Match Report
The square at Bendenden had taken a fair downpour in the previous week, providing a challenging batting track, not made easier by a couple of showers and some intermittent drizzle, although the double rainbow produced a picture postcard aspect. In spite of a rare sighting of Chris Villiers spinning out 2 victims, the Straggler attack kept Benenden tight but didn’t turn pressure into enough wickets, as catches went down, and a reasonable score was ground out, and then turned into a challenging target with a final flourish, to reach 202 for 5.
The Straggler batting, bristling with young talent, could not quite manage the conditions to best advantage, and were undone by a couple of exceptional catches by Hamish Cloke in the deep, to remove both Jasper and Al Smallwood. Angus and Hugo Ward looked elegant, but not for long enough; Matt Smallwood accepting the inevitability of the draw was nearly undone by Al, who had not given up hope of an unlikely chase from 47 for 5; and in the end it was left to Benny Smallwood, scoring his first Straggler runs, and the Chairman to hold out for the draw at 109 for 9.
