Broadstairs Cricket Club
Broadstairs Cricket Club
Bromley CC won by 2 wickets
Broadstairs 161 -9 (50): Nathan Fox 32, Jay Basu 31, Jake Benfield 25, Geroge Kidd 22, Matt Hardy 18
Bromley 162-8 (49.3) : Jake Benfield 3-36, Chris Kidd 2-15, George Kidd 1-28 , Freddie Corner 1-24, Matthew Frewin 1-37
With the season reaching the half-way mark, Broadstairs faced one of their sternest tests so far in their first season in the Championship when they hosted Bromley on a blustery afternoon. The match proved to be a thriller with the visitors getting over the line with just 3 balls and 2 wickets to spare.
Invited to bat first, Broadstairs got off to a steady start with Nathan Fox and returning overseas Jay Basu reaching 55-0 within the first 17 overs and looking untroubled. However, a mis-cue from Basu (31) followed swiftly by the loss of Matthew Frewin (5) changed the dynamics of the game and it was down to Fox and Jake Benfield to re-build the innings. They were able to steady the ship through to the 31st over until Fox (32) was caught and with Benfield (25) being dismissed two overs later and the score on 104-5, the Broadstairs innings was starting to falter. However, some late runs from Matthew Hardy (18) and George Kidd (22) restored some respectability; as the rain fell with the 50th over just completed, Broadstairs finished on 161. Unfortunately, in completing the final run of the innings, Bradley Ellison suffered a collision which led to a wrist injury that not only meant he had to sit-out the second innings but also means he will miss much of the remainder of the season.
It was therefore necessary to introduce a new opening bowling partnership as Broadstairs sought to defend their modest total. The father and son pairing of Chris and George Kidd got into their stride from the off and by the 20th over, Bromley were struggling at 44-3 with Chris finishing on 2-15 and George on 1-28. Matthew Frewin and Freddie Corner took over bowling duties for the next 10 overs; although Corner was able to claim a wicket, the Bromley batters were starting to look more settled. The change to Oli Frewin and Jake Benfield delivered a wicket for Benfield and as the overs ticked over, the match was delicately poised. Each time the visitors looked like establishing a match-winning partnership, another wicket would fall and the initiative would shift back to Broadstairs. At the end of the 47th over, the eight wicket fell (claimed by Matthew Frewin) and Bromley needed 16 more runs from the remaining three overs. Benfield, who had already claimed three wickets and was bowling as well as he has all season, looked likely to finish off the Bromley tail. However, a composed and intelligent knock by Bromley's number 7 batter Ollie Streets (40) saw the visitors home with just three balls to spare.
Although the defeat is the third in a row for Broadstairs, these latest matches have been against the top sides in the division and on each occasion, they have been evenly-matched contests. As the club heads to the second half of the season, they can draw a great deal of confidence from the way the season has gone so far and will look forward to more matches like the one today.
Next week sees the return fixture against Dartford CC. With home advantage, Broadstairs will be looking to reproduce the form that saw them come-out on top in the season's curtain-raiser.
