Scorecard

Castle Hill CC v Newenden Cricket Club Sunday 1st XI on Sun 22 May 2022 at 2:00pm
Newenden Cricket Club Lost by 42 runs

Match report Date : 22/05/2022

Venue : Castle Hill

Result : Newenden lost by 42 runs (Castle Hill 204-8, Browning 2-19, Smith 2-37, Chatterton 2-44, Newenden 162 All Out, Parr 45, Browning 33, Morris 22)

Man of the Match : Mike Parr


Nelson Mandela once said 'I never lose. I either win or learn', well we learnt two things yesterday, don't turn up with ten men and Fred Smith is not a viable bowling option.

Fielding eleven willing men every week is no small task and this week I think I would have had more chance of finding that last man if I had advertised 'Man wanted for sex - please reply to Anne Widdicombe'.

We arrived at Castle Hill's beautiful ground in glorious sunshine, confident that we still had enough to put up a decent fight and that is exactly what we did. Having lost the toss we were asked to bowl. Castle Hill are one of a dying breed of club that still play timed games, an archaic format that few other clubs play for a reason, as it does not offer a level game or the guarantee of a result.

Bradney and Browning bowled superbly at the front end, picking off the two openers cheaply. Both bowlers were getting a lot of joy from a deck that offered variable bounce and contained the batsmen for the first ten overs. Browning then snaffled his second wicket with an inswinger that beat the batsman all ends up. Chatterton then entered the fray, and what an entrance he made. Sporting a very jazzy pair of golf shoes, he looked as if he had just wandered off the course at St Andrews before settling into a great spell of bowling. Mixing up his lengths well, he kept the batsmen guessing and this tactic was to reap reward as he clean bowled their number five with an absolute jaffa that just kissed the top of the off stump. He soon picked up his second following a sharp catch by Morris at mid-wicket.

Garry Smith (no relation to Fred he assures me) then came on to bowl his customary tight spell, you could almost feel the frustration of the batsmen as they defended ball after ball. Finally he drew the shot from their set man, who holed out to deep midwicket, following a great catch by Parr. One often brings two, and the same pair combined again to leave Castle Hill at 120-6 from 30 overs.

Fred Smith was then brought into the attack, as captaincy decisions go, this was far more Piers Morgan than Eoin Morgan. The buffet was open and Castle Hill filled their boots. Parr had come on at the other end and bowled some eye-catching off spin, picking up a wicket for his troubles following a superb catch in the deep by Browning. Bradney came back on to bowl the last few overs in tandem with Parr, with Castle Hill looking to get their total up over 200. This they did in the 43rd over, declaring at 204-8.

We were treated to a wonderful tea that would have been worthy of the NCG. A superb selection of finger sandwiches, beautifully presented on wooden trays. Followed by a delicious array of cakes and savouries, topped off with homemade cream and jam scones. One of the best we have had away from home in a long while.

Our reply didn't start well with Harker falling in the third over without troubling the scorers. At the other end, Parr had different intentions and started to dispatch the opposition opening bowlers to all parts. He had raced through to 45 before being trapped plumb in front. He had given us a solid start leaving us on 62-2. Fred Smith put up some resistance for his 14, though I think he may have borrowed Mike Bellhouse's thistle underpants from last week. After he was stumped, Burns followed soon after leaving us teetering at 78-4. Morris then joined Browning at the crease. Browning looked in the mood and was playing beautifully as the pair put on 38 before he sliced one to backward point. Gibbs then joined Morris in the middle and they appeared in little trouble as they took the score through to 148, with ten overs still left to bowl. Gibbs was finally displaying the kind of batting talent that we all knew was there and was unfortunate to pick out their tallest fielder as he holed out to long on. The loss of that wicket was the turning point as it was too much to ask the lower order to maintain the scoring rate. Morris was caught behind trying to force a shot and the final three wickets fell for not too many

We finished up on 162 All Out.

It was a valiant effort and thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.

We return to play Castle Hill in the Wealden Wallop in a week or so, few would bet against a very different result.

Newenden Cricket Club Sunday 1st XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 9 wickets
0
162		        
Charlie Harker Bowled  0
Mike Parr Lbw  45 2
Fred Smith Stumped  14
Ben Browning Caught  33 1
Oliver Burns Caught  1
Philip Morris Caught  22 1
Ben Gibbs Caught  21 1
Oliver Chatterton Bowled  7
Garry Smith Caught  1
Harry Bradney Not Out  1
A.N. Other  

Castle Hill CC Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Castle Hill CC Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 8 wickets
0
204 (43.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Newenden Cricket Club Sunday 1st XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Harry Bradney10.0245145.004.50
Ben Browning7.011929.502.71
Oliver Chatterton9.0144222.004.89
Garry Smith9.0137218.504.11
Mike Parr6.0027127.004.50
Fred Smith2.002500.0012.50

  • Umpire :
    Giles Moffat
  • Scorer :
    Sophie James