.. and that's another stumping for the Gravesend keeper

Gravesend 211 - 3 at tea (Ellis 81, Thompson 2-22)

Paraguayan Elbows 214 - 7 (Lee 95, Thompson 73)

Elbows won by 3 wickets

Despite looking perilously short of players at 11am on Wednesday, the Elbows managed to field a strong side in the end thanks to Gravesend skipper Dave Elliott supplying a couple of "sprightly young lads", both of whom had played several times against us in the past. Thanks also to Graeme Moir sr who not only rustled up Junior, and a ball, but also located three very handy young lads from Dartford and Hartley. Graeme won the toss and put them in, only to see the opening partnership of Mann and Ellis stroll to 145 before the first breakthrough, despite tidy bowling from Leigh's Ian Bishop, partnered by the omnipresent Ian Harris. Kent junior Nick Lee had spun the ball prodigiously from leg for no joy so when the breakthrough came it was from 3rd change bowler Rich Slatem (summoned late on to play) who bowled quite rapidly from the river end. Alex Cribben (who had taken over the pads from James "Thommo" Thompson halfway through) then took a good catch behind off to dismiss no.3 the Aussie Cutler who had carted a few to the square leg boundary before getting the finest of edges to give Thommo a second late wicket and meant that Gravesend closed for tea with 211-3 (Thompson 4.2 - 1 - 22 -2).

After a sumptuous tea (with hot sausages and pasties), Dave Bishop, guesting from Gravesend, opened up with Alex. On 5, however, Alex got one that kept low from handy looking young opening bowler Dale Clarkson to register the first duck of the day. Nick Lee, however, dug deep and with Bishop providing the anchor role, the second wicket added 62 before Bishop was finally bowled by second change bowler, Best. Lee was joined by Thommo at this point and they took the bowling apart, it is fair to say. The next wicket fell at 162 (partnership 90) when Lee was stumped for 95. 33 runs later, with victory in sight, Thommo (73) went the same way after clouting some big sixes.

Ian Bishop scored a rapid 8 but failed to emulate the feat of his Leigh mentor from several years' previously, ie hitting the ball over the river end wall into the road, and eventually perished going for a big one. Graeme junior was unlucky to be dismissed by a splendid catch by the keeper, tumbling backwards. And so it was left to Dad (5 n.o.) and Gravesend guest John Simmonds, to see us home with several overs to spare.

Sept 6, 03