For the first time in the club’s history the Kent Ramblas hosted a touring side, taking on Chartridge who travelled down from Chesham for the weekend to do battle at Ex Blues.
Ramblas captain Michael Cooper sent his best agents, Messrs Johnny Stocks, Laurie Stocks and Geoff Parrett to show them the pubs of Bromley to esnure they’d be less than match fit come Sunday. Alas, the plan seemed to back fire when Chartridge rocked up fresh as daisies and the Ramblas spies arrived looking decidedly worse for wear.
The two captains agreed on a 30 over game with Chartridge batting first. Cooper chose to open the bowling with Chris Thomas and Ben Sheridan, the latter getting the nod after a string of fine performances throughout the season.
Ben & Thommo open the bowling
The pair bowled well early doors but some clean striking from Stewart and Ashwell kept the pressure off the visitors. Thomas made the early breakthrough when Ashwell’s attempted cut flew straight to the safe hands of Luke Sheridan in the covers.
The wicket brought Chartridge legend Mustafa to the crease, and the batter signalled his intent early, smashing the ball to all parts as the bowlers figures took a pasting. Parrett and Cooper came on in place of B. Sheridan and Thomas respectively.
Parrett felt the full force of Mustafa in his first over that saw the batter clear the fence and deposit the ball into the tennis courts. After hitting 62 runs off just nineteen balls, Chartridge’s skippper Darren Hepburn sportingly offered to retire Mustafa, an offer Cooper graciously accepted.
With Mustafa back in the crease, the Ramblas wrestled back control with some fine bowling from Cooper and Parrett. And it was the latter that claimed the second wicket of the day when a mistimed pull shot from Mullen was safely snaffled by Steve Fitch at backward square leg.
Parrett really put the cat amongst the pigeons with two wickets in as many balls to leave the visitors reeling. The first came thanks to by far the most nonchalant catch in the club’s history by Jason Christensen in the covers. The next came when Fisher spooned up a simple caught and bowled chance.
Celebtrating Jason’s catch
Dunwell safely saw off the hat trick ball and while watchful early in his innings, opened his arms and hit some big boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Fitch replaced Cooper and James Dilley came on for Parrett to bowl the death overs.
The new bowlers carried on the good work of the rest of the attack but a fast outfield saw the runs continue to flow. Stewart’s determined stay at the crease was ended on 31 when he was clean bowled by Fitch.
Fitch then claimed the wicket of Dunwell who was finally dislodged for an aggressive 32. Warren and Dodds, the latter making his 100th appearance for the club, saw Chartidge to the end of the innings as they posted 220-6.
With a BBQ on the cards after the game there was a quick turnaround between innings, players necking refreshments of varying ABV ahead of the second innings.
Guard of honour for Doddsy
J. Stocks and L. Sheridan were the pair tasked with opening the batting for the Ramblas and they got the hosts off to a solid start thanks to some sharp runnings between the wickets and a smattering of boundaries to keep up with the required run rate. They took the hosts to 75 for no loss off the first ten overs.
However, a change of bowlers saw the flow of runs all but dry up as only 13 were runs scored over the next five overs before the drinks break.
Luke works the ball to the on side
Sensing the need to kick on, the openers went through the gears and gave the innings some extra impotus. The aggressive intent was to be L. Sheridan’s downfall when we was bowled for 42 attempting to manouevre the ball to the leg side.
Christensen was the man in at first drop and knowing his task was to go from ball one, did just that. A flurry of boundaries saw him reach the thirties in the blink of an eye. And not to be outdone but the freewheeling Christensen, J. Stocks showed he had his own flair, hitting a mighty six back over the bowlers head and through the trees.
J. Stocks notched his second successive fifty before retiring and was replaced at the crease by Matt Rudgyard. Rudgyard was off the mark early with a boundary but that was all he could score after he was caught at the deep square leg boundary.
Jason on the attack / Johnny heads to the pavilion
There was even more heartbreak for the Ramblas when Christensen was cruelly denied a maiden fifty for the club thanks for a fantastic catch at the long on boundary. Alas, he had to settele for a swashbuckling 46 to give the innings a touch of magic.
L. Stocks and Parrett finished off the innings but some fine death bowling meant only singles were on offer and the Ramblas finished their innings on 187-3, defeated by 33 runs.
Both teams in good spirts after the match
It was a match played in great spirits and as the dust settled on an absorbing contest, both teams tucked into a fantastic post match feast. The post mortem of the match centred around how someone could hit the ball into the tennis courts, Parrett overtaking Dilley atop the wicket taking table and what happened to L. Stocks on his walk home from the pub.
Ramblas MVP: While the bowlers performed admirably and there was plenty to celebrate with the bat, for putting on a fantastic post match BBQ, this week’s MVPs are Stuart Dilley and Rob Stratford.