Juniors get season under way by thrashing Band of Brothers

Junior Band of Brothers: 62; Josh Gander 4 for 12, Bertie Foreman 3 for 18
Junior Martlets: 65 for 1

This turned out to be a but brief foray into the Kent countryside and the picturesque setting of Stonewall Park. To a degree the toss decided the fate of game. The home side won it and decided to bat but then sadly had little answer to the Junior Martlet attack.

Dominic Morgan and Josh Gander opened. Both had pace and accuracy, taking an early wicket apiece and those along with a run out — the result of utter mid-wicket confusion — and a first ball wicket from the captain, Nathan Cooper, reduced them to 12 for 4 at the start of the sixth over. Bertie Foreman bemused the heart of the middle order with his off breaks. At this point Josh Gander reappeared for the mopping-up operation. The fact that 7 of the wickets that fell were bowled was telling and the wicket keeping of Joe Willis was impressive.

It did not take long for the Junior Martlets to reach the target, 8.1 overs to be precise. James Scott played some excellent shots and was backed up by his opening partner Sam Clark. His innings included an effortless six over the pavilion; not bad for a man who’d 48 hours before stepped off a plane from a school rugby tour to South Africa! Oscar Jago scored 3 fours towards the end to help wrap up affairs.

It is always nice to come away with a victory but then again I think that quite a strong Martlets team, all of them had had some school first eleven experience, would like to have undergone more of a test.

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