Saturday 6th June 2009
Start time: 14:00 (2:00pm)

Opponents:  Essex - Home match

Match type: Friendly
Venue: Provender CC

Scorecards, match reports and photographs will appear here

Squad:

• Marina Barwick (Captain)
• Phoebe Franklin (V Captain)
• Megan Belt
• Maisy Blackbourn
• Annys Fearon
• Sophie Hannam
• Lucy Hirst
• Nadia Kleinig
• Zoe Moyler
• Eve Sales
• Sakshi Sharda
• Georgia Summers
• Emily Thompson

Match Details:

Kent Under 11s 126-4 (25 overs) (Marina Barwick 25 retired not out, Maisy Blackbourn 20 retired not out, Megan Belt 16)

Essex Under 11s 60 all out (24.5 Overs) ( Sophie Hannam 3-6; Sakshi Sharda 2-1)

Catches: Lucy Hirst, Zoe Moyler, Phoebe Franklin
Run Outs: Lucy Hirst, Annys Fearon, Maisy Blackbourn, Georgia Summers.

Kent Under 11s Won by 66 Runs

Kent Under 11 Girls made the best possible start to their 2009 cricket season with a convincing win over Essex at the magnificent Provender Cricket Club near Faversham.

Put in on a flat pitch, opening pair Megan Belt and Maisy Blackbourn (both St Lawrence and Highland Court) gave Kent a splendid start with 31 for the first wicket. Belt was scoring freely until she was well caught at square leg. Phoebe Franklin (Colfeians Girls) was out immediately when she poked a catch to cover, however, captain Marina Barwick (St Lawrence and Highland Court) hit powerfully to reach a rapid 25. Blackbourn held the innings steady before retiring not out 20.

Eve Sales (Colfeians Girls) looked in good form but was unfortunately run out by her partner. Zoe Moyler (Leeds & Broomfield), Sophie Hannam (Castle Hill) and Annys Fearon (Leeds & Broomfield) scored a few runs at the end.

Kent set a challenging total of 126 but with better running between the wickets and more contact with the ball, it could have been significantly higher.

Essex made a good start but with the score on 12 their dangerous looking batsman was brilliantly run out by Lucy Hirst (Castle Hill) with a direct hit aiming at one stump from cover.

This set the tone for our fielding which was very sharp and well positioned. This resulted in four run outs (in 2008 it took Kent five games before recording a run out), and three good catches – including a good one in the gully from Lucy Hirst and a stunning overhead one by Zoe Moyler at square leg. Bexley’s Emily Thompson did a very tidy job as stand in keeper for Nadia Kleinig (Castle Hill), who was out due to a knee injury. Megan Belt took over for the last ten overs.

In spite of a gusty, cool wind blowing off the Swale, Kent’s bowlers maintained a remarkably good line and length. Maisy Blackburn and Sakshi Sharda (Sidcup) were the most accurate, but the best figures were returned by Sophie Hannam (Castle Hill), who destroyed Essex lower order with three wickets in four balls in one over. Lucy Hirst and Eve Sales also took a wicket.

Kent Under 11 Girls displayed a thoroughly professional performance with valuable contributions from all thirteen players in the squad. The team were well led by Marina Barwick and the result was the best possible birthday present for coach David Sear. He added that although the win gives much confidence, there are still things to work on, especially batting in the last five overs, and we must not be complacent for the visit of Sussex at Town Malling CC, West Malling on Saturday 13th June, 2.00pm start.

A full scorecard is available for download from here.

Here’s a presentation of some of the photos taken during the match.  Click the forward arrow to start it.

Saturday 13th June 2009
Start time: 14:00 (2:00pm)

Opponents: Sussex - Home match

Match type: Friendly
Venue: Town Malling CC

All 21 of the squad are available for this match and the following 13 have been selected to play:

• Marina Barwick (Captain)
• Phoebe Franklin (Vice Capt)
• Kate Abbett
• Megan Belt
• Maisy Blackbourn
• Sophie Hannam
• Charlotte Henderson
• Lucy Hirst
• Nadia Kleinig
• Zoe Moyler
• Lizzie Neal
• Eve Sales
• Sakshi Sharda

Short form scorecard:
Kent Under 11s 134 All out (24.3 overs) (Megan Belt 33, Phoebe Franklin 29 Not out, Kate Abbett 13)

Sussex Under 11s 45 all out (15 Overs) (Lucy Hirst 3-2, Lizzie Neal 3-2)

Catches: Marina Barwick, Zoe Moyler, Phoebe Franklin 3.
Run Out: Lizzie Neal.

