Newdigate CC Sunday 1st XI hosted BBC Bushmen on 20th August 2023 at Newdigate and Andy Popperwell was there too who has played for the Bushmen at Newdigate in every game since 1987!
The hosts won the toss and decided to bat first on a 40 overs friendly match. Aiden Jones opened the innings accompanied by his father Dan Jones; Craig Jones batted in number 3 position and the Jones’ gave Newdigate a solid start as the hosts were comfortably positioned with 93/3 at the end of the first half of their innings. Dan Jones scored a free-flowing 57 of 59 balls. Jack Bowley (29) and David Callcut (15) continued the healthy run-rate for the hosts. BBC induced some wickets in the middle overs; however Angus Harper’s 29 of the equal number of balls, good contributions from the tail enders took Newdigate total to 200/9 at the end of 40th over.
Naman Paropkari (7/3 off 8 overs with 4 maidens) led the BBC Bushmen bowling, while Ninesh Thakar took two wickets albeit a bit expensive. One wicket each was claimed by Manpreet Singh, Ravi Bajaj and James Bonser.

Heavy rain on the day before meant a lots of Sunday matches were cancelled across the county on 6th August 2023. Newdigate Sunday 1st XI was playing away while Sunday 2nd XI was hosting, both the matches got cancelled due to heavy outfield and opposition not being able to raise a team. Early morning pitch inspection revealed that Newdigate ground is in pleasantly playable condition, and we did a no brainer – an Intra-club cricket match, Sunday 1s vs Sunday 2s.
The colt-rich Sunday 2nd XI lost the toss and they were invited to bowl first which they originally wanted. Skipper Charlie Stimpson justified his decision by taking two quick wickets upfront, while Safwan Ahmed aided him with another one from the other end. Sunday 1st XI was one down when the score was 14, the second and third one on 22! Jagadeesh Subbiah (36) did the damage limitation by setting up a 49 runs partnership with Paul Hughes in the 4th wicket, then Hussain A Munaff (31) did the consolidation work with a 58 runs 5th wicket partnership with Paul Hughes; Hussain got out when Sunday 1st XI were on 129 runs in the 29th over. Skipper Monjur Elahi (24 not out) supported Paul Hughes who remained not out scoring 78 runs and led the counter-attack on the last 10 overs. Hughes innings went through the days motion – started cautiously, watching the bad balls, cashing in from the odd balls to consolidate and then opened-up with calculative aggression in the last 10 overs. The 6th wicket partnership yielded 80 runs to post a respectable 209/5 after 40 overs.
Skipper Stimpson (19/2 off 6 overs) was the most effective bowler for the Sunday 2nd XI. Harvey Carrington (5/1 off 5 overs) could have bowled a few more overs to make matters more interesting. Ahmed brothers both claimed a wicket a piece. The colts bowled with good pace, line and length which showed a great prospect for the club’s future. They did acknowledge the extras – 27 of those – could have been controlled a bit more.

Newdigate Sunday 1st and 2nd XIs were prepared to play at Home and Away on 30th July 2023 to play two Friendlies. The Home fixture got cancelled due to the opposition’s withdrawal on the evening before the match day. Heavy rain over night threatened the Away fixture at Abinger too. But the Abinger Groundsman did a fantastic job in keeping the wicket dry and the outfield was miraculously in good condition. Besides these, the players from both sides were determined to grind a match out of the day, which had a forecasted 80% rain from 5 pm onwards. Cunning plans were agreed which included a 30 overs each side, 15 overs bowling from one side, teas after the match, etc.

The toss was won by Newdigate and the visitors decided to bat hoping to post a sizeable total before the rain started to come down. The innings progressed in a very undesired way for Newdigate – as many as eight batters registered single digit innings. Julian Jeffery (35) played exceptionally well showing his class in extreme conditions when the game continued through intermittent showers and he carried his bat through the innings remaining not out. Newdigate lost their 7 wickets within 34 runs in 13 overs and the Sunday XI’s lowest ever total of 39 seemed under threat. However, Rohan Patel demonstrated that he can bat with a cunning plan, defended balls after balls and drew the fielders in before unleashing a series of wild swings on his way to score 18 runs by hitting 4 fours. Shariar Sami must have made a note of that style, kept on defending balls after balls, decided to hit two huge sixes on 29th and 30th overs. The six ht over deep square was the biggest while the straight one sailed across the river Tillingbourne. Sami’s (20) took Newdigate to a respectable 115/9 off 30 overs.
Abinger skipper Mark Houghton had his lucky rabbit sitting on his hat encouraging him to bowl the best figures of the day 13/2 off 5 overs with one maiden. Anusha Seneviratne (25/2 off 6), H Burt (15/2 off 4 overs) and Adam Newman (20/1 off 5) were among wickets too.

