Scorecard

Newenden Cricket Club Sunday 1st XI v Chairmans XI on Sun 05 Jul 2009 at 14.30
Match was Drawn

Match report *** Match Report NC Dens vs Chairman's July 5 (Auth M Cooke) ***
HONOURS EVEN IN LAST BALL CHAIRMANS XI THRILLER
Club Chairman, Jeremy Hosking, hosted a fantastic club day on Sunday in the annual Chairman’s XI fixture. Another thrilling game was preceded by a spectacular lunch in the White Hart, including Scottish Salmon, Devon Roast Beef and Free Range Sussex Chicken and the obligatory Crayfish Pasta Salad, now one of Bar Manager Bob’s signature dishes which has recently seen him shortlisted him for Waitrose’s 2009 Chef de Partie Award.
Some overnight rain was swiftly rolled in by Head Groundsman Traill and the toss was a good one to win, which Skipper Jones did and decided to bat first. NCC showed that last weeks mauling at the hands of Northiam was a mere blip on the road to National Village Cricket dominance as NCC welcomed Jones back into the fray, along with leading run scorer Sam Traill from injury and Freddie Petch from 1st XI duties at Cranbrook School. Opening batsmen Cooke and James Meddings, another product of the Richard Cripps Newenden Cricket Academy, were welcomed to a fierce atmosphere, spearheaded by CXI captain Will Sibree, and his band of Merry Marlborough House School Vintage Men of 2002. The wicket looked to be as true as it had been all year and Cooke opened his account with some nicely timed back foot off drives. Meddings showed some classy, solid front foot play and now has County Selection Committees chomping at the bit to sign him up.
The openers managed to see of the 2 quicks with relative ease – the searing heat, cooled only by a mild westerly breeze, brought Ali Welshman into the attack. A nibbling corridor of uncertainty line tempted Meddings into an uncharacteristic waft outside the off stump which was safely caught by CXI regular Justin Lyon Taylor. Sam Traill came to the crease with runs already in the bank this year and an intense period of play ensued as the CXI looked to break what was to be a key partnership in the NCC innings. The noisy CXI were soon hushed by some crunching front and back foot play by Traill who, true to form, looked to ruthlessly plunder inexperienced bowling attacks. Traill soon overtook Cooke, who by now was playing second fiddle and the anchor to the innings, and both batsmen reached 50 in good time. Welshman’s line was still keeping the close catchers interested, and when Traill checked a cut shot to cover-point Hosking Jnr the CXI were ecstatic… until Tom Hoskings’ elbow landed on the floor and knocked the ball free. The deflatory effect this had on the CXI was massive, as Traills innings began to pick up pace with some clever 6th ball of the over singles. Traill reached his 3rd hundred of the season to rapturous applause from the Mound Stand.
Sam Attwood was brought into the attack and had immediate success as Traill went-a-dancin’ and was stumped by some electric glovework by JLT to end the second highest club partnership of 180 (bettered only by Steve Hedger and Guy Rummery’s 202 from 66 balls vs. Pett in 1987). James Harmer, Newenden’s prolific all-rounder, came to the crease at 190-2 with just under an hour on the clock with 280 looking a dead cert. Attwood entered Yorker-bouncer mode to try and stem the flow of runs, and giving Cooke the single, but this was to no avail as Cooke reached his 2nd hundred of the season with some nudgy singles to long on. When Cooke departed soon after, again stumped by JLT when Attwood saw Cooke coming and fired in a wide one, Skipper Jones was all to keen to push the score along and selflessly get out making sure he had an average this season that will take some beating. Harmer was soon dismissed to bring Peter Bourne to the crease, making his 1,000th appearance for the club. All PB managed to do was create mayhem and get himself run out too, with the innings declared closed at 264-5 with a cameo appearance from Karl Rummery (who is yet to pay his match fee as a result).
Elizabeth Hoskings’ tea will go down in history as one of the finest spreads of the post professional era. Bacon and avocado is terribly hard to master in such heat as avocadoes have a real tendency to discolour in transit. Straw-Brie sandwiches are also a logistical nightmare in ensuring the brie doesn’t spill over the crust edge of the sandwich and with some players very specific egg:cress ratio requests, not one grumble was heard. Coupled with exceptional brownies and lime cordial (believed to be a Newenden first) both teams were keen to see whether the youth dominant CXI could better the NCC target.
With Federer and Roddick slogging it out on Centre Court in what was to be another epic Men’s Final, and Sussex piling more misery on Gloucestershire in the FP Trophy Semi-Final, it was a day for heroes born and yet more sporting immortality. NCC began well with some tight lines from Neil White and Freddie Petch who both found good areas – but with Will Attwood peppering the fence with some Gower-esque cover drives, the CXI kept up with the run rate. Attwood’s partner was unlucky to be trapped in front by Petch and when Peter Bourne took an absolute belter in the gulley to dismiss Attwood, NCC were odds on favourites to wrap up the game. However, skipper Sibree (whose 3lb Newbery Mjolnir is now famed for big runs) joined JLT and launched into the NCC attack, the CXI quietly constructed a solid partnership whilst most of the capacity crowds attention was focused on whether Roddick could break Federer’s serve and deny him a record breaking 15th Grand Slam. When R-Fed finally took the honours at Wimbledon, Oli Cripps was brought into the attach to force the CXI batsmen into scoring, and force an error he did. JLT was tempted into an uppish cover drive whilst stuck in the mid 60’s which was classily pouched by Jones at short cover and Cripps again bagged JLT, which will cause alarm to the Churt CC Semi-Pro into reviewing his technique against his nemesis. 150-3 didn’t look as bad as many thought it did and the CXI, with 7 wickets in hand, had every chance of nicking the game.
Tensions soon began to rise, as a number of half chances went down in the field. The re-introduction of Ian Picton coming down the hill, reverse swinging the ball at pace, caused no end of trouble to the CXI middle order. With some powerful hitting keeping the required run rate below 6, the CXI kept the scoreboard ticking. Skipper Jones, whose technique was stolen by Ajantha Mendes in the World T20 Championships, showed how a cool head can go a long way in cricket. Coupled with batting hero Traill, the two formed an effective partnership and both took wickets to pile pressure on the batting side that needed 36 off 6 to win. Ali Welshman, who holds the record for the lowest straight 6 in Kent (the ball never got above knee height), kept finding the boundary and when Tom Hosking was dismissed it was fittingly left to Chairman Hosking and him to fight for the win. Never one to shirk the responsibility, both batsmen fought for the win and a draw was not going to be good enough. Credit to both for a high risk high return strategy which had the traditionalists cheering from the boundary. Some indifferent fielding (and keeping from Cooke) allowed them to scamper the odd single and with 5 needed off the last over it was all to play for.
Sam Traill took the honour against Hosking and dot ball, dot ball, swung the game in NCC’s favour. However 3 byes, unusual at the best of times at the NCG allowed them to get closer than NCC would have liked and when Jeremy Hosking charged Traill on the final ball, the stumping was too close to call. With the Hawkeye facility not available due to a technical error, the game was drawn in spectacular fashion. A fair result, but both teams will be disappointed not to win. A fitting end to a marvellous day.
Huge, huge thanks must be extended to the Hosking family for their overwhelmingly kind hospitality on the day, however Elizabeth is still fighting for an aerial to be installed in the pavilion. The Fixtures secretary may have some re-shuffling to do otherwise, if the fixture remains on the Wimbledon second Sunday. Legal processes are due to begin this week with House and Grounds Manager Chris Turnbull, reputed to cost the taxpayer in excess of £3 million.
Shot(s) of the day – Will Attwood’s searing cover drives off Petch
Sky Sports Third Eye – the latest addition to the Attwood arsenal of working dogs, Oboe, being put through whistle training in the Mound Stand
Stat of the day – Ian Jones sets a new club record for highest batting average of 180
Latest addition to the NCC shopping list – with the abundance of NCC Labradors, one that can sniff out cricket balls from long grass (or someone to prise Groundsman Traill off the heavy roller and onto the strimmer)