Kent Under 11s Won by 89 Runs

The full scorecard is available by clicking here

Match report:
Kent Under 11 Girls continued their good start to the season by comprehensively beating visitors Sussex at Town Malling CC to make it two wins out of two.

Once again, we were put in but opening pair Megan Belt and Maisy Blackbourn (both St Lawrence and Highland Court) carried on where they left off last week to give Kent another splendid start with 35 for the first wicket. Belt blitzed her way to the 25 retirement score with only six overs gone.

Although runs continued to be made, the middle order wobbled and wickets tumbled. Only Phoebe Franklin (Colfeians Girls) proved a mainstay, but with some lusty blows from Kate Abbett (Hayes Hurricanes/HSBC) they took the score to over 100.

There was another clatter of wickets but as the balls remaining diminished, Lucy Hirst’s (Castle Hill) ‘prod and go’ tactic caused panic in the Sussex fielding and some ridiculous runs were made out of nothing.

Although not planned, the procession of wickets enabled retired batters Belt and Franklin to return to the crease to plunder more runs from the now ragged Sussex fielders to post a daunting total of 134..

In reply, Sussex never got out of the blocks, though they were 28-1 at one stage. However, consistent bowling from the eight Kent bowlers used, ably supported by some fine fielding, thwarted Sussex attempts to get anywhere near Kent’s score.

Lizzie Neal, (St Lawrence and Highland Court) in her first game, bowled beautifully. The flight of Lucy Hirst caused havoc among the Sussex lower order. Their last seven wickets went down for only 15 runs, and the whole innings was wrapped up by the half time drinks interval.

The main feature of Kent’s bowling was their accuracy – only four wides in fifteen overs – quite unheard of in the annuls of Under 11 girls cricket. Let’s hope we can keep this good line and length up.

The other pleasing element to Kent’s performance was the ‘tip and running’ in the final five overs. Although there were inevitable casualties, we proffered lots of runs. After all, runs are more important. It is better to be 134 all out than 120-7!

Once again, the team was well led by Marina Barwick. This well bonded squad of Under 11 girls is proving to be useful outfit with much fortitude. You would not have known that there were six changes to the team that defeated Essex.

The next match could be very interesting as next weekend we travel to Buckinghamshire to take on their Under 13 side.

Some photos from the match:

Saturday 20th June 2009
Start time: 13:00 (1:00pm)

Opponents: Buckinghamshire - Away match

Match type: Friendly
Venue: Little Missenden Cricket Club

Scorecards, match reports and photographs will appear here

The squad:

• Phoebe Franklin - Captain
• Megan Belt - Vice Captain
• Kate Abbett
• Maisy Blackbourn
• Annys Fearon
• Morgan Freeman
• Stella Gowans
• Elodie Harbourne
• Zoe Moyler
• Eve Sales
• Sakshi Sharda
• Emily Thompson

Note: Stella, Morgan and Elodie are playing their first matches for Kent.

Short Form scorecard:
Buckinghamshire Under 13s 105-6 wickets (28 overs innings closed) (Elodie Harbourne 2-12; Kate Abbett 1-5)
Catch: Zoe Moyler.
Run Outs: Annys Fearon, Emily Thompson, Morgan Freeman.

Kent Under 11s 67-8 (28 Overs) (Megan Belt 20, Phoebe Franklin 9)
Kent Under 11s Lost by 38 Runs

The full scorecard is available from here

Kent Under 11 Girls suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of Buckinghamshire, most of whom were two years older than their Kent counterparts. However, the young visitors put on a brave performance in spite of facing physically bigger and stronger opponents.

The match was played in the beautifully picturesque village of Little Missenden, deep in the Chiltern countryside, and famed for its location in the TV series Midsomer Murders. Acting captain Phoebe Franklin won the toss and put Buckinghamshire in. The home started positively and Kent quickly realised they were facing harder shots than previously encountered.

9 year old debutant Elodie Harbourne (Holmesdale) broke the opening partnership in the 9th over with the score on 42. This strike buoyed Kent and they reduced Bucks to 53-3 after 12 overs.

Although Kent failed to take another wicket until the 24th over, they continued to restrict Bucks scoring rate with some good stops and accurate bowling. Indeed, Kent only bowled 7 wides in 28 overs, a remarkable effort from the ten bowler attack used. Buckinghamshire#s total of 105 was gettable.

