Match 12/07/03

Latest Match Reports

Sheldwich 1st XI v Horton Kirby 1st XI
Saturday 30th August 2003

On a day when the Sheldwich side knew that nothing less than a win would suffice to allow them to win the Invicta League outright for the first time, a very professional team performance saw the village boys beat the already relegated Horton Kirby X1 by 45 runs, collecting 28 points in the process, and thus leaving Shipbourne and Linton Park in joint second place.

James Creed lost the toss and was invited to bat on a very damp wicket which was going to offer assistance to all the bowlers. Sheldwich did well to bat through the 46 overs finishing on 171 for 7. Creed himself got the innings off to a positive start scoring 38 before falling legbefore to persevering opening bowler Pooley who took 2 for 32 in his straight 12 overs. Martin Mills, at number five, struck a powerful 26 to keep the momentum going, but it took the common sense of David Prior ( 36 not out), and the aggression of Gareth Hill (24) to ensure that the overs were used up and a defendable score achieved.

Horton Kirby never kept up with the asking-rate of just under four an over, thanks initially to some tight bowling from Ron Brown - 1 for 20 in his 12 overs bowled off the reel. The issue was still in doubt until the combination of James Creed himself - 3 for 27 in 12 overs, and David Prior - 5 for 38 in 9.5 overs took advantage of a turning wicket and some desperate strokeplay to wipe out the middle and lower orders. The fielding was alert and aggressive, with senior players Halls and Hammond making diving stops, and with Simon Harwood taking two catches and two stumpings off the spinners, and the returning Gareth Hill. 109 for 4 subsided to 126 all out in the last over.

This was the culmination of an amazing season for Sheldwich who initially were considering only the prospect of survival in the top division, but who gradually came to realise that a series of consistent performances could bring them the title.Well done to all the players for their efforts throughout the campaign, and good luck to the squad as they look to complete a league and cup double this afternoon. David Knight

Sheldwich v Rodmersham
Sunday 31st August 2003

The dream came true, and the most successful season in Sheldwich's history was completed with a convincing win over Rodmersham on the Upchurch ground, the village side winning by seven wickets with over seven overs to spare. This sounds a wide margin but the match was far tighter than that, with Sheldwich hearts pounding with the dismissal of
James Creed, and the following tough struggle for supremacy over an eleven well versed in the arts of putting pressure on nervous batsmen. Nerves held, and a flurry of boundaries brought a well-earned victory.

Ian Hulks won the toss and invited Rodmersham to bat, as he had chosen to chase a target in all the previous rounds. Sheldwich had been forced into a late change of personnel with the withdrawal of Ron Brown, drained by his 12-over spell on Saturday, but opening bowlers Gareth Hill and Simon Smith imposed a stranglehold, which Rodmersham were never able to break. Spin-twins James Creed and David Prior maintained the pressure, and each took three wickets, Creed claiming the key scalp of Piet Botha, leg-before for 18. Mason with 18. Barton with 20, and Mansell with a lusty 19 not out dragged Rodmersham up to 109 for 9 at the end of the 40 overs. As so often during the season, Prior was the pick of the attack conceding only 17 in his ten overs, while taking his
three wickets.

The Sheldwich reply began positively with Creed and late call-up DarrenHalls putting on 54 for the first wicket before Creed nicked one to the keeper. Halls soon fell, snapped up in Botha's leg-trap, but Phil Stanford hung in, while Andy Carr broke free with square cuts and drives. Carr fell for 19, unluckily playing on, before Stanford and Danny Ray reached the target in the 33rd over. Stanford struck the shot of the day, a long on-driven six to break Rodmersham's temporary grip.
So the weekend ended with Sheldwich winning both the Invicta League and the Doug Wood Cup, both firsts in the club's history. Club second eleven representatives were sorry to have let the club down - finishing only
as runners-up in the Second X1 league !

Scorecard David Knight