The wicket was very dry with some crumbly patches, which were to cause some erratic bounce throughout the game, hence the score being under 300!
Jake Wood and his dad only managed 59 for the 1st wicket, this week, with Wood Snr being caught off a ball that stood straight up off a length… Martin Green then ran himself out, picking the fielder with the best throw when attempting to run a fairly sluggish 2! Good work by Tom Bentall.
However, a fine partnership of 100, between Jake and Damien Saville, got things going again, though there were plenty of air shots as the bounce caused some difficulty! Damien’s range of shots kept the crowd entertained, as Jake rotated the strike well.
Jake eventually perished playing an ambitious shot, followed shortly by Ian Wise, trying something outrageous! Damien, with a sparkling 79, and Colin Colt-Scarsi also fell in a similar fashion as the innings closed in a flurry of runs and wickets. A good score, and well above par, was the feeling in the Kemsing camp.
Harry Cottle opened the bowling, taking a wicket with his 3rd ball, as James Walkling took a stunner at silly mid off from a full-blooded off drive by Bruce Goodwin! Harry continued bowling well, hitting the top of off stump twice, to dismiss the top three in his 7 overs. A good, fast and aggressive spell (3-16)!
He made way for Roger Shaddock, who, at the time of writing this, is equal top wicket-taker in all 7 divisions with 23 victims. Shaddock continued where he left off last week, bowling some extreme spin and some straight yorkers, taking 4-29 and cleaning up the middle order, including Will Everett, who scored an attractive 52, to give the score some respectability. He was ably assisted by skipper, Tom Bentall, who made a good 20, before being superbly run out by Nizam, who benefitted from a decent first touch before picking up the ball and hurling it to Damien at the bowler’s end.
Niz also finished the innings with a thoroughly deserved wicket, having been very unlucky early on, thanks to a stupendous one-handed diving catch at mid on by Colt-Scarsi. A fine way to end the game!
A good win, with contributions from most players and some great fielding. A special mention for Ian Wise (who gets a mention most weeks for his fielding), who nearly took two brilliant catches at gully off Shaddock, either of which would have been catch of the decade!
Kemsing remain 3rd in the KCVL Division 4, as Otford and Chiddingstone both won, which makes the game against Otford on 14th July a must-win!
L-R. Back row: James Walkling, Martin Green, Harry Cottle, Roger Shaddock, Damien Saville, Jake Wood, Ian Wise.
Front Row: Colin Colt-Scarsi, Nizam, Grahame Wood, Paul Bean, Gemma Stepney (Scorer)