Cowdrey entertained Sidcup in their first Kent League Div lX game after being promoted the year before. Sidcup had finished 3rd in this league last year and with a depleted side Cowdrey knew they were in for a tough game. Losing their umpire at 10.30 on the morning of the game, Cowdrey conceded the toss and Sidcup chose to bat.

Rooney 'Hoggard' Marsh took the first over from the Hadlow end, with young Geoff Connolly opening from the other. The Sidcup openers started confidently but then Rooney found swing after a few full tosses and started to cause the Sidcup openers problems. First to go was skipper Rolls caught by stand in keeper Hoody and from then on there was no stopping Marsh. He removed James, Shanks and Bastin quickly after, and with Connolly being tight at the other end, there was no respite for the Sidcup batters.

Hole and Corbett did provide some resistance but shortly after Scott was introduced into the attack he removed Corbett, caught well at slip by Smithy. Rooney then had Hole caught by Hoody to claim an excellent five wicket haul and, when Jon 'Inzy' Owen moved swiftly (I can't believe I'm writing this) to his right to grab a chance flicked off Rooney's left hand, Rooney had taken 6. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't have believed it.

The swing died down for Marsh and after 11 overs and 6 wickets he was replaced by former opening batsmen Harbour, who had taken a year off to transform himself into an allrounder. Well that's what he said to us and after 4 innocuous overs for 16 he still has some transforming to do.

Scott continued to work away at the railway end, while Harbour was replaced by Smithy. Cowdrey's spin twins were in action but McCawley and Ferguson were batting excellently, forming the highest partnership of the match so far. Then Smithy accounted for McCawley, trying to go over the top, the ball went high in the air to Harbour's right who took an excellent catch. He had obviously been working on his fielding as none in the Cowdrey side thought he had a hope and he would definitely have dropped it 2 years ago. Cowdrey had the break through and in Simmonds first over he had Ferguson caught for a well constructed 24. Somehow Marsh had twisted his skipper's arm and had got back on the Hadlow end, to the disgust of the wicket taking Smithy, but he managed only one more over before Simmonds took the last wicket and ended with impressive figures 1.4-0-1-2. Sidcup all out for 89 on what had looked like a good batting track at Swanmead.

Cowdrey had half an hour to bat before tea and skipper Thomas opened with Smithy. Sidcup must have remembered a previous game with Cowdrey when Smithy scored a ton as there were for fielders straight and long to him. They must have remembered Thomas too as they had 4 slips and a gully to him.

Cowdrey started well putting pressure on all the fielders, Smithy punished anything short and Thomas playing well through the slips. Cowdrey got through to tea without losing a wicket and carried on where they left off after, Smithy hitting 3 fours in a row off opener Bastin.

Then a breakthrough. Allrounder Ferguson had Thomas LBW (could have been bowled and stumped as well) and young Leo Holmes joined Smithy at the crease. But Smithy was to go soon after, leaving 3 full balls off Shanksy then hitting a wide tempter straight to a fielder. In form Hoody was number 4 but he and Leo went quickly after to leave Cowdrey struggling after being 50 odd without loss. Could Cowdrey throw this away with one of their special batting collapses? Well the short answer was no. Jason Carver and Inzy steadied the ship with a decent partnership and managed to see Cowdrey through to the winning mark, Inzy recapturing form of 5 years ago.

So Cowdrey started life in Div lX with an great victory over a decent Sidcup side. Excellent bowling, enthusiastic fielding and positive batting were attributes Cowdrey will be looking to take with them to Upchurch next week. Who needs Sully?

ST