Saturday 22nd July Chevening Amblers 111-all out ,Knockholt 112-4(2),(29 overs)

The Amblers have had a difficult season and knockholt certainly werent in the mood to make it any easier for them. On a wicket which was spared the majority of a pre match downpout but damp nevertheless, the Amblers were ruthlessly inserted by the skip and then thrown to the hounds, namely cuppy and Jamos. At 55-6 the result was almost a formality, the wicket drying and playing easier as every minute passed. Cuppy(3-32) and Jamos(3-25) had completed their task admirably aided by some superlative fielding,Roffey(2)Blackmore(2) Jamos himself ,the skip,Bags roe,Brucie all holding on. Burroughs(19) led a brief counter attack for the spirited Amblers who now played in a somewhat less cavalier fashion but even 111 looked like being a stroll for the league leaders.
The reply started in very mediocre fashion when Bags,normally of resolute technique , chopped onto his stumps first ball. The 1st pinch hitter in Curtley faired little better when he cleverley steered a leggie from Birkett very gently to gully. This prompted huge excitement in the chevening ranks but even at 3-2 knockholt played the 2nd pinch hitter in Reayban(18). The result here was much more decisive although having said he wasnt going to drive on the up he did just that with the score on 28.Huge partying in the chevening ranks was dampened by the arrival of arch party pooper Roffey(19) who immediately showed them the full width of his bat.Birkett now decided to pursue a line on leg stump when he badly needed wickets and the score remorselessly climbed. when G played back to a good length delivery in uncharacteristic error keithR (15NO) continued the inevitable with the skip(57no) and another 5 points were in the bag. Kemsing must think its a hard world to have won 8 out of 8 and still be 2 points adrift.

Shoreham 129 all out, knockholt 133-3(23.2 overs).

Shoreham were put through the mincer by an in form knockholt and their challenge was ruthlessly crushed in a one sided affair on Saturday. As knockholt went clear at the top of the table it was evident that entertainment had not been forgotten in the pursuit of ultimate glory. Jamos(1-30) and Cuppy(4-20) had the Shoreham top order in knots from the word go with swinging ,seaming pace bowling to an aggressive field. Hall ,the Shoreham opener was clearly agitated at proceedings and briefly lead a counter attack ,hitting two impressive sixes. Cuppy though, never one to panic merely changed his length and Hall tried to pull instead. Unconvincing it was and so an elaborate field change was made to accommodate a bit of leg theory (as last seen on channel 4). The skipper ,not wearing a Harlequin cap(as per sir Douglas) but a Harlequin nevertheless, made the move and Hall conveniently obliged immediately(well held by Curtley) to prevent any diplomatic incidents. Now Cuppy accelerated in taking wickets ,Jamos weighed in with one,Keith R picked up a rash Stanyard and then GeorgeR(3-33) turned the screw. At 85-8 there was nothing funny or amusing for the Shoreham spectators to watch but JTrick(19) and Ed Walker(23) did their best in chalking up another 35 before Hardstone Snr, out of retirement, pulled off a vintage boundary catch. 129 was never going to be enough.

A superb tea did not put a dent in the intent of the knockholt reply either. The skip(47) laced the first ball to the boundary, took 2 off the next and smashed the next straight to Stanyard at first slip where he dropped it. If morale was low in the Shoreham ranks it disappeared altogether at this point. Trick carried on persevering and perspiring in the afternoon heat along with Walker at the other end. Bags Roe(53no) and the skip merely stood their ground waiting for the bad ball-Bags giving the young Walker a very steep learning curve indeed. On a ground where cricketers can spend spare time looking for golf balls, rolls were reversed. After 10 overs half the chase had been completed, the large armada of waiting knockholt batsman began to take in the rays or opted for an early shower. The entertainment continued though with 90 coming up in the 15th over (making Shoreham thankful for that 9th wicket stand), when RTrick (2-32)suddenly bowled the skipper. There was no let up there either as GeorgeR(25) delighted the purists with a mixture of placed drives and late cuts. Trying to force a spectacular finish though he was stumped, Reayban tried the same in aerial fashion to pay the same penalty before Bags reached his fifty and the ask with a glorious, lofted straight drive.

Kemsing 195-6(40 overs), knockholt 160-9. we lost by 35 runs.

In the pre match huddle(we’ve seen them on the telly) the captain mentioned that although early season this was a top of the table clash and that therefore whichever side held their nerve would win. This certainly held good at the toss where kemsing elected to field first, upon closer inspection of the shiny £1 coin however,glistening in the sun, the decision was reversed and knockholt elected to field first.

The decision looked good as Wood was smartly taken at cover by Reayban off Cuppy and kemsing crawled to 61-3 off the first 20 despite an excellent batting track. The scoring only accelerated fractionally to 103-3 off 30 and the home side were looking and feeling very confident. Here though the wheels came off and Shaw (65) who apparently hadn’t scored a run all season until then ,cut loose.138 off 35 and then a disastrous last 5 overs to take the total to an improbable 195-6. Only the Viking had reason to be cheerful at tea with 5 dismissals to his name.

