BarnsGreen18Jul04

Kings produced their best performance of the season to date to record a superb victory over Sussex league side Barns Green. Having lost two batsmen late in the week Kings were forced to call up South African Richard MacKenzie and were grateful to their opponents for the use of young 14-year old Danny Conway.
Up against a strong opponents Kings knew they would have a tough game ahead, but one which was to see a great performance from all the players.
Kings won the toss and asked their hosts to bat on a good pitch with some warm sunshine.

The opening over saw Nick Tighe produce an impressive six balls in which he had a good shout for lbw against Filby turned down and then beat the batsman comprehensively only for the bounce to take the ball millimetres over the top of middle stump. Tighe certainly enjoyed no luck as in the following overs he had Fliby playing and missing on a few occasions. At the other end the batsmen had to contend with the slower pace of Pete Adams who was making his first appearance of the season for Kings. However Mtira soon came to terms with Tighe and drove one super six down the ground and followed it with a good pulled four to the mid wicket boundary. Both batsmen also started to work Adams off their legs well as the bowling tended to drift to middle and leg.

Pipe replaced Tighe and this slowed the scoring rate at one end but Adams was still prone to one bad a ball an over which was suitably punished by the batsmen. Kings were forced more and more on to the defensive as the batsmen scored regularly without too many scares. The score had moved to 93 without loss when Adams finally got the breakthrough when Mitra, in trying to work the ball to leg, could only loop the ball up for Smith to take the catch. Soon after Gordon Young came into the attack and from that moment the innings swung in Kings direction.

Young struck in his first over having Filby caught at short mid wicket by MacKenzie, and then the bowler claimed a wicket in his next over when Johnson edged behind and Smith took a smart catch behind the stumps. This became 3 wickets in 3 overs when Coghill also fell to Young, with MacKenzie grasping the ball at the second attempt. Kings were now in total control as the Barns Green batsmen had to contend with the tight bowling of Pipe and the guile and flight of Young. Paske had had an uncomfortable time against Young and he finally became Young's fourth wicket when he was dragged out of his ground and Smith produced a smart piece of work to complete the stumping and take his third dismissal of the game, taking his career total level with Dave Perry.

Allcock was next to go when he got a thick edge off Young and Sones took the catch at 3rd slip to give Young his fifth wicket. Some smart thinking by Smith brought the next wicket. Bailey called Courquin through for a single but Courguin held his ground and despite Evans' throw coming to the keepers end, Smith gathered and threw to the bowlers end where Pipe calmly removed the bails to leave Bailey floundering in the centre of the pitch. Brown came in and drove Young down the ground but the next ball the bowler beat him in the flight and bowled him to take his sixth wicket. Barns Green lost their 9th wicket through another run out, Courquin and Parkes chancing a second run and Wright's accurate throw to Smith left Parkes well short of his ground.

The final accolade went deservedly to Young who forced Ott to chip the ball up and MacKenzie was sharp to the chance to take his third catch and give Young his 7th wicket. Barns Green collapsed from 93-0 to 173 all out, and Young had returned 7-44 to become only the second Kings player to take 7 wickets. MacKenzie, who also dropped a difficult chance, but equalled the club record with his 3 catches in the match.

With the opening batsmen and their usual replacements missing this game Kings had to turn to Steve Smith and Nick Tighe to open the batting against the lively attack of Allcock and Brown. The batsmen played well despite being given a good working over as Allcock peppered them with some short balls. The score had move smoothly along to 23 when Tighe went to drive a wide ball from Coghill and Fibly took a good catch at 3rd slip. The partnership between Smith and Evans was worth nine runs before Smith scooped a simple catch to Johnson (32-2).

However there then followed the partnership of the game, as Gordon Young and Evans went about their task with watchful purpose. It was Evans who played the aggressive shots, whilst Young worked the ball around in a good supporting role. Mitra's introduction into the attack allowed Kings to accelerate ahead of the run rate when a series of full tosses allowed Evans to milk 22 runs off one over. Uncharacteristically it was twenty balls before Young found the boundary but the partnership was working so well this was off no consequence. Evans continue to show a recovery of form as he struck some fine fours square of the wicket. Evans moved to an impressive fifty full of determination and skill. Allcock then returned to the attack in place of the impressive Coghill but this time bowling spin. This gave the batsman something new to think about and when Young tried to drive against the spin he could only sky it to mid off.

80 had been added in taking the score to 112-3. Yet nothing could stop Evans now and he lifted Allcock over the boundary for six which forced the bowler back to his long run up. Such was the pressure on Barns Green now that Bailey, their captain, came from behind the stumps to come on to bowl and he promptly bowled Pipe behind his legs (143-4). It was then Allcock's turn to put the pressure back on Kings when he bowled the impressive Evans for a superb 74 (147-5). Kings now needed 27 to win with eight overs left and Kings skipper Rob Young now played a tactical game. With Dave Wright already at the crease for some lusty hitting, he then sent in young Danny Conway. This forced the home bowlers to cut their pace and this worked to Kings advantage as Wright and Conway kept the scoring rate up with the required rate in taking 12 off one Brown over.

Wright took the scores level with a four straight down the ground, however he was then caught behind off Allcock leaving Kings needing 1 run from the last two overs to win. MacKenzie in attempting the winning run was caught at mid wicket as Kings lost their 8th wicket (173-8). Finally Adams' thick edge with eight balls left beat the field to give Kings one of their greatest victories ever.

For Kings there were clear heroes, Young's outstanding bowling performance, MacKenzie's safe catching, Smith's good keeping and Evan's fine innings. Yet the whole team deserved recognition and praise. In the field facing a big score the side stuck to its task, continued fighting and fielded well. In the batting Smith and Tighe gave them a start, Young batted well in supporting Evans, and Wright with some swashbuckling hitting ensured that Kings won the game as wickets started to fall. It was a very happy dressing room after the game.