1st Team Summary – 2009 Season
2009 saw Bapchild Cricket Club celebrate it’s 225th anniversary (our first recorded match against Bridge in 1784). It also saw the club consolidate its position further in our second season since returning to the Kent League.
The season started slowly with three draws and only notable by Ben Fulton scoring back-to-back 80’s.
Bapchild picked up its first win of the season against Tunbridge Wells on the May Bank Holiday Monday bowling the opposition out for 70 with Adam Larking taking 4-10 and the team winning by 8 wickets.
Losing the next week to Betteshanger brought the team back down to earth but not without a fine first century of the season from Ben Fulton.
Bapchild returned to winning ways the following week beating Chislehurst in an exciting game at home. Chislehurst scored 201 with Matt Roche and Alex Ward chipping in with 4 wickets a piece. In reply Bapchild scored steadily with Ricky Dale (55) but found themselves at 177-9. Fortunately, Tim Harrison (48), supported well by 15 year old Joshua Hunt, hit a winning six off the second to last ball to win the match.
After losing by seven runs to Old Brocklieans the following week, the team put together a run of 5 straight wins against Farningham – with good performances from Matt Lewis (6 – 27), Lincoln Bryden (84) and Ben Fulton (54); Macknade – Matt Roche (5 – 33), Lincoln Bryden (96); Old Wilsonians – Matt Roche (4 – 49), Ben Fulton (59), Lincoln Bryden (59); Blackheath – Ricky Dale (60) and Offam where Matt Roche bowled extremely well taking 7-20.
Bapchild lost the next two games but won three of the last four matches with Ben Fulton scoring a magnificent 143 not out against Tunbridge Wells; Lee Taylor scoring 103 against Old Brockleians with Alan Hampton chipping in with 51 and returning the following week, against Farningham, to score 86 with Adam Larking taking 6 – 20.
The end of the season saw Bapchild in 4th position and while disappointed that we had failed to secure promotion was eased by Ben Fulton finishing as the division’s leading run scorer, for the second consecutive year, with 829 runs and Matt Roche as the division’s leading wicket taker with 46 wickets.
Other notable points from the season saw the Club win the local Doug Wood Cup 20/20 competition beating, newly promoted to KL Division 2, Minster in the final.