Hythe: Another satisfying result for the current team of the moment. A difficult one to decide whether to bat or bowl first but we batted and got a reasonable start. Hythe’s bowling was good in that it was tight and difficult to score off on an untypical Park track, which is a new one, it did help the bowler. However we did capitalise on the bad ball and lots of bad catching and fielding. AA got another solid looking 90, and a superb cameo role by Si Wren hitting 38 not out was good to see, despite the oxygen tank needed after! Towse again chipped in with a few and the others got out just trying to push things along, we finished up on 212 which as I say was a good score on quite a difficult batting track against straight bowling.

In reply Hythe got off to the worst start possible losing both openers in the the first 3 overs, and further tight bowling from Dom in particular made it difficult for them. The only real batsman who’s scored the majority of Hythe’s runs this season was always going to be the key wicket and after a few shots slid off thick edges or flew through the air you knew you were in with a chance. He finally fell to Dom after some great work containing him as best as possible, at point with a nice little catch buy someone or other. After that a few bashed it about a bit but with Bear on, bowling as he has done pretty much all season they were never realistically going to get it and he soon took 4 wickets for not very many again. AA came on towards the end and took his 2 wickets including the all important last wicket as the last two batsmen looked very solid and there was concern about picking the last wicket up. Hobo once again was key behind the stumps and continues his fine form with a stumping and two further catches, still clearly the best keeper we’ve seen in our league.

Once again a good performance in the field, keeping it tight so singles were limited holding catches where and when it came to it and backing up stumps and each other clearly shone through and showed the better side, it was impressive.

Now that BOCA have slipped up and Hayes to a degree, we must now push onwards and upwards and continue our progress to really secure that possible promotion place. Lets not get excited, keep your feet on the ground, keep working, keep trying, each game as it comes and relax and we’ll be fine I’m sure.

Well done again everyone

Walmer: Another outstanding batting performance by Andy Allon, not without a few close calls and a lot of verbal from the keeper Furness to both players and umpire, saw him reach his 3^rd 100 in 4 games, a good effort.
  Some great support also from all those in the top of the order, Pardip, Hickers, Towsey and Wrenny, scoring late twenties and thirties, some excellent running between the wickets, working around Andy was also very creditable. Unfortunately apart from Hobo the middle to lower order were’nt so hot this week collapsing miserably, although Lawsie did continue his run on runs with a few at the end. Even so a score of 240 on Walmers pitch, and according to the groundsman is only second to Sibton’s (!!!!!!) was a very good effort.

In reply we bowled ok to start with Dom having one of the openers caught off a no ball, but Walmer got off to a flyer mainly because they hit through the ball hard (teeing off!) so any edges flew over the slips. Walmer were 101 off 16 overs without loss so were easily on target. Unfortunately the ugly incident involving the mouthy Furness was not part of the plan as AA taking a flying ball in the midrift at slip, a little juggle, claiming the catch quite legitimately, the batsman took it upon himself to scream at the umpire he dropped it and point repeatedly to the floor.
   Unfortunately both umpires were unsighted so quite rightly could not give it out, and these days an honest claim for a catch by a fielding team with everyone going up is obviously not enough for some, so we just got on with it, not without a few chirps of course. A couple of overs later he was dismissed anyway in an unlikely fashion and caught at slip! After that the others just seemed to tumble with myself picking up a couple, to slips (and one dropped at slip!), Heathy getting one and Lawsie coming on and picking up 4 fer, with the obligatory one for AA.