Broadstairs Cricket Club
Broadstairs Cricket Club
Broadstairs were soundly beaten at home to fellow strugglers Upchurch in a match that highlighted the frailties have been present throughout the season amongst the 1st XI.
Winning the toss and electing to bat first on a glorious afternoon, the innings got off to an encouraging start, ‘Stairs reaching 42-1 in the 14th over. The dismissal of Jack Wheeler for 23 however signalled the start of an all-too-familiar batting collapse and within 7 overs, the hosts found themselves 70-6, Jayojit Basu (25) being the latest to depart. A 47-run 7th wicket partnership between Chris Flint (16) and Andy Marshall (38) brought some respectability to the score but when the last wicket fell in the 44th over (appropriately enough to Hussein who finished with figured of 5-34), the total of 138 was always going to be a difficult one to defend.
Despite a couple of early wickets in the opening 7 overs, both claimed by the ever-economical Bradley Ellison (10-5-10-2), the innings had an inevitability about it for all those watching on. The partnership of McLennan and Shrestha moved with glacial speed towards the target, picking up odd singles, capitalising on a series of fielding errors and rarely looking like adding to the wickets column. As the match drifted towards its predictable conclusion, the only uncertainty in the match was which over would the visitors reach the meagre target. Eventually, with the loss of two further wickets (1 each for Oli Frewin and Chris Flint), Upchurch cruised to victory with 8 overs to spare.
Although mathematically still not relegated, realistically Broadstairs will now be preparing for life in Division 2 next season. Their penultimate match this season is away to Tenterden.