The drizzle started to become heavier and Abinger players seemed comfortable in the shelters while Newdigate players were in the field already. The reluctant Abinger batters, umpires slowly eased into the centre. It was obvious after first 5 overs that Home side batters were not phased by the challenging total (as it seemed at the time of batting) set by Newdigate; it was rather the heavier rain! Sam Solt (36 retired not out off 28 balls) showed his intention right from the beginning. Robert Dunn (42 off 59 balls) played balls with a straight bat. The openers set the platform for Abinger and they were already half-way chasing the total when they lost their first wicket. Newdigate started to make the ball work when the Home side was in the nineties. Mark De Vrij (26/3 off 6 overs) delivered a dream spell to peg the chase back a bit. However, skipper Houghton (without the rabbit sitting on his hat this time) scored 19 runs off 14 balls to take his side to victory. Abinger scored 117/5 off 26.2 overs to secure a win by 5 wickets.

Rohan Patel bowled brilliantly and was unlucky not to pick up a wicket, only gave away 11 runs off 6 overs. Simon Carrington 11/1 off 6 overs and Marcus Glen 9/1 off 2.2 overs helped with the Newdigate fight-back.

It was a challenging day where strong determination from both the teams allowed getting a good game out of the day. The tea served by Abinger was grand, cakes made by Annabelle De Vrij were delicious as ever and the players made due justice to nourish themselves as they deserved it after a tough day.

Newdigate CC Sunday 1st XI hosted the Cricket Society on 23rd July 2023 at the Newdigate ground on a friendly match.
The captains agreed on a 40 overs (limited) match where the Cricket Society batted first.
The Cricket Society had a slow but steady start as all top order batters registered double figures. Two half centuries from Stuart Cosstick (66) and Will Halliday (62 not out) built the backbone of the visitors innings. The Cricket Society was ideally poised for a strong finish on 23rd over with 100 runs losing only one wicket. However, two quick wickets between over 24 – 27 pegged them back a bit. Brisk counter-attack from Ruky Wickremasinghe (18) and Tom Gross (26) got the Cricket Society to a respectable 225/5 after 40 overs.

Toby Mayall scored an well-composed 115 runs to register a total of 230 runs for Dorking CC VCL 1st XI on 16th July 2023. Dorking visited Newdigate Cricket ground on their return fixture for Village Cricket League match to beat the host by 39 runs.
Newdigate invited Dorking to bat first winning the toss and the visitors lost their first wicket on the very first over. Mayall then joined with Dan Killick (77) to register a partnership of 170 runs. Mayall hit 14 boundaries and 1 six while Killick registered 8 boundaries. Maeva Hudson (14) and Charles Redwood (11) were among double figures too. Dorking total was 230/5 after the stipulated 40 overs.
Newdigate bowlers did create chances and about half-a-dozen of dropped catches did not help the situation. Subbiah, Elahi, Kehl and Jones each got a wicket and Goldsmid induced a run-out.

The U11 Knights finished top of the league this season and were undefeated until their last match against Oxted and Limpsfield on Monday night where they narrowly lost by 7 runs.

It was a tough match, with the opposing team slightly ahead for most of the game. Bowling by the Knights was good with Freddie taking one wicket and Isaac smashing middle stump with the last ball of the innings. Two catches by Austin and a run out created a total of 6 fallen wickets but with a final run total of 293, Oxted and Limpsfield had set the bar high, and the Knights knew they would have to work hard to beat it.

The first pair, Isaac and Kaz, started strong but were kept in-check by their opponents who snatched 2 wickets off their combined score. Millie and Joe then took to the field with Joe scoring his first and second fours for Newdigate this season. Corey and Freddie kept the score board ticking over and there was one run in it after the 12th over. A clean bowl from the first ball however, showed the final pair (Austin and Frankie) that Oxted and Limpsfield meant business. The Knights put up a gallant fight though and in a nail-biting final over, with 3 fours scored off four balls they needed 5 runs off 2 balls to win. It was not to be, however, as another wicket fell and despite an extra ball from a wide, the Knights finished on 286 for 8, 7 runs short of their target.

