Babes of Kent | Sussex Martlets

Match Report

Junior Martlets 213 for 6 (40 overs innings closed) M. Campopiano 114 no (ret) G Wisdom 40, S. Cooper 31.

Babes of Kent 212 all out (in 40th over) G. Read 3 for 55, G Wisdom 2 for !8, B. Cooke 2 for 25, S. Marlow 2 for 27, H. Cope 2 for 40.

Clearly having watched the finale of the 1st Test the day below the Martlet side decided that cliff-hanger results was the way to go! The Babes won the toss and decided that the Martlets should bat. It was to some surprise that the Babes’ captain emerged from the pavilion to take the field with the rest of his team! Greg Wisdom and Marcus Campopiano made a steady start on a Nevill wicket that kept low and made free stroke play difficult. They put on 94 for the first wicket and in the next 11 overs Campopiano and Sam Cooper took the score to 183 with the former completing the second 50 of his century in 28 balls. Some good running between the wickets helped bring up the final total.

The Martlet attack included 5 wrist spinners so George Read, making his debut in Martlet colours, bowling seam up opened partnered by the leg-breaks of Ed Blake at the other end…. A cunning plan! Read took a wicket in the first over. But the score then moved on to 53 before Jack Troak trapped the Babes captain LBW with his leg breaks. Fortunes ebbed and flowed from then on. With 4 overs to go 19 were required and 2 wicket were in hand. As the final over dawned 2 were needed and 1 wicket remained. Wisdom played the captain’s role bowling 3 dot balls before the number 8 drove the ball to Ben Cooke fielding short on the off side who scooped up a top class catch. Win!

There was some fine fielding particularly from Michael Harris in the deep and we were unlucky where valiant attempts did not quite pull off improbable catches. The commitment was all there and the team deserved their win. The manager was very grateful to Chris Gray who assisted him with the umpiring at the last minute.