Another superb tea and morale was partially restored. Even more so when Bags Roe(47) and the skipper(30) took the game back to kemsings opening attack. Indeed kemsing only had 10 men on the field and it was no secret they were struggling for personnel to fill their overs. Wood however bowled the skipper and suddenly the brakes were applied with critically only 5 runs coming off the next 6 overs .If we were making things difficult for ourselves all was not lost however with a run a ball needed off the last 20 overs , kemsing going down to 9 fielders and still frantically searching for bowlers.

It was Colin Williams ,an ex knockholt player who occasionally pops up to embarrass us, who delivered the knockout blow with his gentle medium pacers . AS wickets fell regularly the Viking picked up 34 but at 160-9 by the finish we were lucky to see the kemsing 5th bowler at all let alone a bonus point.

Held our nerve? Possibly not!

Knockholt 234-5(40 overs), chevening155-8. we won by 79 runs

Chevening ,at the bottom of the league, provided an excellent opportunity for knockholt to bounce back from the disappointing performance the week before. Against the building site backdrop of a magnificent new pavilion knockholt were given the keys to a hard fast wicket and duly set about digging the foundations. Initially it was if openers Bags(53) and the skipper (82) had contracted out the work as the chevening attack failed to control the new ball. No scaffolding was required for the score to start going up at a pace that Wembley stadium could only envy. Changes of bowlers and the only gradual withdrawal of close fielders made little impact on the feverish building work being put in by the exemplary employees at the crease. Bags disappeared in the 25th over but 150 breeze blocks had already been laid and chevening were in danger of being locked out. Roffey(13) and Reeman(17) arrived to do some plastering but it was left for Jones(18no) and sinclair(18) under the foremanship of Trendy to put on the roof-and what a fine job too with Jones signing off with a chimney high six last ball and a total of 234-5.

After tea Chevening set about their own building but ran into the two bowling councillors in Cuppy(1-20) and Jamos(2-37) who refused to give them planning permission, Challis(32) kept reapplying but he couldn’t maintain the effort. Evans(36) and Draper(22) eventually did get some work under way but constant building inspections from Reeman(3-29) and Finnman(1-24) backed up with the usual over zealous bureaucrats (2 steepling catches for the foreman)in the field meant that even a bonus point was fast disappearing. Roffey(1-10) like a strong gale, blew the tarpaulins off the incomplete shell of an innings and knockholt went further clear in 2nd place just 1 point behind Kemsing.

Knockholt 206-8 dec, Chelsfield park 152-6. match drawn.

Chelsfield worked miracles to keep the match on and then hammered knockholt in the toss up. Batting first for the first time this season knockholt gave the Park something to think about in making a brisk 57 for the first wicket before Searle(29) decided to go aerial. His partner Reay(27) followed shortly after thanks to the first of Warwick –champions lbw decisions. If Mark was looking to book an appointment in the bar with Duncan then Cory certainly wasn’t when Duncan triggered him only moments later. The only question Cory may have had was whether the ball would have made it as far as the stumps under its own steam. Jones learnt nothing from Searle’s aerial attack, Tom Collins nicked one and Cuppy Hardstone continued the catching practice he gave to speldhurst. Chelsfields silent disbelief said it all as we crumbled to 90-6. Jamos has always been able to bat but only normally at pre season nets, with a lifetime batting average of about 10 he has always been a consistent under performer in the middle but here at last he showed Chelsfield the full face of his long serving bat. Comfortably scooping up the captains cup with a determined , yet aesthetically pleasing 46 he guided his team to the relative heights of the 190s with a bit of help from his skipper(78no) and only being dismissed on the say so of the Park wicket keeper-no replays being available. JC, equally dogged but less aesthetic then held out as knockholt declared on 206-8.

At the resumption DWC then roared in for his first spell of the season but was dismayed when his appeals for LBW fell on deaf ears. Chelsfield also had no answer to his unforgiving accuracy as Cuppy too at last found his cricket brain and bowled outside off stump, picking up 2-24 in 10 aggressive overs. The two old adversaries however in Walker(32no) and Polkinhorne(82) were now building some solid fortifications in the soft ground. As to be expected from a 1st world war historian there was no shifting Walker from his trench all afternoon. Polkinhorne however received a slight shrapnel wound and retired hurt for a while which exposed the Chelsfield middle order to the persistent mortars lobbed up by JC(3-24) .At 90-5 knockholt were ready for the final push but Polkinhorne returned from blighty to condemn the match to stalemate. He advanced the score up to 150ish before smacking Cory, who was just about to concede that his afternoon couldn’t get any worse, to the skipper in no mans land.. Ollie Amos then turned his arm over in fury for the first time but it was to no avail as the well entrenched Walker earnt his side a draw.