There was undoubtedly some disappointment from the team in not maintaining their 100% success rate but in the words of MS Dhoni….
“A loss makes you humble. It tests the other batsmen and bowlers. Also, if you keep winning you don’t know what area you need to work on”

Ultimately the Under 11 Newdigate Knights are winners of the League. Isaac finishes top of the League table in bowling, having taken a very impressive 21 wickets off 27 overs and in batting, Austin finishes in second place with a total of 210 runs. We’ve welcomed Bryce, Charlotte, Kazuya, Leo, Millie and Ollie to the team this season, as well as some interesting headwear and personal accessories! A huge thank you to James for his coaching (and patience) and the fantastic support from the parents. All of the players should be very proud of what they have achieved individually and as a team this year; a brilliant season, bring on Summer 2024……!

Two Sunday Teams fielded on Sunday 9th July 2023 – the 1st XI took on Ifield Sunday Development XI on a one-innings declaration match while 2nd XI travelled to The Red Lion at Reigate to challenge the Mogador Wanderers.
At Home, Ifield won the toss and decided to bat first. Their start took a tumble as Ben Crook tore through the top order, with good pace, line and length – Dexter Duthie complemented with wicket on the other side. The visitors were reduced down to 36/4 from the first 10 overs. Alroy Pereira (47) started the consolidation and built effective partnerships with Shahbaz Khan (28) and then with Rahul Patel (35) who was a victim of Lee Brien’s foot-ball-skill-fielding. The flatness of the pitch started to show at the later part of the first innings, dry outfield was also paying value for shots played and the visitors were looking good for a 200+ score; Lee Brien again claimed a timely wicket to expose the tail. Dexter Duthie (42/2 off 8 overs), Ben Crook (20/4 of 5.4 overs) mopped the tail. Subbiah, Kehl and Brien took a wicket each, while Rohan Patel and Monjur Elahi bowled economic spells. Ifield was all out on the 43rd over and Newdigate had a target of 189 runs to chase down from 42 overs.
Newdigate had a flying start, the fall of David Callcut (25) did not slow the run rate as Thomas Clark (22) was dealing in boundaries while Hussain was watching the good balls. Hussain Abdul-Munaff (59) was the aggressor in the 90 runs partnership with Rufus James (33). When things were looking very easy for the Home side, Ifield inflicted a double strike when Newdigate reached 142/5 on the 25th over. Monjur Elahi (20) bated with the tail to reach the winning target on the 39th over with 3 wickets in hand.

Lucky Captain Isaac won the toss again for Newdigate this week and elected to field first. A few bowling nerves were shown in the first few overs and this, coupled with a strong opening pair, meant that Lingfield scored 35 runs off the first 4 overs. Mark soon put a stop to that though, taking his first wicket in the sixth over. Isaac followed, bowling 2 impressive wickets and allowing the opponents just one run off the eighth over, creating a punishing run rate of -9.

A comedy of errors then ensued with a batsman’s stumble; the retrieval of a dislodged box mid-run and a consequent run out! Ultimately the spirit of cricket prevailed and unlike Jonny Bairstow, the batsman was allowed to continue, and the wicket was discounted. A couple of unusual wides by Austin was quickly rectified when he took a run-out for the fourth wicket and Lingfield’s run rate slowed. A beautiful delivery by U10, newbie Ollie Newton who hit middle stump bang-on, created another negative score for the opposition in the penultimate over. Lingfield finished their innings on 291 runs, a strong, but achievable target for the visiting team.

Leo and Freddie opened Newdigate’s batting, taking full advantage of Lingfield’s erratic bowling; but 2 unfortunate catches supressed their enthusiasm and they finished their partnership on 218. Isaac and Mark then took to the field and racked up a healthy 22 runs between them.
It was obvious what Austin and Frankie had been watching over the weekend as they appeared to be mirroring the Stokes and Broad partnership. With 7 fours, and 1 six, scored by Austin, there was just one sneaky wicket taken off Frankie to dent the 47 run total for the boys. At this point, all Ollie and Joseph had to do was keep their heads and prevent any wickets from reversing their team’s score. Cool, calm and collected they did just that and despite one run out, racked up slow and steady runs over their first 3 overs. Then, when they knew the game was secure, it was time for them to have some fun with a few lovely shots played by Ollie and a very impressive 16 runs scored by the pair off the last over.

Newdigate finished the match on 324; 33 runs ahead of Lingfield.