Newenden Cricket Club Sunday 1st XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 6 wickets
0
265		        
Matthew Cooke Stumped  100 1
James Meddings Caught  7
Sam Traill Stumped  103 1
James Harmer Bowled  27
Ian Jones Run out  6 2
Peter Bourne Run out  3 1
Ian Picton Not Out  0
Neil White Not Out  0
Oliver Cripps  
Garry Smith  
Freddie Petch   1

Chairmans XI Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
J.Lunshof9.023500.003.89
W.Sibree5.005200.0010.40
A.Welchman4.0114114.003.50
S.Attwood6.2030215.004.74
W.Attwood7.004600.006.57
J.Webb2.001800.009.00
C.Knox2.002300.0011.50
T.Carr4.0031131.007.75

Chairmans XI Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 9 wickets
0
264 (0.0 overs)		     
W.Attwood Caught  24
C.Knox Lbw  0
J.L.T Caught  64
J.Webb Caught  10
W.Sibree Run out  64
T.Carr Caught  31
S.Attwood Caught  7
J.Lunshof Stumped  6
A.Welchman Not Out  20
T.Hosking Bowled  6
J.Hosking Not Out  3

Newenden Cricket Club Sunday 1st XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Freddie Petch4.0122211.005.50
Neil White3.002800.009.33
James Harmer4.002300.005.75
Garry Smith4.0022122.005.50
Ian Picton6.013600.006.00
Oliver Cripps6.0051151.008.50
Ian Jones6.0033311.005.50
Sam Traill6.0027127.004.50

  • Umpire :
    Cooke/Trailler
  • Scorer :