Lemon Cup - Quarter-Final Victory

Date: Wednesday 25 June 2008

The Kent Schools' Under-19 Cricket Cup - the Lemon Cup - is reaching its conclusion, and St Edmund's will be appearing in the semi-finals for the first time! The draw is yet to be made, and the other three semi-finalists are as yet unknown, but we WILL be there, courtesy of a comprehensive win over Skinner's School from Tonbridge.

Easter won the toss and decided, even after last Saturday's experience, to field first against an unknown opposition. Two wickets fell in Clarke's first over but they recovered to 75 - 3 at the half way stage of the thirty overs. Enter Callaway and Pape - and in twelve overs Pape squeezed them dry of boundaries, and Callaway's 'golden arm' brought him 4 - 22, thanks to four excellent catches from Kemp (2), Rawlins and Smith. The eighth wicket rallied the total to a better final score of 135 - 8. Clarke finished with 3 - 37, and youngster Kemp had 1 - 15 in his opening six overs.

After Saturday's early collapse, it was imperative that we got a solid, but positive start. That was achieved with 47 from Easter and Pape, before the skipper was leg-before in the tenth over. Enter van Rooyen - owing his teammates some runs - and he and Pape added an unbeated 92 to see us home on 139 - 1 in the 21st over. Pape enjoyed the conditions - some pace and bounce in the wicket - and raced to 71* ( three sixes, nine fours), while van Rooyen played some sumptuous shots all round the wicket to end with 43*.

In short, a nine-wicket win, and a semi-final at some stage next week! For the moment, focus needs to be on the King's Rochester game on Saturday as we return to humdrum routine after the heady heights of a cup run.