A new fixture in the Buccs’ calendar and judging from Sunday’s outing a very good one. Knockers CC is a wandering club that has been playing in and around Kent since the 1950s and uses the very pretty St Lawrence CC ground at Bitchet Green, just outside Sevenoaks: hard to find but worth the hunt when you get there.
On a damp pitch with further rain threatening we agreed to field first – the Knockers being a few men short at 1.30 pm. Their useful opener made 52 before being trapped in front by Buccs’ debutant Miles Collin and further scores of 53 and 26 left Knockers declaring at 179 for 6 off 36 overs. Wickets were shared around with one each for Rydon, Palmer, Collin, Woolfries and another debutant, Ben Kee, as well as a clever run out by the President, managing to get a finger tip to a return shot to run out the non-striker. Bowling conditions were poor – especially after a 20 minute rain stoppage – with slippery footholds and a wet ball, but the bowlers stuck at it: the pick being Miles Collin’s 1 for 7 off 6. The fielders defended a short boundary well and managed to hold onto a couple of chances, with Ads Wyartt clutching a very tricky steepler in the deep.
That left the Buccs with an hour and a bit and 20 and needing more 5 an over from the off. James Stringer looked in good nick, hitting the ball well and scoring the bulk of the early runs. However, variable bounce and tight bowling (and some possible chucking) from the home side had the Buccs pegged back to 71 off 21 when Rydon joined Stringer at the fall of the third wicket, needing 109 in 14. Rob’s six 6s and two 4s in a wonderful display of powerful hitting, including several lost balls, brought the game alive and saw the Buccs wanting 7 off the last over. It was not to be. With good support from Stringer (59), Rydon (72) managed to blast the Buccs back into a game that looked to be stuttering to a dull finish with 10 overs to go. The Buccs’ total of 177 for 5 off 36, the same number of overs used by the home team, was 3 short of a win. A draw it was, but an exciting one and in a fixture that will hopefully become established in the Buccs’ list.
Innings of Knockers
Seldon lbw Collins 52
Turner c Henderson b Rydon 1
Watts c Wyartt b Kee 53
Cobb b Palmer 2
Roberts run out 26
Cook b Woolfries 12
Darry not out 6
M Watts not out 11
Extras 8
Total 179 for 6 dec
Bowling
R Rydon 7-2-18-1
A Wyartt 2-0-13-0
O Kayes 4-1-27-0
B Palmer 6-1-22-1
M Collin 6-3-7-1
S Woolfries 6-0-45-1
B Kee 3-0-28-1
S Henderson 2-0-11-0
Innings of Buccaneers
J Stringer ct x b Cobb 59
Chakravarti ct x b Roberts 4
S Woolfries lbw Roberts 1
M Ghatak ct x b Darry 8
R Rydon ct x b Roberts 72
S Henderson run out 5
A Wyartt not out 3
Extras 19
Total 177 for 5
Bowling
Watts 6-1-26-0
Roberts 10-1-26-3
Turner 4-3-7-0
Young 6-1-55-0
Darry 6-0-36-1
Cobb 4-0-31-1