Megan Belt and Morgan Freeman (Hayes and HSBC), also making her debut, gave Kent a steady start. Belt plundered three fours in her positive 20 run innings before running herself out going for an easy second.

Kent were well placed at 40-2 after 12 overs, and with Phoebe Franklin at the crease. However, her promising innings came to an end when she failed to connect properly with a full toss and was caught.

Unfortunately, the Kent innings fell away badly. Runs dried up and wickets fell regularly. Maisy Blackbourn hung around for four off 47 balls but it was not enough to challenge the Buckinghamshire total. She was retired to allow other girls to bat when it was clear that the game was beyond the reach of Kent.

Apart from a few exceptions, the batting was rather disappointing. Only 46 came off the bat. Surprisingly, given our low total, there was only one duck. In contrast, there were many more ducks on the pond at the back of the Red Lion after the game!!

The game might have turned out different had Kent taken two early catching chances, and made the most of run outs following good ground fielding, but in the end it was no disgrace to lose to older and more experienced opposition.

The next match is away to Surrey, traditionally a strong outfit at Under 11 level.

Here are some photos from the match day:

Saturday 27th June 2009
Start time: 14:00 (2:00pm)

Opponents: Surrey - Away match

Match type: Friendly
Venue: Epsom College

The 13 selected :

• Phoebe Franklin (Captain)
• Megan Belt (V. Capt)
• Maisy Blackbourn
• Sophie Hannam
• Lucy Hirst
• Maddie Hughes
• Nadia Kleinig
• Zoe Moyler
• Lucy Poulton
• Eve Sales
• Sakshi Sharda
• Georgia Summers
• Emily Thompson

Short form scorecard:
Surrey U11s 67 all out (9 players, 8 wickets) 24.3 overs (Maisy Blackbourn 2-10; Georgia Summers 1-3; Megan Belt 1-4)
Catch: Eve Sales.
Run Outs: Eve Sales, Maddie Hughes.

Kent Under 11s 70-2 (18.1 Overs) (Megan Belt 13, Phoebe Franklin 20 not out)

Kent Under 11s Won by 8 wickets

The full scorecard is also available for download

Kent Under 11 Girls returned to winning ways by comfortably defeating an under strength Surrey side.

On hot afternoon, Kent won the toss and put the home side in on a non-turf pitch. It proved a good decision as both openers were out after four overs with only seven on the board with opening bowlers Maisy Blackbourn (St Lawrence) and Georgia Summers (Sandwich Town/Holmesdale) sharing the spoils by pitching the ball up and hitting the stumps.

Things seemed to be going well for Kent when Eve Sales, Kent’s outstanding fielder of the day, caught their No 3 off Phoebe Franklin (both Colfeian Girls) with the score on 14.

However, Surrey recovered well with a partnership of 39 to take the score to 53, which was finally broken in the first after drinks in the 21st over. A rejuvenated Kent then took the remaining four wickets conceding only 14 runs in the process. (Note: Surrey only had 9 players).

Sophie Hannam (Castle Hill), and Megan Belt (St Lawrence and Highland Court), chipped in with a wicket apiece, and debutant Maddie Hughes (Castle Hill) produced a good run out throw to keeper Emily Thompson (Bexley).

Kent’s bowling and fielding performance was not quite up to its usual high standard. Relatively simple catching chances were put down, and Surrey were gifted with 23 extras and a few over throws. Exceptions were Nadia Kleinig (Castle Hill) who was tidy behind the stumps for the first fifteen overs, and Eve Sales (Colfeians Girls) and Lucy Poulton (Bexley), who both looked sharp in the field.

It was also unfortunate that accurate bowling went unrewarded. The non turf pitch on which were playing produced a higher bounce than usual and many straight balls went over the stumps. Sakshi Sharda (Bexley), who bowled well, was particularly unlucky.

After a sumptuous picnic tea spread out on blankets on the lawn, Kent began their reply with the regular St Lawrence and Highland Court openers of Megan Belt and Maisy Blackbourn. With the latter giving support, Belt was off to a racing start, but succumbed to a soft dismissal and was caught at silly mid off.

With 21 on the board, acting captain Phoebe Franklin (Colfeians Girls) joined Blackbourn and with some sensible batting they took the score to 51 before Blackbourn guided a gentle leg side catch which looped to the keeper.

