Bapchild Cricket Club

1st Team Summary – 2014 Season

The first team entered the 2014 season looking for promotion and had their first outing away to Bromley Town. The only winner on the day was the weather when the match was abandoned after 48 overs with the home team on 160 for 3. The following week saw them away again to RACS. Making the right decision to field Bapchild bowled the home team out for 119 with Ricky Dale picking up an excellent 5 for 11 and supported by Adam Rayner 3 for 40. Bapchild secured the first winning of the season knocking off the runs with four wickets to spare (Lee Taylor 30)

The following Saturday saw the team home to Chislehurst and the roles were reversed as the team was bowled out for 133 (Alan Hampton 30) with the visitors also making it home with six wickets down. Bexelyheath away saw the home team 52 for 4 but a middle order stand meant they reached 247 for 9 dec. (Adam Rayner 3 for 52). The chase was always going to be difficult but Lee Taylor 48 got the team off to a good start but regular wickets meant we fell 22 runs short in the end.

Rainham at home saw the visitors 174 for 4 but persistent bowling by Matthew Roche (5 for 44) and Ricky Dale (4 for 41) saw the last six wickets go down for just 15 runs. A superb 101 from Adam Larking saw the team home with 3 wickets to spare. Another home game against Walmer saw the team get a winning draw reaching 181 for 8 off their 50 overs with visitors falling 19 runs short with just one wicket standing. Tyler Wassell picking up an excellent 3 wickets for just 2 runs at the death.

A visit to bottom of the league High Halstow saw the team get beaten heavily as they chased 277 (Adam Rayner 4 for 64) and only reaching 190 in reply (Ricky Dale 39, Simon Harrison 38, Lee Cogger 37). The league leaders, Leeds & Broomfield visited Radfield Hill the following week as the first half of the season came to a close. Put into bat Bapchild reached a respectable 209 for 9 (Lee Taylor 39, Cameron Archbold 32, Lee Cogger 31). The visitors started aggressively but four quick wickets from Joshua Hunt (3 for 41) and Adam Rayner (2 for 25) put the batting team on the back foot. Tyler Wassell death spell of 3 for 10 saw the visitors all out for 127 with just four balls short of a draw. Highlight was Ricky Dale ragging a ball 3 feet to clean bowl a bemused opposition batsman

With just three wins in the first half of the season promotion looked a long way away and even further after a losing draw to Bromley Town on a reduced over match. The visitors scored 129 off their allotted 35 overs (Ricky Dale 3 for 39) but after tea Bapchild was just one run short of the total (Tyler Wassell 36) in reply.

It was at this point our season changed as the team put together a run of 5 wins and a winning draw. Firstly, against visitors RACS, the team put on 183 (Joe Mills 55, Lee Taylor 38, Adam Larking 32) then bowled the opposition out for 159 (Matthew Roche 3 for 20, Joshua Hunt 3 for 41, Joe Mills 2 for 7). The following week they beat Chislehurst away scoring 244 (Adam Larking 78, Joshua Hunt 62, Matthew Roche 37) before bowling the home team out for 142. Tyler Wassell taking out the top order this time with 3 for 42 supported by Ricky Dale (3 for 17)

Visitors and potential promotion hopefuls Bexelyheath had the team all out for 170 (Joshua Hunt 47, Dylan Lee 30) but failed to capitalise as the home team bowled exceptionally well removing the visitors for just 114 (Ricky Dale 4 for 31, Tyler Wassell 3 for 10).

With just four games to go the team visited Rainham in potentially a promotion decider with Rainham 4 points ahead in 2nd place. On a very damp pitch but knowing 20 points were needed the team agreed to bat first. Losing a wicket early, on a testing wicket brought together one of the best partnerships of the season as Ricky Dale (96) and Joshua Hunt (51) battled their way patiently through the Rainham attack. By the time they fell the team had an excellent platform and with the pitch drying saw a rapid 39 from Dylan Lee supported by Lee Taylor (25) and the team reach 227 for 5.   A devastating opening spell from Adam Rayner (3 for 17) and Joshua Hunt (2 for 26) saw Rainham struggling with five wickets down early on. With 33 overs to go Rainham shut up shop to save the draw, which they did with some resolve and at close found themselves 133 for 7.

Walmer away would always be a difficult game and when the home team was on 183 for 4 a big score was looming but Joshua Hunt (3 for 34) and Alan Hampton (3 for 76) kept them to 219. A reasonable start saw the team reach 106 for 4 (Joe Mills 42) and an excellent quick fire 65 from Cameron Archbold supported by Lee Taylor (30) and Alan Hampton (27) saw the team home with 8 overs to spare.

The team knew that had to keep the pressure on Rainham so elected to bat first against High Halstow scoring 241 (Adam Larking 63, Dylan Lee 51, Ricky Dale 49). After tea the bowling attack played its role with Adam Rayner (5 for 32) and Tyler Wassell (4 for 12) saw the visitors bowled out for 59. The team waited for the results to come in expecting to have to go to promoted Leeds & Broomfields the following week looking for a win. However, news came through the Walmer had beaten Rainham and the team was promoted for the first time into the Kent Cricket League Division 4 and the appropriate celebrations ensued.

The last game of the season against promoted champions Leeds & Broomfield was played in good spirit with the home team scoring 228 with the team making 193 in reply (Dylan Lee 61)

The Club is immensely proud of what the team has achieved this year and recognises it is the fruits of hard work over a number of years. From Captain Lee Cogger who inherited a mix of experience and youth five years ago, to the players not only of the first team but those in the second and thirds who underpin and support. The colts section of which many of the players have come from, the ground staff, tea ladies, the committee, family and friends who have all played their part. We quite rightly refer to the Club being promoted.

 

The 2nd and 3rd XI teams performed well in the Kent Regional League (KRCL) as did the Sunday XI in the KVL top division, who this year broke a club record by scoring 391 for 5 off just 40 overs. We run 8 Colt sides including an all girls U10 team.

 

We look forward to the 2015 season and would like to give a warm welcome to all visiting teams as well as their families and supporters.