Cranbrook, Kent College, and Duke of York's
Date: Saturday 21 June 2008
The penultimate Saturday of the year, and sport goes on - Tennis and Cricket.
Senior boys' Tennis teams entertained two VIs from Cranbrook, and suffered at the hands of the opposition. A combination of the after effects of post-A-level celebrations, and the efforts of Sports' Day morning meant that strong Cranbrook teams proved too good for us on the day. The 1sts lost 2 - 7, and the 2nds 1 - 8.
Junior girls made the long journey to Kent College, and shared the spoils with the Under 14s losing 2 - 7 - two sets were won by the first pair of Laura Globig and Deveena Pithia. The Under 15s continued their winning streak, winning by just 5 rubbers to four, with Hager and Wheal winning two sets, as did Gurney and Sofia Williams at No.2. The decisive win came from Annalise Williams and Olivia Thrush who beat the KC 3rd pair to clinch the victory.
No cricketers travelled to Dover - early morning rain - but the Under 15s won easily against their Duke of York's counterparts. DoY's managed 91 - 9 in 30 overs largely thanks to a last wicket stand of 37. Penn took 4 - 15, and Stone 3 - 9 to reduce the opposition to 24 - 7 from which some recovery was made. The runs were knocked off in 12 overs, with Stone finishing on 63*, given good support in a stand of 58 by Dominic Barrett, promoted for the day from the Under 14s.
The 1sts put DoY's in to bat, and watched them reach 216 - 4 in 40 overs. With wickets in hand they scored at over ten an over for the last ten of their overs to turn in a very creditable total. Callaway took 3 - 36 'at the death', but the good containment job done by Pape and Higson was not completed. SES lost three early wickets in reply - Pape, van Rooyen and Easter falling in the first ten overs. Callaway, with 46, and Clarke with 56, staged a very promising recovery, but when they fell the later batsmen were 'strangled' by some tight bowling and intelligent field placings into singles, and fatal risks in the quest for boundaries. 162 all out in the 36th over was the final position, losing by 54 runs. The single major lesson to be learned - have wickets in hand for the last ten overs, and the St Edmund's pitch makes ten an over eminently gettable. A regular supporter of the side has also suggested that another lesson is that, if, after an exhausting morning of athletics, you happen to be lucky enough to win the toss, then the last thing you do is field for the better part of three hours, and then try to find the energy to bat effectively! It is a simple stategy - win the toss, bat first, score what you can, squeeze the opposition - and win!
Thursday next - County Cup Quarter Final against Skinner's School from Tonbridge - at home!