Sakshi Sharda (Sidcup) came in, played straight and looked solid as she gave good support to her captain Franklin, who was well set. Together they steered Kent towards the total required with Phoebe producing an excellent captain’s innings and smashing a four past square leg to bring up victory.

It was a nice win for Kent Under 11 girls, who have now beaten all the other south eastern counties at this level, except Middlesex, who we play on 11th July.

Although we can only beat the side that is put in front of us, we should not forget the fact that Surrey have many more talented girls to select from and they are bound to be much stronger when we play them at Arundel and in our return fixture at Chevening on 1st August.

Nevertheless, the Kent players are all making useful contributions. They are gaining in confidence and improving with every match. The next game is on Saturday 4th July against the boys of Maisy’s Bapchild CC at Selling Cavaliers’ beautifully rustic ground which is near Faversham and surrounded by orchards and hop fields. This is the first of three matches against boys clubs teams and the outcome should be interesting!

Some photos from the match courtesy of Waine Blackbourn and Craig Kleinig

aturday 4th July 2009
Start time: 14:00 (2:00pm)

Opponents: Bapchild Under 11 Boys - Home match

Match type: Friendly
Venue: Selling Cavaliers CC

19 of the squad are available for this match and the following 13 have been selected to play:

• Kate Abbett
• Megan Belt (V Capt)
• Maisy Blackbourn
• Annys Fearon
• Phoebe Franklin (Capt)
• Stella Gowans
• Sophie Hannam
• Charlotte Henderson
• Maddie Hughes
• Nadia Kleinig
• Zoe Moyler
• Lizzie Neal
• Eve Sales

Shortform Scorecard:
Bapchild CC U11 Boys 126-5 25 overs (Zoe Moyler 1-3, Phoebe Franklin 1-9)

Kent Under 11 Girls 104-6 (25 Overs) (Megan Belt 13, Eve Sales 12, Annys Fearon 10 retired not out)

Bapchild Under 11 Boys Won by 22 Runs

A full scorecard is available for download at this link.  Thanks to Gary Belt for preparing the scorecard.

Kent Under 11 Girls took on a boys side for the first time this season and although they lost by 22 runs it proved to be a useful exercise in order to improve the standard of the girls game. Indeed, had they made a better start to their innings, I am sure that the girls would have scored more run and the result would have been a lot closer.

On another hot day deep in the rural Kent countryside and surrounded by sheep and orchards, the girls won the toss and put the boys in on a flat and beautifully manicured Selling track.

Bapchild boys started cautiously against steady accurate bowling, particularly from Zoe Moyler. The boys may have been determined not to get out to girl bowlers, especially opener Maisy, whom they knew because Bapchild is her home club.

Although Kent’s early bowlers were accurate, they lacked penetration and it was difficult to see where a wicket was going to come from. However, after their opening pair had retired, Kent did well to remove their next batsman to make the score 77-2.

In the final ten overs, the girls failed to take their chances and allowed the boys to build a reasonable. Some girls were guilty of not walking in, allowing the ball to bounce when an easy catch beckoned. Short leg side bowling was also punished in a way the girls had not seen before.

Kent Girls set about chasing 126 in confident fashion early on with some well taken quick singles, and glances behind the wicket. Unfortunately, the risky running went rather too far and both openers were run out. Then Phoebe was bowled by a good one and Eve, after a bright start, was caught not getting hold of one.

At 56-4 the girls were still in with a chance, but with our main strike force out, it would be difficult to score the required runs. And so it proved. With some helpful wides, Annys Fearon (Leeds and Broomfield) and Sophie Hannam (Castle Hill) stayed around and put on 33 useful runs, but they did not score quickly enough.

When it was obvious that we could not win, batsmen were retired to give everyone a bat at the wicket. This was a useful exercise and it gave some girls who had not batted much some experience out in the middle. The girls ended on 104, which was a reasonable effort.

Certainly the boys were sharper in the field than we were used to, and their better bowlers were slightly quicker. However, what was most pleasing was to see the lower order batters staying in, playing straight and not giving their wickets away. Finding runs, hitting the ball off the square and rotating the strike will all come in time out in the middle. None of this can be achieved if you are back in the pavilion!

In the end it was a good match played in the right spirit and the girls have definitely benefited from playing opposition of this calibre.

David Sear

Some photographs of the day, courtesy of Waine Blackbourn and Craig Kleinig