Kempton 23Jul06

Kings played host to Kempton in the first of the double header this season. Skipper for the day Steve Smith won the toss and asked Kempton to bat first in a time game.

With usual opening bowler Miah unable to bowl through injury, Kings opened the bowling with Pipe and Mears. The pair started well restricting the batsmen. It was not long before Mears made the breakthrough, MacKenzie taking the catch (15-1). Next batsman Warne R did not last long as Pipe had him caught by Mears for 0 (16-2). Without troubling the score Inwood came and went as Pipe struck again the catch being taken behind by Smith. (16-3).

Kings were really piling the pressure on now with some good bowling and great fielding. Sohail and Warne T (now batting with a runner) took the score to 52 before Sohail top edged a high ball from Mears straight to J Miah for a battling 26 (52-4). This became 69-5 as Saverimuttu went for the big sweep and was clean bowled by Young who had replaced Mears. Kings were now well in charge and it got even better when a mix up with the runner, Warne T was run out for 17 (69-6). A couple of overs later Norman who had replaced Pipe took his first wicket having Loveridge caught by Perry for 5 (76-7). Porter and Osborn were now at the crease and despite giving a few half chances seem to take a liking to the slow pace of Young/Norman. They pushed the score along to 138 before Norman got his man bowling Porter for 25 (138-8). That was the last wicket to fall as Ben Osborn pushed on to his 50 with some aggressive shots taking 15 off one over from Evans before the innings was declared on 153-8 after 44 overs.

Although on the whole it had been a superb bowling and fielding display we were a little disappointed we did not restrict Kempton to 30 less runs. But all this said, Kings felt confident of chasing the score down.

Kings opened the batting with Miller and Perry facing the opening slow bowling attack of Saverimuttu and Shannon Miah. They started steady enough, both finding the boundary in the opening overs. It was in the 5th over when Saverimuttu struck as Miller, driving on the up, was sharply taken by Warne R in the covers for 6 (18-1). With Perry playing watchfully against the accurate bowling of Saverimuttu and surprising pace of Inwood he and Evans took the score to 40 before the latter holed out to Warne for 15 off the bowling of Saverimuttu. It was Kempton's turn to turn the screw as first Joel Miah bowled for 0 (40-3) and then Pipe bowled for 0 (41-4) followed by Mackenzie caught off the bowling of Saverimuttu for 0 (42-5). It was time for some consolidation which seem to be building until Young was out to a sharp catch in the slips for 7 (65-6). With Norman next in and Perry still there we still thought we were in with a chance of victory. But it was not to be, in the very next over Perry's long innings came to an end for a battling 28 to become Saverimuttu's 5th wicket. (76-7).

Norman was playing with freedom but with Miah D out for 1 in the next over (77-8) it was time to dig in and try to save the match. Norman and Mears did this with great effect for 5 overs until Porter was brought into the attack and with his first ball had Mears caught by Warne R for 2 (89-9). With a possible 12 overs left it was up to the last pair of Norman and Smith to try and salvage the draw. The resistance finally coming to an end after another 5 overs when Norman got an in ducker form Loveridge, Kings were all out for 101.

Although a losing one, the match was an enjoyable one, our fielding and bowling were excellent, our batting let us down, taking nothing away from the great bowling of Fabian well backed up by Allan Inwood. We look forward to the return later in the year.