Kings
slipped to a disappointing defeat at the hands of Gardeners who
enjoyed a second successive victory over their hosts. On a pitch
that the previous week had seen over 450 runs scored was still
damp from heavy rain the previous day which was to result in a
low scoring game and one in which the toss was all important.
Having
won the toss the visitors asked Kings to bat first, who were forced
to re-jig their batting line up following the late arrival, due
to heavy traffic, of usual opening batsman Dave Miller. The opening
overs saw Lebon and Merlin both extracting movement from the pitch
and which saw neither batsmen look comfortable. The conditions,
some accurate bowling and intelligent field placing continued
to give the fielding side the upper hand and they gained their
reward when stand in opener Paul Bygrave was bowled through the
gate by Lebon (3-1). Scoring was extremely difficult and Perry
and Evans were only able to move the score along slowly. However
these two seemed to be settling in until Evans missed a full toss
to become Lebon's second victim (16-2).
Miller
then came in at the unusual position of number four to join his
usual opening partner. Kings then enjoyed their best spell of
the match as the experienced batsmen started to score a little
more freely, whilst always having to be watchful. Hunter-Tilney
replaced Merlin but his third over went for 14 runs
as Kings moved the scored past the fifty mark. Clayton replaced
Lebon and in his third over he claimed the 3rd wicket, Miller
pushed forward in defence, the ball clipped the top of his pad
and keeper Richards reacted well to catch the ball and then swiftly
stump the opener (57-3). However Perry was starting to look more
comfortable and driving well looked set for fifty before he picked
out mid wicket off Hunter-Tilney 
(71-4).
Having ground their way to 71 off 30 overs Kings were now having
to push on to post a defendable score. However they lost Norman
without addition to the score (71-5) and then lost Wright, who
had survived two dropped chance to give Hunter-Tilney his third
wicket (78-6). But with Simon Pipe and Owen Mears at the crease
Kings were still hoping to push the score on.
Hunter-Tilney
was taken for 16 by these two as the score moved toward the 
hundred
mark. Yet Kings suffered another set back when Pipe got a thin
bottom edge that Richards took well behind (98-7) and then Young
fell to a pre-determined heave at Clayton (102-8). Without addition
Mears then drove on the up at Merlin (102-9). Kings last pair
of Smith and Sones then managed the score up to a very disappointing
113 before the tea interval.
During the tea interval the clouds that had threatened rain all
day finally started to break and the ground was bathed in sunlight
as the wind picked up, and in the process improving the wicket
and speeding up the outfield. Kings needed a good start but Gardeners
Captain Mike Richards made sure the bowlers did not settle by
throwing the bat at anything slightly off line. The score raced
to 30 before Richards went for a fierce cut off Pipe which he
drove straight at Sones who parried the ball and then grasped
it one handed at the second attempt (30-1).
Batting was now a different proposition to the first innings and
the pitch returned to its usual docile bowlers graveyard. Despite
this Kings were determined to make Gardeners work for every run
- Sones, having produced a tight spell of 7 overs for 15 runs
was replaced by Bygrave, whilst Pipe was replaced by Norman. Despite
everything Kings tried the breakthrough of a couple of wickets
they needed was not forth coming and soon they resigned themselves
to defeat. However still determined not to capitulate they took
the game into the last 20 overs.
Mears
then replaced Norman and his additional pace certainly caused
the batmen some problems. A wicket finally came when Mears up
rooted Lloyd's off stump and Clayton could of gone soon after
as trying to turn Mears to leg he got a leading edge that fell
just short of third slip. Kings final chance came when the solid
Woodhouse drove powerfully at Bygrave and Mears just got a hand
to the ball but could not take what was a very difficult chance.
Gardeners finally secured victory with 7 overs to spare.
So Kings see-saw season continued, but missing two key all rounders
and despite a poor batting performance, in tough conditions against
some good bowling, they did battle throughout and will be confident
of getting a run of results going soon. Once again the quality
batting of Dave Perry shone in an innings where he passed 5000
runs for Kings CC.
