Cricket Week - Match I v Kent College

Date: Saturday 27 June 2009

The first match of a busy last week of term pitted the St Edmund's 1st XI, consisting now of the best eleven available players in the School regardless of age, against our rivals from across the 'great divide', Kent College. It was billed as an all-day game, but an 11.00am start, playing just 35-overs a side, means that 'all day' finishes at around 4.30pm! Why not play a traditional game? Two innings, and 20 overs from 6.00pm? What ever happened to the declaration, and allowing good spin bowlers to bowl more than a measly seven overs in a day!

Regardless of the rules, St Edmund's produced a comfortable win by a margin of 83 runs. Batting first the School ran up 247 for 5 in 35 overs, thanks largely to an opening stand of 183 between Pape and Stone. Stone played the role of the anchor man, while Pape produced a whole range of big shots, ending on 128*, his best score of the season. Stone went for 38, but the innings then dribbled along, without any great urgency. The last ten overs produced just 54 runs, as batsmen found it hard to accelerate without time to play themselves in.

KC needed a good start, but soon found themselves on 12 for 2, as Kemp (2 - 25) and Easter (2 - 28) removed the openers. Wells and Bull got a start, and at 100 for 3 after 15 overs, they were up with the clock, and with wickets in hand. Enter Lower Fifth debutant Max Bungay, and in his four overs (3 - 20), the game was turned on its head. One superb running catch by Hollis, running back from extra-cover, was the pick of the fielding support given to the bowlers. Max Anglin, another 'deb' took 2 - 28, and Dom Barrett, the third new boy took the final wicket thanks to a smart stumping by Smith, now far more confident standing up to the slows.

This was a competent performance, and put the team in good heart for the challenges of SLGS on Wednesday, and the cup semi on Thursday. The only cloud on the horizon is an injury to Rafi Stone (right thumb), which we could well have done without. If he had taken the catch, then it might not hurt so much!