Can they make the whole season undefeated and win their final match against Oxted and Limpsfield? Come and find out at the Brocus on Monday 10 July at 6pm, I’m sure the team would love to have your support.

Tension was high as Newdigate welcomed Capel for the first time in a hard ball match. Our 5th league game of the season, Charlie won the toss and elected to field.

Once again, short on bowlers, Pippa and Del stepped up to support us and get through the 20 overs. Capel struggled to find boundary and Newdigate kept the fielding tight and Pippa Bennet took her first wicket of the season with a catch from Del. Charlie took the second wicket with a great bowl. We could have had 3 more, bowled and caught but they were all from free hits. Capel finished on 105.

Our opening pair this season, Sarah and Del started finding the boundary immediately, Del being caught & bowled on 26 runs. Charlie and Sarah took it to the 10th over, with 30 and 35 runs respectively.

The ninjas win again, that 5 out of 5 and keeps up at the top of the table. Newdigate ladies smashing this season again.

Thanks to Pam & Jon for a fabulous tea, Andrew Major for umpiring, and the amazing Anna Lewis for (sort of) scoring!

Newdigate Knights were only able to secure a tie against their opponents Felbridge and Sunnyside previously, but after rigorous Friday night training sessions and the introduction of some lucky headwear by a couple of the boys, the team was brimming with confidence as they won the toss and elected to field first.

A bit of a slow start in the field meant that Felbridge were quick to rack up 10 runs off the first over. Newbie Charlotte soon put a stop to that though with a beautiful first bowl cleanly taking out middle stump. Steady and consistent bowling from Fraser, Oscar, Freddie and Leo and two wickets taken by Isaac, meant that the opposition were being kept at bay by the end of the second pairing. Austin followed suit taking two more wickets and Fraser a third, creating a run out from a magnificently accurate throw which sent the bails tumbling. Felbridge and Sunnyside were not giving up without a fight, however, and took full advantage of the few Wides and No Balls which the Knights decided to throw their way. A strong finish from the final batsmen was only dampened slightly by a great wicket bowled by Mark. As Bob’s finest custard creams and Maryland cookies were served up, the scoreboard was updated with a respectable 289 runs for 7, to the visitors.

As Freddie and Fraser took to the field, some formidable bowling came their way in the first few overs and after a rare, but unmistakable, decision for LBW, two more wickets fell after Felbridge and Sunnyside’s strongest spin bowler dominated the crease. Next up were Isaac and Mark who both hit some glorious fours to ensure the scoreboard continued to go in the right direction and despite one fallen wicket, the pair broke through the half century barrier. The opponents got their own back on Charlotte taking two sneaky wickets but communication with her partner Leo was decisive and together they created some fantastic quick singles. Oscar and Austin required 21 runs off the last 4 overs to win the match. As it was, they managed to score that individually with the best shot of the match going to Oscar for his superb cover drive. Despite an awesome catch by one of the fielders, to take a final wicket, the Newdigate Knights won the game by 32 runs with 321 for 7.

Well done team.

25th June 2023 was a run fest match day between Newdigate CC and Cranleigh CC which saw a total of 451 runs scored between the two teams. The teams met at Newdigate Cricket Ground to play a 35 overs friendly match.
Newdigate CC Sunday 1st XI won the toss and decided to bat first on a dry pitch with a fast outfield. A loss of initial two wickets did not stop the other opener Ben Haynes (100 not out retired) from hitting big shots who cashed in from a couple of missed chances. Jack Bowley (50 not out retired) played with caution and aggression while Tom Harper (52 not out) threw caution to the wind. Good contribution from these three batspersons took Newdigate to a massive total of 252/2 off 35 overs.
It was not much for from Cranleigh CC Gentlemen’s XI fielders and bowlers who endured the scorching sun and high temperature. M Harry and Grant Van Wyk both took a wicket.
Cranleigh CC Gentlemen’s XI lost 3 wickets in quick succession in their reply. Grant Van Wyk (59) and Captain Rob Denton (54) counter attacked; both the batsmen kept cashing on loose deliveries. The match was evenly poised at the halfway stage with the visitors keeping up with the required run-rate. Newdigate came back into the game with the wicket of Rob Denton who fell to Tom Harper’s leg spin. M Harry (36) continued hitting big to keep the visitors well within the run chase. Part-time bowler Keith Rennles came into play with two timely wickets for Newdigate. The rest of the batspersons failed to carry on with the momentum and Cranleigh chase stopped at 199/10 on the 34th over, giving away a 53 runs win to Newdigate.
Captain Monjur Elahi (10/3 off 5 overs) took two early wickets and also took the penultimate one. Shahariar Sami, Ian Kehl, Keith Rennles – all claimed two wickets each.

