The Buccs failed to halt the slide to 4 defeats in a row at Bitchet Green on Sunday against The Knockers (St Lawrence CC, Sevenoaks).
In a game reduced to 35 overs each after the home team turned up late, The Buccaneers batted first on a slow, low wicket. Paul Hobson and Sujay Chakravarty batted positively and put on over a hundred for the first wicket at five an over. Chakravarty struck the ball powerfully, scoring 32 in boundaries out of his 35. When Simon Leefe joined Hobson after 20 overs, the second wicket pairing put on another 60, with Leefe contributing a valuable 25 and then cameos from Ollie Metcalfe, Soumak Bose and Randall Walker took the total to 215 after 35. overs. In form opener Paul Hobson carried his bat beautifully for 110 not out, with a brutal cover drive to bring up his well-deserved ton.
215 looked like giving us a decent chance of recording our first win in this otherwise very enjoyable fixture, but some ordinary Buccs’ bowling and a magnificently ruthless innings of 83 from Paul Seldon (who incidentally also bowled very well), including eleven fours and four sixes, took the game away from us. Redeeming points for the losing side came from the bowling of Simon Leefe, who in one over dismissed Seldon and The Knockers’ captain, Tonbridge schoolboy Calber, who hit a fine 40, and Richard Gywnn, who bowled with his usual guile and economy; and a brilliant catch at cover by debutant Randall Walker to hold onto Seldon’s final exocet.
430 runs scored at over six an over made for a very good game, but the Buccs will have to return in 2016 to record our first victory for long overdue revenge.
Innings of Buccaneers
P Hobson not out 110
S Chakravarti ct B Hut 35
S Leefe b Seldon 25
O Metcalfe b Seldon 10
S Bose run out 3
R Walker not out 5
Extras 27
Total 215-4 (35 overs)
Speed 8-0-30-0
Calber 5-0-33-0
Knowles 7-0-42-0
Elliot 2-0-19-0
Hut 5-0-28-0
Seldon 8-0-37-2
Innings of Knockers
Calver ct & b Leefe 40
Amri ct b Walsh 8
Seldon ct b Leefe 83
Caz not out 33
Howe not out 27
Extras 21
Total 216 for 3 (30 overs)
M Walsh 3-0-29-0
R Walker 3-0-8-0
Metcalfe 3-0-25-0
B Palmer 6-0-41-0
S Leefe 7-0-42-0
R Gwynn 6-0-32-0
R Henderson 2-0-19-0