1stXI Match report: Beckenham v. East Molesey (ECB National Knockout)
Having departed at the first hurdle of last year’s ECB National Knock Out competition, Beckenham were looking to progress further this year and welcomed another Surrey Championship side, East Molesey, to Foxgrove.
Skipper Alex Senn won the toss and elected to field on a warm, cloudy day. Right from the outset, openers Sam Burge and Nick Stevens both showed tremendous early season batting form on an excellent track and began to score seemingly at will. After four overs, the score stood at 32 with no sign of an early breakthough. The runs continued to accrue at an alarming rate and it was only when Johan Malcolm replaced Matt Fanning that the brake was applied. Runs still came at the other end until Mahi began to slow the rate with Darren Butler replacing Malcolm. The experienced Burge reached his fifty from 40 deliveries and the score passed the hundred in the 13th over. It was the South African Butler who finally broke through when Stevens was caught by Roberts one short of his fifty at 131. The experienced Burge followed shortly after as James Balmforth brought off a smart stumping and the keeper repeated the act to remove Ollie Haley to make the score 157-3. Alas, that was the last home success for a while as Aussie Matt Wright and Cole Campbell rattled the score along with a 91-run stand until the returning Nadir had the latter well-held by Ross Piller for 33. Wright was last out for a splendid 74 as Malcolm took the last two wickets to fall as the innings closed on a massive 281-6. Butler deservedly took the bowling award for a fine spell of off-spin taking 3-29 with Malcolm 2-59.
Against the tall opening attack of Andrew Westphal and Toby Porter, it was sadly a return to last season with both openers gone for 16, Porter taking both. Butler showed signs of getting the innings back on an even keel but lost James Fear for 3 and then Malcolm, both to Westphal, to leave Beckenham groggy on 47-4. Porter then dismissed Butler for 19 before giving way to seamer Frank Knight with left-arm spinner Fawcett coming on at the pavilion end. There was no sign of any resistance from the remaining home batting as Knight worked his way through until Shean took the final wicket leaving Beckenham losing by the mammoth margin of 200 runs. This was a most efficient demolition by a very good side and Beckenham must regroup quickly before the visit of the Mote in the first Championship match of the season.
Scorecard: https://beckenham.play-cricket.com/website/results/5557955 (external site)