Broadstairs Cricket Club
Broadstairs Cricket Club
The 2nd XI recorded their 6th win of the season after a straight-forward win at home to an under-strength Whitstable side.
Winning the toss and electing to bat, the Broadstairs innings began in explosive style with Lewis Hewitt blasting a series of boundaries reaching the score of 31 by the third over. However, when he missed one that went onto hit his stumps, Hewitt had to exit the stage and fellow opener Tom Marshall was joined by Nathan Fox. For the next 10 overs, neither of them looked like getting out and accumulated comfortably with quick singles punctuated by the odd boundary. Fox departed on 22 when a guide down to third man mis-fired and landed on his stumps instead and George Kidd joined Marshall and immediately stamped his authority on the match with some well-struck fours. He and Marshall built productive partnership that looked like it would remain through to the end of the 50 overs. However, just as he was approaching his half-century, Marshall (48) suffered a lapse in concentration and he had to return to the pavilion after lofting one straight to long-on. Josh Marshall joined Kidd at the crease and together they advanced the Broadstairs total to 195 with Kidd in particular playing with confidence and fluency and looking set to get to triple figures. Unfortunately, his innings was cut short at 63 when he was trapped LBW off the bowling of Todd and he was followed quickly by Josh Marshall who was stumped of the same bowler. With more than 20 overs and 5 wickets still remaining, it was now down to the middle-order to build on the total of 198-5. Joe McCaffrey stepped up to the plate and built a fine innings of 42 over 20 overs, ably supported by James Bond (29) and Andy Marshall who finished not out on 53, carrying on from where he left off last week. Special mention to Whitstable youngster Jayden Denly who took a fine catch in the deep, right in front of the spectators, to remove Bond. By the time the 50 overs were complete, the Seasiders had posted a score of 343-9 with Oli Frewin the other not out batsman after the departure of Callum McCormick and Ashley Ellison.
The Whitstable reply began almost as explosively as the Broadstairs innings with Gambell finding the boundary seemingly at will. He raced to a score of 43 within the first 10 overs before being dismissed by a well-taken catch by McCaffrey off the bowling of Frewin. The problem from Whitstable’s perspective was that the remaining Whitstable batsmen were unable to stay around long enough to build a partnership. McCormick (3-21) and Fox (1-33), removed the top order and Ellison (3-0) and Frewin (3-17) dismissed the tail all with scores in single figures. By the 15th over, when the final wicket fell, Whitstable had reached 72, 271 short of the Broadstairs total.
The victory keeps Broadstairs at the top of Division 1, albeit having played a game more. They will look forward to the trip to Canterbury next weekend, hoping to extend their winning run to four in a row.
