MATCH 15 Virgin XI/ Nomads CC v   Holmesdale Sunday June 29th 2.00pm Montreal Park, Worships Hill, Riverhead, Sevenoaks, Kent 

Result:   Nomads won by 7 wickets
Toss:     Holmesdale
Umpires:  David Mason
Scorer(s):Various
Debut:    None 

HOLMESDALE CC Innings
M Melbourne bowled         Thorns    0
R Redden   lbw           b Sargent  32
M Bryant   c Sargent     b A Smith 121
S Smyth    bowled          O Smith  17
D Dunnett  lbw           b Sargent   0
B Bacux    c Alexander   b A Smith  36
H Bryant   c J Lascelles b A Smith   1
S Salter   lbw           b A Smith   4
L Levett   not out                  10
G Gill     bowled          A Smith   5
J Jhala    bowled          A Smith   0
Extras    (b8.lb3,w9,nb3)           23
TOTAL     (All out,39.4 overs)     252  

Fow:1-13 

Bowling-Thorns 8 0 55 1,H Lascelles 5 1 22 0,Blumberg 6 0 44 0,Sargent 8 0 36 2,O Smith 7 0 62 0,A Smith 5.4 0 18 6.

NOMADS CC Innings 
J Lascelles lbw    b Smythe  41
J Lane      lbw    b Gill    14
K Alexander bowled   Smythe  54
K Thorns    not out          78
A Smith     not out          35
Extras     (b4,lb4,w20,nb6)  34
TOTAL (3 wickets,38.4 overs)256
Dnb:P Brown,C Sargent,O Smith,ME Blumberg,H Lascelles,(Absent P Bell) 

Fow:1-39,2-93,3-174.

Bowlers-Gill 8 1 43 1,Levitt 5 0 22 0,Salter 2 0 19 0,H Bryant 5 0 45 0,Smythe 8 0 37 2,Melbourne 7.4 0 25 o,Jhala 3 0 27 0.

                              Thorns & Smith excel at Holmesdale  

An excellent batting performance by the old Virgins saw them through to victory against a typically young, enthusiastic and talented Holmesdale team. Batting first in a 40 over game, Holmesdale looked like they were going to run up a cricket score (I think I may be confusing my sporting analogies here) after a 100 run plus partnership for the 2nd wicket, only to be pegged back towards the end of their innings by a fine spell from Andy Smith, celebrating his 112th birthday. Their no. 3 bat made a very good 121, aided considerably by a gesture of quite magnificent sportsmanship by the Virgin captain (albeit one accompanied by cries of "you must have gone in the head, you old twat" from his team mates), who re-called the aforesaid batsman who had been given out lbw by Mr. Dodgy Umpire (of whom more later) after hitting one in the middle of the bat. But it was a dazzling performance from Andy Smith, for whom it would appear the phrase "long-in-the-tooth" was invented, with his cunning mix of off-spin and er.. off-spin that turned what appeared at one stage to be a total headed for 280/290 into a much more gettable 252.    

Virgin got off to a good steady start with Jeremy Lascelles and Jamie Lane (batting together for what appeared to be the 2000th time) before Lane was triggered by Mr. D. Umpire. However momentum was not unduly lost with Lascelles and Keith Alexander putting on more than 50 in good time before another shocker by our favourite man in the white coat sent Lascelles on his way, thereby giving the lamentable official a michelle of dreadful lbw decisions. But these Virgin boys (boys?) are made of sterner stuff these days, and an excellent measured innings by Karl Thorns, sharing a partnership of 81 with Alexander, and then an unbroken one of 82 with Smith A. (belying his 125 years of age) saw us home in the penultimate over. Champagne Moment? Probably Smithy's effortless pickup over square leg for 6 off their quick bowler, making a mockery of the fact that he turned 147 yesterday. 

Oh, and Spain beat Germany in the European Championship, making it just about the perfect day. 

Both sides played as ten although Holmesdale fielded eleven  most of the time.The Holmesdale coach was recalled to Australia that morning because of a family bereavement. Nomads/VirginXI played ten because Andy Hill suffered an escalator injury,Charles Peerless a damaged toe, David Buiste slept away without his cricket gear and Doc Bell arranged a 'quality' day with the family! Thus 14 became 10!

The game was switched from Holmesdale to Sevenoaks Rugby Club to make way for a Women's club match. However Weybridge Ladies scratched so we found oursleves back at Worship Hill plus an umpire who had been booked to take the women's game. 

Previous Matches
2003 Nomads/Virgin won by 4 wickets 
2004 Rain saves Holmesdale Drawn
2005 Holmesdale won by 9 wickets   
2006 Holmesdale won by 5 wickets        
2007 Match Cancelled Rain         

Holmesdale CC Web site