Buxted Park

As ever, the Martlets were delighted to be invited to kick off Buxted Park CC’s cricket week. A beautiful ground, great hosts, well kept Harveys, a lovely day with the sun coming out mid-afternoon, a really good cricket wicket, fast outfield and nearly 550 runs scored in the day. Visiting dignitaries included our President and our Chairman. What’s not to like? Could it get any better? Well it could, as our hosts served up a fabulous homemade paella followed by homemade churritos for lunch. I think we were somewhat spoilt.

Buxted sort of won the toss (we didn’t actually toss) and Martlets, with a side full of bowlers (and batters, but we kept that quiet), suggested that Buxted might like to bat first.

Not wanting to spoil anyone’s day out, the skipper duly dropped Ollie Jones at slip off the bowing of Tom van der Jeugd in the second over. Bowling in swingers at a decent lick, Tom was unlikely to go wicketless thereafter, finishing with 0-18 off 5. At the other end, Joe Waylett (welcome back Joe) put in a good 8 over spell of away swingers, and was also unlucky to not snare a pole, finishing with 0-35. At 50 for no wicket after 11 overs, Martlets were doing well to contain Buxted, but Jones and Leonard were looking well set.

The introduction of Sammy Hart into the attack, bowling quickly, yielded the first Buxted  wicket in his first over: Leonard, bowled with a fine yorker for 27.

After Hart (1-24), Sam Byrnes had Olive caught by van der Jeugd for 20. And so began the van der Jeugd catching show. In the next over, Jones (41), having played some lovely, well timed shots, smeared Jon Peters hard to van der Jeugd at mid off. JP, finding some good rhythm and dip, finished his 5 overs with 1 for 22. Byrnes (2-35 off 7), who seems to enjoy bowling at Buxted in this fixture, maintained a tight line and soon had Redding Barnes (16) playing on to one that was too straight to cut.

Barnes’ dismissal brought Alfie Hunter to join Tom Naish, who was batting as Tom always seems to with some beautifully timed shots all round the ground. With Alex Armstrong (0-54 off 8) at one end and Rob Burgh at the other, it became harder to focus on the cricket as the smell of the paella cooking wafted across the ground. At lunch, Buxted were 193 for 4 off 38 overs.

Replete after gorging themselves, Martlets, with Rob Burgh wondering where he could keep his chocolatey churritos about his person whilst he bowled, were perhaps a little slower around the field than had been the case before the break. Naish and Hunter capitalised, putting on a partnership of 119. It was Hunter (64) who fell to Burgh’s wiley off breaks, skying one to Ben Whelpton. W. Barnes followed shortly after, chipping Burgh (who finished with 2-48 off 9) into the safe hands of van der Jeugd at cover.

Ben Whelpton then came on for a short spell at the end, getting Sutton caught by Armstrong for 0. And having hit a 4, Dom Heater then decided it was time for what was a very sporting declaration, with Buxted on 268 for 7off 52 overs. In all, Martlets had showed off eight bowlers.

Freddie Ferro and Ben Whelpton were due to open the batting for the Martlets. However Ferro, who maybe overindulged at lunch (?), decided to shut himself in the gents rather than go out and take guard. After some scratching of heads wondering where FF had got to, Tayyab Mahmood was promoted from number 3.

Ben and Tayab got the Martlets off to a rollicking start, capitalising on a true pitch, a fast outfield and some, at times, wayward bowling. Redding Barnes came in for punishment, conceding 40 for none off 6 overs. Martlets reached 50 of 9.4 overs. Dom Heater then began to stop the rot, getting Whelpton (42), who until then had looked well set, to play over a fuller straight one. The Martlets’ openers had by this stage put on 83. Ferro, having re-emerged and showing no signs of discomfort, played himself in calmly. Tea was taken at 91 for 1 off 17 overs. After the break, Tayyab, with eight 4s, reached his 50, before being bowled by Heater (2 for 24 off 8). Unfortunately for Buxted, this brought to the crease Tom van der Jeugd, who gave us a masterclass in clean, hard hitting. Whilst Ferro (57 n.o.) continued to play nicely at the other end, Tom hit ten 4s and three 6s in making 82 off 59 balls, rather taking the game away from Buxted. Alfie Hunter (0 for 67 off 8) bore the brunt.

Once had Tom holed out, a young C. Hunter capitalised for Buxted. He bowled Sammy Hart for 4, before yours truly found yet another comical way to get himself out. Hunter banged the ball in a third of the way down the pitch. It looked a real effort ball. Setting up to pull hard from chest height, I could only stand bewildered as, in real time slow motion, the ball enjoyed a lazy parabola before hitting the base of off stump on the second bounce. My luck, however, gave JP the the opportunity to join in and finish the game with a sweetly timed 6 over long on, Martlets overhauling Buxted’s score with 9 overs in the day still to go and 5 wickets in hand.

In all, a perfect day’s cricket was had by everyone, and a massive thank you is due to Buxted Park CC for their generous hospitality. The nature of this fixture has been that each side has enjoyed the bragging rights in alternate years, so we look forward to being on the receiving end next season.

NIck Beechey

For detailed information on each venue, please visit our Venues page