On a pretty decent day at Chiddingstone, home skipper, Eddie Allwood, won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first on a used, but firm, dry strip.
They lost their first wicket at 46, but a stand of 88 between Roland Streatfield and Rob Littler was brought to a halt by Roger Shaddock, who took two wickets in an over to put the brakes on the scoring.
Shaddock rolled back the years, having discovered he could turn the ball miles, by bowling slow left arm spin, rather than the usual seam up. A 4th wicket stand of 43 got the score moving again, until Streatfield fell to a fine catch by Colin Scarsi for a battling 100. The innings rather fell away as the Kemsing bowlers continued to take wickets and stifle the scoring rate, ending on 223-8. Ian Wise finished with a very good 3-19 at the end.
Grahame Wood and son, Jake, opened the Kemsing innings, and 113 runs later, dad was out for an entertaining 64, caught on the boundary.
Jake did his best to keep the run rate going and perished in so doing, with the score 168-4 in the 34th over. Kemsing needed 56 from six and a bit overs.
Harry Cottle and Martin Green kept the score moving, with some ridiculous singles and barely a dot ball. Cottle was caught on the long on boundary, with the score on 192, from the first ball of the 37th over, and with eight runs from the over, the requirement was 24 from 18 balls.
Green was then caught behind from the 2nd ball of the 39th over, but nine runs from the over, including a monstrous six by Wise, left the equation at 10 runs from the last six balls. Two singles taken by Wise and Scarsi left him facing the 5th ball with 8 runs required from two balls.
Half an inch of wood
Now is the time to explain the local rules regarding boundaries: The ball has to clear the four foot fence around the boundary for a six. If the ball hits the fence, it is a four.
Scarsi managed to get hold of a slightly short delivery and absolutely smashed it in the air to the vacant square leg boundary. The Kemsing team rose from their seats, as a six was anticipated, while the Chiddingstone players visibly wilted. However, the ball clipped the very top of the fence, landing some way into the adjacent field, and the momentary prospect of two to win from one ball, became four to win, completely reversing both teams’ fortunes in an instant!
A single was all that they could manage from the last ball, to lose by just two runs! The difference between winning, losing or even a tie, came down to half an inch of wood!
Thus Chiddingstone won a gripping game of cricket, leapfrogging Kemsing, to go back to the top of the division. Steve Leppard was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 4-49.
