without a run to his name, and I managed 2-35 with the ball while Matt Large toiled away for 2-43, five overs of which were maidens, proper miserly stuff. Ten byes, mind, told its own tale of a keeper having an off day behind the sticks.

One shaft of sunshine amid the gloom: Mike Elworthy brought up 3,000 career runs for the club, a landmark worth raising a glass to regardless of the result. I remain top of the run charts with 153 for the season, and Matt sits fifth among the wicket-takers.

Not our day, all told — beaten by four wickets. Heads up, chins out, and back to the nets.

Sun 28 Apr 1996 🧢 1st XIv SC Sheldwich CC · AwayformDDDDL

Sunday 28 April, and off we trotted to Sheldwich in reasonably good order, though not without the usual pre-match debate about who'd forgotten their whites. I won the toss and, with the sort of confidence I'd later have to justify, stuck us in.

It proved a shrewd call, or at least a lucky one. David Castle and Nigel Thirkell both compiled fine half-centuries, 64 apiece, the sort of watchful, run-a-ball stuff that wins matches and quiets the tea-hut gossips. Keith Hatcher chipped in an unbeaten 41, and extras weighed in with a hearty 25 as we closed on 249/4 from our 44. Poor Piers McDonald, meanwhile, contributed nothing but a golden duck — he'll dine out on that story less than the rest of us will dine out on telling it.

With the ball, Darren Styles was magnificent, 4-23 with six maidens of positively monastic discipline, well supported by Michael Beeney's 2-18 and a wicket apiece for McDonald and yours truly. Sheldwich fought hard through J. Beal's unbeaten 62 but fell short at 173/8, and honours were shared.

A day for the records too: Thirkell reached 30,000 career runs, Styles his 50th career wicket, and Hatcher's 41 nudged him past Jon Harris into 18th on the all-time list. Plenty for the mantelpiece, then, even if not for the win column. A draw, but a thoroughly satisfying one — we'll take it and raise a glass.

Sat 27 Apr 1996 🧢 1st XIv P Penshurst · AwayformWDDDD

Saturday 27 April 1996, and the road took us to Dummy Site with the sun apparently in a co-operative mood and my coin-calling arm working for once. Won the toss, no debate in my head at all — we were batting.

204/9 off 47.2 overs is a tidy return for a Saturday afternoon, and the thanks go to Nigel Thirkell (45), Paul Gibson (43) and David Castle (37) for doing the heavy lifting while the rest of us mostly admired the scenery. Less gloriously, Paul Bowles and Adam Pooley both made the long walk back for nought — the Duck Club's ledger swells again, and I dare say the tea urn was the only thing not laughing at them.

Defending it, the openers gave us a fright — Leegood's 47 and I. Mitchell's 28 kept the total ticking — but the day belonged to Paul Bowles, whose 5-71 was a proper five-for, richly deserved after his morning's ignominy. Adam Pooley (3-15) atoned handsomely for his own duck, Michael Beeney bowled a miserly 6 maidens for 1-18, and Fuller-Rowle joined the Duck Club for good measure. All out for 144 — we had them, on paper.

And yet 60 runs shy at the close is 60 runs shy, however you dress it up. My own 45 was scant consolation, though Paul Gibson's 9,000 career runs is a landmark worth toasting properly at the bar. Not our day, lads — heads up, back to the nets, and let's make the away trip count.

Sat 27 Apr 1996 🧢 2nd XIv YC Yalding CC · HomeformWWWLW

Saturday 27th April, and Linton Park were hosts for the afternoon. I won the toss and, with the sun out and no earthly reason to think otherwise, put us in — a decision the committee will no doubt be reminding me of at the AGM.

We got to 168/9 off 45.1 overs, which felt about right on the day. Stuart Cheesman played the innings of the afternoon, a fine 52, with Tim Thirkell (37) and Dave Todd (26) lending sturdy support around him. Spare a thought for poor Mike Elworthy, who contributed nought to the cause and will be first up the walk of shame into the Duck Club ledger — 🦆 duly noted.

With the ball, we simply couldn't find a way through. Their reply closed on 170/3 from 41.1 overs, R. Innes seeing them home with an unbeaten 51, well backed by I. Cardew (42) and S. Orchard (27 not out). Alan Boyns was miserly and menacing in equal measure — 1-17 with five maidens, not a run given away lightly — while Stuart Cheesman and Chris Tymms chipped in with a wicket apiece. I did my bit with 37, for what it was worth.

Cheesman leads our 1996 2nd XI run charts, Tymms tops the wickets — small consolations. In the end, seven wickets the wrong way is seven wickets the wrong way. Not our day. Heads up, chins out, back to the nets.