Wessex Exiles18Sep05

For their last home game of the season Kings welcomed new opponents to Kempton in the shape of Wessex Exiles, an old boys team made up predominantly of former Southampton University attendees. Kings,for various reason still unable to select Dave Miller, Gordon Young, Dave Wright, Paul Norman, Chris Barnes, James Melligan and Danny Perroo were still able to put out one of their most experienced teams (five over 40!) with nine of the eleven players having made 100 appearances, for the club. In fact keeper Steve Smith was playing his 100th match whilst Richard Sones was playing his 199th.

On an overcast afternoon and having won the toss Kings elected to bowl first on a pitch which was holding some moisture. However if Kings thought the conditions would bring them early reward they were to be proved wrong as openers Hadland and King made a very positive start. Hadland was very impressive with some superbly timed drives off Tighe whilst King was also no slouch in his scoring. With the scoreboard racing along at six an over it seemed Exiles would be destined for the big score that is the norm for the Kempton pitch. With his slower more nagging pace Sones was able to exert more control and slowly Kings started to reign in the scoring as the field was positioned to defend the strengths of both batsmen.

Whilst both batsmen continued to play their shots in a very positive manner Tighe was starting to find his rhythm now and bowled some testing deliveries whilst Sones still gave very little for the batsman to score off. The breakthrough finally came following the ruthless despatch of Tighe's slower ball by Hadland. The next ball was far quicker, nipped back and bowled Hadland middle stump (49-1). The fall of the wicket slowed the scoring appreciably as Kershaw seemed to struggle to get the ball away, especially against Sones. Kings survived a difficult chance when he cut off Tighe to Young at backward point but the fielder did not pick up the ball from the background and the ball struck the back of Young's hand, rather than the palm. It was then Sones who threatened to break through as first Kershaw' gave a sharp chance to keeper Smith, and then in the same over he pulled to short mid wicket where Young spilled a simpler chance.

Young Joel Miah then replaced Nick Tighe but he dropped short to allow Kershaw to pull to the short boundary. However when Kershaw played an expansive shot off Sones he could only get a thick outside edge and the ball looped comfortably to Dave Miah at point (68-2). King was still proving a thorn in Kings side and he was joined by Gaisford in a very useful partnership, scoring well off both Miah and Pipe, who had replaced Sones. However a change in the field brought immediate rewards when King drove at Pipe and was caught by Tighe at cover who had just been pushed back into that position (90-3). This was the turning point of the game as from a very strong position Exiles found wickets falling far too quickly. In the very next over Miah struck for the first time when Gaisford tried to play a ball far too close to him and played on (91-4) and then Thickett was bowled first ball (91-5).

Kings were now on top and Pipe took a one handed return catch to dismiss Popham (100-6). One run further on and Jones gave Miah his third wicket when he got a thick outside edge for a comfortable catch at point to make it an all Miah dismissal (101-7). There then followed a stubborn stand from Gough and Harlow, with Gough finding the short off side boundary before he became Miah's fourth wicket (120-8). Harlow then opened his shoulders off Pipe but when he tried the same to Miah he became the 9th wicket down and completed Miah's first 5 wicket haul (125-9). With time running down to the tea interval Whyte had one last attempt to push the score on but he holed out to Young at mid on to bring an end to the innings. (137) Exiles had lost their last 8 wickets for 47 runs, Miah taking 5-31 and Pipe 3-35.

Chasing a below par score Kings openers were able to play a measured response to Exiles total. However the batsmen had to be watchful as the occasional ball was now starting to keep low. Douch and Harlow opened the bowling for Exiles and Douch got a little movement with his gentle seamers, but Harlow fell into the trap of pitching too short on the slow paced pitch allowing both Perry and Miah to score easily, Perry clipping nicely off his legs to the boundary. Douch was unlucky not to claim the wicket of Perry when the batsmen drove on the up and Gough at mid off dropped the chance. The pace for the next ten overs was now set, with Douch bowling tightly whilst Harlow bowled enough balls to score off for the batsmen to stay ahead of the run rate. Perry was particularly quick to hit Harlow on the up, but safely down the ground.

Miah then started to find his feet and he punched Douch through the covers and was also strong off his legs to the long boundary. Kings were moving along without any undue alarms and despite a reasonable spell from Thickett Kings continued to move smartly toward their target. Whyte replaced Douch and his first ball was punished by Perry as he smashed a wide short ball to the boundary. Jones replaced Thickett and Miah was quick to pull him to the short boundary. Two more runs down the ground brought up Perry's 7th fifty of the season, and took him past 600 runs. However soon after he went down the ground off Whyte and was caught at mid on (98-1). Evans then joined Miah and once he came to terms with the pace of the pitch he soon helped the score toward the target, once finding the long boundary when pulling a short ball from Whyte.

Exiles looked to have claimed a second wicket when Miah called for a quick single off a misfield by Whyte, Whyte gathered the ball and threw down the stumps but the umpire ruled it not out. Soon after Miah scored the runs he needed to complete his 3rd fifty and become the first Kings player to take 5 wickets and score a half century in the same game. With victory within sight Evans holed out to mid wicket to give Popham a wicket before Pipe struck the winning run off his first ball to give Kings victory by 8 wickets.

An enjoyable game, played in good sprit by both sides, saw a superb performance from 15 year old Joel Miah and also an experienced knock from Dave Perry, who finished the season with 605 runs at an average of 50.42 . The victory made it only one defeat at home all season for Kings, whilst they extended their unbeaten run to 11 games, and just one defeat in the last 18.