Batting Collapse v Brockley

Brockley CC 132 All Out

T Fenner 55,

J Armstrong 3-17


Hartest and Coldham Hall CC  63 All Out

J Armstrong 37, D Armstrong 14, J Davenport 3.

R Webb 5-14,


   Captain Ben Atkinson led the troops into battle again and it has to be said the spirit in the camp is superb considering all the difficulties faced this season for reason already been well documented.

   Winning the toss against second place Brockley the skipper chose to field first which proved a good idea as Brockley struggled with movement, swing, bounce off the early overs and losing both openers to catches both off the bowling of Jack Armstrong who after a year out has found some old form on a consistent basis, real pace and had both openers ducking and diving!

  15 for 2 off ten overs and the bowlers on top the skipper made a change bringing on Richard Carter who in his first over had success with an edge to Ben Atkinson in at first slip, 32 - 3.

   However another chance for a catch with the ball looping up a despairing dive from Peter Richards ended with him going off to Accident and Emergency with a nasty cut needing a few stitches but leaving the home team with ten players with a long way to go but no heads dropped and Gus Walton bowled a pie which got slapped up into the air for a catch from Dave Armstrong 40-4.

54-5 when Richard Carter got an under edge to wicket keeper Mark Atkinson to take a one handed catch, hopes were high in the field but an old nemesis Tom Fenner came out with Sam Diaper who between them moved the score on quite quickly with a fair number of boundaries on a fast outfield.

   Richard Carter pulled a calf muscle and Ben Atkinson had to finish his over as Richard could hardly move for a while and 9 fit men still keeping up good spirits in adversity and Jay Davenport took his first catch for the club catching Fenner off the bowling of Ben Atkinson for 55, however the score had moved onto 111 for six.

   Hodge was brought back from his opening spell where he bowled well but had no luck but that was to change with some scintillating bowling which was rewarded when he removed Diaper for 12 but the score on 114 for 7.

   Shaun Faires took his second catch of the day to give Hodge his second wicket with Ben Atkinson bowling some spin getting Smith out LBW.

   Jack Armstrong came back with only one wicket required again bowled with pace getting an edge and a diving one handed catch from M Atkinson ended the innings of Brockley for 132.

   Must mention a good stop from Dave Armstrong a one handed leap like a salmon which got some applause, but next over a simple catch went down along with three others more difficult but overall the fielding was good, bowling was good, tea was great, actually already had five points better than the average before we went into bat, could we win our first game................

   Hodge and Dave Armstrong opened the batting and the next thirty minutes it was looking like a possible Thurston with a low score as David Hodge edged to slip off R Webb, in the same over Captain Ben Atkinson was caught at point, and Mark Atkinson in at four was lucky not to be out as Webb had got reverse swing going with bounce way to good for Atkinson even to get an edge.

   Dave Armstrong was getting a few runs but it was tough going as the sun shone through with the hottest part of the day, Webb was a handful ably supported by R Meekings not giving away to much.

   Dave Armstrong left a ball which hit him plumb in front of middle stump was walking before the dreaded finger went up but had scored 14 out of a total of 17 for 3 after nine overs.

   Richard Carter came in limping and very limited to run he and M Atkinson used up a few balls but Webb had M Atkinson well and truly in his cobweb that Atkinson went for a big shot but returned to the pavilion.

   Gus Walton followed shortly after again bowled by Webb giving him his five wicket haul after 11 overs 19 runs a collapse or inspired bowling maybe a bit of both.

   Jack Armstrong took the bowling on and Webb was withdrawn for youngster Walters-Smith and Jack Armstrong played some lovely shots but wickets were falling as Faires, Davenport [who got three and was third top score] fell with Nick Rutter in at 10 with Peter Richards back from hospital would have batted for the cause but it was a lost cause so did not bat.

   Jack Armstrong was hitting everything he could but was finally bowled out by Smith for a huge 37 to give the score a small bit of respectability 59 all out.

   Next week the team travel to Rougham CC and still looking for that one bit of success for the season however the spirit remains good but a few team members are carrying injuries plus work and holidays coming up so if your skipper calls please try and say yes who knows you maybe in the team when finally it breaks its duck to go down in folklore.

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