Knockers Vs Buccaneers

Win :: Played on Sunday 7th June 2015

Buccaneers
213-4

Knockers
216-3

Match Report

Knockers v Buccaneers

Match Report

Robin Hoods Merry Men bt The Buccaneers

A gathering of a Knockers X1 is rather akin to the infant days of Robin Hood and his merry men. A coming together of many characters all led by a wayward man child. A collective shambles that in the end comes good. So it was that the ‘Little Richard’ Calver, Will ‘Tom Cobb’ Scarlett and Alan a Dale (Tom Elliott) came to the leafy setting of Bitchet Green to face the forces of The Buccaneers. Resplendent in whites rather than the Lincoln Green of Robin hood tails, The wayward man child himself rolled up at 2pm, the intended start time. Howe who then decided Calver would take the on field skipper’s role lost the toss and was delighted to be asked to bowl. With only 3 bowlers and 35 overs with a maximum of 8 overs per bowler, Howe was happy that the problem of the other 11 overs was Calver’s dilemma. Howe retired down to deep fine leg to find solace amongst the outfield and to avoid the ball as much as possible whilst Calver had to call on all his skills learnt as Head Boy to work out how to manage a bowling attack short on numbers. The Bucs were soon on top, Howe seemed to be leading a risible excuse of an outfit as the score raced along. The prodigal son, Will Scarlett (aka Tom Cobb) rolled his eyes and would have rather have been in Corals, Calver and Sayeem could find no consistent line and it looked like a long afternoon was ahead. Then something strange began to stir in the forest. Knowles on debut began a tricky spell and with the total just shy of the century, John Mitchell took a great catch, back pedalling and suddenly the unusual crowd of debutants, cheroot smokers (not to be named), Roger Federer (Paul Seldon) and Tom Cobb (no one knew what had lead him to declare availability after 3 years) suddenly began to bond as a team. Guile from Elliott and then a crafty spell of leg spin from Dan Hutt entertained players and watchers alike. Howe was a feeble fellow in the deep, stumbling, tripping and missing the ball time and time again, almost a Guy of Gisburne figure, a figure of abject failure. Then debutant ‘Gerald’ made a diving stop of Gower esque grace, a piece of fielding that suggested not all was lost. Howe lost in his own thoughts and dreams of Megan in Miami advised Calver that Paul Seldon could turn his arm over and to the fine leg’s surprise Seldon took Calver’s instruction and began to limber up. What followed was an exhibition of fine swing pace bowling, moving the ball both ways, always on the right line and length and pace. The score began to slow and what looked like 255-260 ground to a far less impressive 215 from 35 overs with Seldon’s last arrow thwacking the timber of the Bucs number 6.

Friar Tuck would have approved of tea. Fine fayre of meats, cheeses, cakes and fruit all made by the absent soon to be father Landers.
Howe rather rudely then took back the skipper duties from Calver, but seeing Calver’s patience and old head on young shoulders, decided Calver was an Opener. Deprived of his opening partner who departed on 8, Calver and Seldon set off at a rapid pace to reach 144 at drinks. As the shots were sent to all parts of this part of rural England Howe offered advice to the young Tonbridgians on love and life in general, Cobb checked Paddy Power on his phone, Gerald and John relaxed in the late evening sunshine and the poor Alan realised he had lent Howe his box, victory seemed a foregone conclusion. Then drinks. Almost as Deadly to batsman as Anthrax to the general population as first Calver fell C&B and then Seldon to a brilliant diving catch at cover. Howe at 5 joined Cobb at the crease. The 1990 Slazenger V100 took sometime to get going, but after playing themselves in No’s 4 and 5 moved through the gears with some powerful stroke play. The Bucs were now tiring, The Seldon parents had left for pastures new, perhaps wisely after Seldon on his way to a swashbuckling (a fine word when playing a team called the Buccaneers) had hooked a six that missed his parent’s heads by inches and it was left to Howe to see the Knockers home, in a flurry of shots he sent a brutal six over mid wicket and hands were shook after the ball was crashed to the boundary to bring a 74 unbeaten partnership to an end.

A fine 2nd victory of the season, 2 from 2, Tom Cobb back in the fold, a fine tea, Alan joining a long list to have foolishly handed over his box to Howe and after the shambles of a start a convincing and fine win over a strong side whose opener had made 107 not out.

As the sun began to set as the two teams enjoyed the Mead and Ale at the Padwell Arms, the Knockers could pride themselves that what has started out as a shambles had turned into a win of fine proportions. As Friar Tuck would have said ‘The Lord works in mysterious ways’

 

Batting

Batsman	How Out	4s	6s	Runs
Richard Calver	caught	0	0	40
Alan Amirtharaj	caught	0	0	8
Paul Seldon	caught	0	0	83
Tom Cobb	not out	0	0	33
Guy Howe	not out	0	0	27
Gerald McBrearty	dnb	0	0	0
John Mitchell	dnb	0	0	0
Sayem Ahmad	dnb	0	0	0
Daniel Hutt	dnb	0	0	0
Tom Elliot	dnb	0	0	0
Daniel Knowles	dnb	0	0	0

 

Bowling

Bowler	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts
Sayem Ahmad	8.0	0	30	0
Richard Calver	5.0	0	33	0
Daniel Knowles	7.0	0	42	1
Tom Elliot	2.0	0	19	0
Daniel Hutt	5.0	0	28	0
Paul Seldon	8.0	0	37	2