Broadstairs Cricket Club
Broadstairs Cricket Club
Broadstairs welcomed Whitstable to Park Avenue this weekend.
Losing the toss, Broadstairs were asked to field and things started well when Bradley Ellison found Buzz Gould’s edge second ball of the match and Chris Kidd took a sharp catch. Chris Flint shared the new ball and bowled accurately beating the bat and finding the edge of Sam Denly’s bat but the chance couldn’t be taken this time. Another edge a couple of overs later, this time from Ellison and Denly must have thought it would be his day.
Broadstairs and Bradley eventually got a second when young Jayden Denly lofted to mid-off quickly followed by a third when the old Ellison/Kidd partnership teamed up yet again to dismiss Goss. Whitstable were 53-3 from 14.
Broadstairs chipped away with Kidd & Carter but it was the introduction of Noah McLennan and his off spin that opened the door again. Picking up a wicket in his second over, a caught and bowled removing the dangerous Drakely, the next over he removed Sam Denly LBW and at 88-5 from 25 the beachboys were in a great position.
Matt Hardy then took a world class catch in the deep, something that was befitting of the IPL giving Noah his third wicket and reducing Whitstable to 97-6 in the 31st.
This brought the overseas player Boyce to the crease, riding his luck and chipping away at the Broadstairs attack. McLennan finished his spell picking up two more wickets and claiming his maiden 5fer for Broadstairs but Boyce still remained. He brought up his half century and Whitstable finished their innings 218-9.
Lack of control in the final 15 overs cost Broadstairs, as well as injuries to Flint, Ellison and Narraway with an injury that ruled him out for the rest of the match.
The Broadstairs innings didn’t start well, Nathan Fox edging behind in the third over. Hogben and McLennan consolidated for a while before Noah hit one back to the bowler. 26-2 became 57-4 when Hogben was adjudged LBW and returning overseas player Jayojit Basu found square leg.
Matt Hardy and Tom Marshall began a rebuild and batted patiently waiting for the bad balls, but with the score on 83, Hardy misjudged a sweep and the keeper took the catch. Harry Carter, Tom Marshall and Chris Flint followed very quickly and with Narraway unable to bat it was Kidd and Ellison who were in the middle instead of enjoying one of their many boundary walks.
Ellison offered up a catch to square leg and Broadstairs were 105 all out in the 43rd over
A top score of 25 by Marshall was the only highlight of a poor batting display that all too often collapses when faced with a run chase. Indisciplined bowling in the last 15 overs also meant the target was 50-60 more than it should have been.
We head to New Beckenham (HSBC) next week in the hope of bouncing back with a victory. Despite the disappointing result, attitudes and atmosphere are as good as they’ve ever been in first XI.
