Knockers Vs Kemsing

Win :: Played on Sunday 19th May 2024

Knockers
212-6

Kemsing
100-9

Match Report

2024’s second game of the season arrived at Kemsing on a scorching Summers day. Early vibes were efficient as word of captain Young’s batting order based on arrival time spread through the camp. Ollie Boreham seemed to be the first Knocker at the ground. He summoned Young over the wicket and said ’this is definitely a straight bat wicket. It is green. Please bowl first.’ Young swiftly came to a gentleman’s agreement with Kemsing’s leader and Knockers were batting.

1400 - Boreham takes guard 1401 - Boreham plays an elegant hoik across the line. Inside edge onto pad 0 (1) 1402 - Boreham was unable to repeat the trick. Clean bowled 0 (2). Jay looked more comfortable at the crease and was joined by Matt Landers, who sadly thought Boreham’s approach was the correct approach. Matt was soon trudging his way back to the pavilion, stumps in a mess. In the changing room, he remarked ’Fred what the f*** was I doing missing a straight one.’ Fred replied ’at least you tried to hit it this time.’

The Landers’ recruitment bug is clearly genetic as later Matt was seen arranging coaching sessions with a complete stranger. Thankfully for Knockers this bought about the triumphant return of Lynden Spencer-Allen. Off the mark with a two (or four…) the young man looked like he’d never stopped playing. Lofty blows and deft touches propelled the Knockers score, and after Jay was bowled, Dr. Shah came to the crease, but sadly left soon after. More to come on him later.

Rups also came and went, which bought Fred to the crease, thus reaping the rewards of his own arrival time based batting order. Lynden and Fred put on over 50 for the sixth-wicket. Lynden was visibly disappointed at Fred’s energetic running between the wickets. One three was enough and Lynden decided to deal in boundaries only after claiming he had ’tweaked [my] hammy’. Sadly for Lynden, Fred couldn’t find the middle and while he put on a dabble sweep/reverse sweep clinic, these were only ever ones or twos.

Lynden eventually succumbed to their spinner, bringing Jai and Fred together. Jai must’ve also been unhappy with Fred’s still energetic running as he decided to plough into him mid-run after Fred shouted ’two, two!’. Jai hit the deck ensuring it was only a single (he’s fine). Knockers finished on 213-6 off 35-overs.

Rups and Jeff opened the bowling. A perhaps overly aggressive field saw Rups bowling to four slips and a gully, with poor Johnners patrolling the leg side on his own. Thankfully for JJ, Rups controlled his line and length well, but his only reward came in the form of a bee sting to the eye so he came out of the attack.

Jeff plundered on, joined by Ziggy, who bowled a terrific seven-over spell, picking up a caught behind and bowled to break the 60-run opening partnership. Fred replaced Jeff before the bowling duo of JJ and Dr. Shah turned the game on its head.

Post-drinks, Vinnie, through effortless guile and skill bamboozled the batters and picked up 4-13 from a seven-over spell. His last three-overs went for no runs but he couldn’t pick up that fifth-wicket. Or could he… The batter went forward, then back, then forward and back again. Boreham was behind the sticks. The ball caught the edge. . . . . . . Boreham did not catch the ball. The entire ground bellowed in disappointment with even Boreham throwing the ball to the ground in despair.

The Spin Doctor was supported by JJ, who lunged in for seven-overs on the trot at the other end. In and out swing, movement off the pitch, and a skiddy action meant the batters had no chance. Two wickets came, clean bowled, and the game was as good as done. It could have been three but the Dr. was still clearly reeling from having his figures ’ruined’ by his own offspring’s overthrows as he put down a chance at point. Lynden nearly hung onto a one-handed grab at slip, but there was to be no three-fer for Jimbo.

Jay saw the lads home after Jeff declined the invitation to bowl the last over. A 113-run victory was deserved by Knockers.

The Knockers CC Academy was also in full swing, overseen by Scott, Pete Smith and Paul Seldon. Rups x2 and Landers x2 were hopefully not being coached by Matt, but the future is bright if the constant ball searching was anything to go by. Club Captain plus First Lady were watching, showing their daughter what the future holds for her (apparently right arm swing bowling).

Moment of the Match - Jai’s overthrows

Player of the Match - Spin Doctor, Spin Consultant, the Vaccinator, Papa, Dr. Spin. Blue Pill Merchant. Vinnie Shah (sorry Lynden)

Special mention - Jeff for being forgotten about by the Captain for about 15-overs down on the boundary. Welcomed back into the ring with applause from both Knockers and Kemsing.

 

Batting

Batsman	How Out	4s	6s	Runs
Oli Boreham	bowled	0	0	0
Jayatheerth Seetharaman	bowled	2	0	19
Matt Landers	bowled	0	0	4
Lynden Spencer-Allen	bowled	13	2	79
Vinit Shah	caught	0	0	3
Rupesh Vara	bowled	0	0	0
Freddie Young	not out	3	0	42
Jai Shah	not out	2	0	20
David Bowen	dnb	0	0	0
James Johnstone	dnb	0	0	0
Akhil Anand	dnb	0	0	0

 

Bowling

Bowler	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wkts
Rupesh Vara	3.0	1	24	0
Akhil Anand	6.0	2	17	0
David Bowen	7.0	2	18	2
Freddie Young	4.0	0	8	1
Vinit Shah	7.0	3	13	4
James Johnstone	7.0	1	15	2
Jayatheerth Seetharaman	1.0	0	2	0

 

Match Photos