1stXI Match Report - Beckenham v Hayes

And so, it came to pass that the penultimate match of the season should herald the visit of Hayes with Minster taking on Bexley and the prospect of new champions being crowned at close of play today.  The Beckenham scorer was delighted to have a new partner in Malcolm Brown and, having heard the news that Hayes had won the toss and elected to bat, settled down in the scorebox which has been home for the past 32 summers.

With David Moody now back in Australia, the new ball was taken by the returning Junaid Nadir and Harri Aravinthan.  A steady start by the visitors was ended when Bamber holed out to Gethin Roberts off Aravinthan.  Enter Will MacVicar who looked ominously in form and, together with Gareth Severin, pushed the score along remorselessly with both batsmen giving a masterclass in how to build the innings, scoring off almost every ball with the bad one being punished.  Nevertheless, home skipper Alex Senn kept everyone on their toes with keen fielding and steady bowling.  Young debutant Sam Coulson was now brought on in partnership with Rob Clements whose radar was distinctly wobbly.  Just when he was in sight of fifty, Severin received a good ball from Coulson to be caught behind for 47 and this was followed by the prized wicket of Alex Blake who, attempting to launch Coulson into Foxgrove Avenue, got a top edge and sent a steepling catch into the stratosphere whence it landed in the safe hands of Aravinthan.  What a start for the young man who was observing the golden rules of bowling by sticking to his field and bowling one side of the wicket – not rocket science!  MacVicar, meanwhile, was looking immovable and the inevitable fifty came in 71 balls.  Tomas Gallagher gave him fine support and a good stand developed causing skipper Senn to employ his occasional flight and guile in a steady spell with reward coming just as Gallagher was sniffing a fifty when he holed out to Rob Clements for 41.  Further success came in his next over with a splendid delivery somewhat redolent of a well-known brand of orange that turned sharply and bowled Low neck and crop.  Stuart Eddicott provided some beef in a useful stand before Senn disturbed his timbers.  MacVicar marched on to a chanceless century from 122 balls before Aravinthan came back to have him caught behind by ‘Barney’ Balmforth for 108 and the same bowler took the final wicket of the innings as Hayes closed on 271-8 with both Senn and Aravinthan taking three wickets apiece and Sam Coulson a brace having bowled splendidly on his debut.

Beckenham’s reply started solidly enough with Senn and Roberts coping well with the Hayes opening attack of MacVicar and Stuart Eddicott until, at 32, sadly it was ‘here we go again’ time as Roberts yet again played the ball in the air to be caught and, next ball, Senn received a MacVicar special and was caught behind.  James Fear, returning after a fortnight off, and Aravinthan now combined well with excellent batting and running to take the score past the hundred.  But now Blake was operating from the Neil Simpson end with his accurate off-spin and soon broke through to dismiss Fear for a fine 33 before trapping Rigg in front for the umpteenth time this season to make the score 111-4.  Ross Piller stayed for a while as Aravinthan moved on to a well-deserved fifty from 70 balls before being next out to Blake on 128.  Aravinthan and the tigerish Clements shared a cameo stand before the former was also a leg-before victim to Blake for an excellent 60.  Now Clements seemed determined to carry on from where he left off last week with another excellent innings in the company of young Oliver Falero.  Their promising stand of 37 ended with the return of Eddicott who dismissed Falero.  MacVicar came back to partner him and together they cleaned up the tail with Clements being unfortunately run out for 41.  As Eddicott took the final wicket, the news had come through that Minster had lost and Hayes were champions.  Viewing the scenes of jubilation, the Beckenham scorer sadly reflected that a mere three years ago, it had been Beckenham in that position the prospect of a fair amount of travelling, own teas in many cases plus the occasions when another scorer is not present, such is the prospect of life in Division 1!

Scorecard: https://beckenham.play-cricket.com/website/results/5093729 (external site)