Speldhurst 139 all out , knockholt 127-8. match drawn

Speldhurst arrived for this match in plenty of time, warming up for some while before the start time whereas knockholt showed early season lethargy on what was another largely overcast day. This fact was not lost on matchday manager Jamos who duly gave vent to his justified opinion, although to the two men who had arrived on time and also spent 3 hours between them on the wicket the previous week. Nevertheless JC and myself past on Jamos regards to the rest of the team! The pre match form then continued (as predicted by Jamos) into the early overs as Speldurst raced to 60-0 off 10 overs, largely thanks to Renton(48).Jamos was mad, and didn’t get even, Cuppy was just rusty. Suddenly the game turned however with the introduction of Reeman snr(3-6) which also coincided with a dramatic improvement from Cuppy(2-30).even catches were now going to hand with Jonesy holding his first of the season(at last) and keith R this time taking a lightening reflex catch in holding onto a thin edge off a Thresher express.. Speldhurst were tottering at 90-6 but an old Sennockian in Coleman(35) arrived at the crease and duly received a series of half volleys via the old school tie ,advancing the score to 139 before being outwitted by old Olavian JC(3-10).Finnman had also taken his first of the season thanks to Reeman jnr”chaz” and it was time for tea.

Finnman now fell victim to his own mother’s prowess at tea making as he fell immediately after the break with a distinct lack of footwork. Strangely enough so did Jones minutes later,only one suspects this had nothing to do with tea. Cuppy(21) amd keith R(17) started some repair work but both lost patience ,or were they just confused? Against the left arm chinamen and orthodox leg breaks of Coleman snr and jnr. Sure it was enough to give anyone a headache! John Searle looked in great form briefly before adventurously charging Eames(4-23) and Jamos, still fuming no doubt, smashed a half volley to mid off. Collins showed none of his net form in being clean bowled, Reeman C had an unfortunate debut and so it was left to the capt and a very calm Amos jnr(0no) to attempt a desperate last bid for glory. The capt(55no) needing 3 sixes off the last over, hit one off the 2nd ball but could not repeat the feat, meeting Eames final delivery with a text book forward defensive(bat behind pad) to ensure the draw.

St Lawrence 138-5 dec, knockholt 140-3. we won by 7 wickets                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                A typically cold, blustery April afternoon greeted the seasons opening proceedings
at st Lawrence on Saturday. Untypically however the capt won the toss. It was a no
–brainer and st Lawrence were invited to bat first on their own true but slow wicket.
Immediately both Amos(2-20) and Finnman (0-23) showed no sign of the assiduous
net practice they had both put in over the previous months as the hosts slowly went
about compiling a score assisted in total by 5 dropped catches and a missed run
out! When Jamos and Finnman had finished improving Roffey(0-26) and Reeman
(0-27) continued in much the same vain until Cobb (51no) was brilliantly stumped
by the agile Sinclair behind the stumps. Unfortunately the umpire did not see the incident
in quite the same light and the” Viking” was left contemplating an evening of old fashioned
retribution for the rest of the afternoon. When Thresher(0-14) the capt turned his arm
over even less started happening so it was left to Robinson(1-10) and Reay(2-8) to
liven up the proceedings. Such was their impact that the home side rushed into a
somewhat generously premature declaration, was it continued tedium, the sight
of the cream cakes or sheer fear? I just don’t know!
   After
a splendid tea Roe(14) and Fenn A(13) continued proceedings in the same leisurely
manner against the pace of Turner and the accuracy of Cobb. The Viking arrived
at the fall of Roe ready for some rape and pillage and duly became president of the”6 “
club with two enormous hits over mid wicket-this seemed to quell his lust for revenge
and he departed for a more civilised dinner party. At 50-3 there was still some work
to be done, Smith the leg spinner ,was turning the ball far too much for Jones
(32no)
and Thresher(42n) to get anywhere near and so Turner returned to break
the
ever tightening noose. It is a common sight however at knockholt that when there
is a not out to be had that Thresher and the fast learning Jones are unlikely to let the
opportunity slip, they made no mistake and the game was won with some time to spare.
 
 
Sat 4th may.  Penshurst park 162 all out, knockholt DNB, Match abandoned,rain.
  
Although forecast it was no less frustrating for a knockholt side packed with an army
of batsmen not to be able to chase a modest Penshurst total. The wicket ,green
but flat,
was over on one side of the square offering the more than tempting target of a boundary
only 50 yards away. Any shot out of the middle of the bat made a boundary more
than likely and the target ever more gettable.
Earlier
Jamos(3-40) had struck in only his 2nd over before Hunter(14) and Young(94) put on
50 for the 2nd wicket. Finnman brilliantly tracked down Hunter from cover with deadly
accuracy leaving the hosts middle order exposed to the swing and accuracy of a fully
fit Reeman(3-18)-it was a one sided contest and with an inebriated Roffey(1-42)
breathing all over them Penshurst were tottering at 80-6. Smith(26) and Young then
decided to hit their way out of trouble, the assault unfortunately coinciding  with the
arrival of Thresher(2-39)-was it a coincidence?!!. Amos returned to pick up another
couple of victims largely thanks to his capts panther like performance in the slips,
while the capt himself had the last laugh against Young by out witting him with an
expensive 20 ball plan of attack. A cheerful tea time mood turned to gloom as the
weather closed in for good and in the Vikings case to tears when he realised he’d
left his western province shirt in the pavilion. Probably hidden there by the capt!!