The U11 Knights knew they had to bring their A-game to Capel on Monday night with the winner of this match determining the top of the table.

Capel won the toss and decided to bat first. There had been a lot of discussion, debate and quite a few diagrams drawn with regards to Newdigate’s fielding positions but all that seemed to go out of the window as Capel’s first pair knocked up some sneaky singles from the opening balls. Kaz “The Cat” was as agile at wicket keeper as he is at goal keeper however, and was quick to stop any loose balls being converted into runs. Austin claimed the first wicket with a great catch by Isaac and Corey clean bowled the same batsman for a second. Strong bowling from Mark, Leo and Freddie kept Capel’s second strongest batsman at bay and Isaac bowled his victim out for just 2 runs. Austin secured a maiden over and some quick fielding created a run out from Fraser’s over. Isaac followed that up by hitting middle stump to take 5 off Capel’s key batsman and Austin took the sixth and final wicket in the last over.

Capel had racked up 303 runs at half time so the Knights knew they had to come out fighting….

After a cautious start, Fraser and Kaz soon found their rhythm and despite a run out in the third over, chalked up a respectable run rate. Isaac and Mark took full advantage of Capel’s No Balls with some quick runs, and they finished their partnership with 24. Corey and Leo batted patiently and despite losing 2 wickets continued to strengthen Newdigate’s running total. With 4 overs to go, Austin and Freddie needed to sore 31 runs to win. Seven 4s later and with a combined total of 40 runs the final pair cemented the win for the team and League glory was now fully within their sights.

It was a fantastic team effort, with everyone contributing to a magnificent win against a strong opposition. Well done.

Reported by: David Callcut

On Sunday 18th June, Newdigate hosted visitors Putney for a limited overs friendly match and David Callcut volunteered to stand in as the days captain for Newdigate. Putney won the toss and chose to put Newdigate into bat. Due to the poor weather forecast, the captains decided to reduce the match to 30 overs each.

Newdigate started well, with Julian Jeffery (23) and Angus Harper (16) followed by David Callcut (12), then the wickets started falling, only Tom Harper holding up one end.

Newdigate went from 57 for 1 to 77 for 8 and the match looked like it was lost, until Mark De Vrij joined Tom, the two of them putting on 110 runs, the highest 9th wicket partnership for the club since 1984. Newdigate ended up with 186 from their 30 overs with Tom Harper on 90 and Mark De Vrij on 15 not out.

The rain started coming down just before the interval, so at the halfway stage the captains decided to play on rather than breaking for tea.

In response, Putney lost a few early wickets but Jack Bickard held up his end well. Accompanied by Francis (19), Kyran (28) and skipper Sayer (30), Bickard reached 54 but none of the other batters got into double figures. In nearing torrential rain Newdigate got Putney’s last wicket in the last over, with Putney just 10 runs short of the target.

Mark De Vrij and Tom Harper were the pick of the Newdigate bowlers with three and four wickets respectively.

Following a shock defeat in a “friendly” match against Newdigate U10s at the weekend; the Knights were keen to get back into League games and their winning streak.

Newdigate won the toss and elected to field, with Isaac opening the bowling. Crawley Down’s first pair were quick off the mark taking their opportunities from some loose balls. Millie and Charlotte then bowled really well and a run out by Isaac off Bryce’s last ball ensured the team were back in the game and focused. Corey enticed the third batsman into a big slog which was casually picked out of the air by Freddie; an excellent catch. A hit wicket during Austin’s bowling meant Crawley Down were 226 for 3 after 8 overs and with Bryce taking the 4th wicket with some great bowling, their score remained unchanged after the next over. A miscommunication from the final batting pair created a run out for Crawley but the big gold star must go to Bryce who concluded the innings with a magnificent wicket maiden. Newdigate Knights were chasing 238 for 6 at half time.

Millie took a leaf out of Crawley’s score book by taking 5 quick runs off the first no balls and ended her pairing with Bryce on 217. Isaac and Freddie continued to take advantage of the extras but made it count when bat did hit ball with Isaac scoring 2 lovely 4s. Joe and Corey faced a good bowler who took 2 cheeky wickets off the pair, but together they made it through the 250 run mark. Charlotte and Austin concluded with a pair total of 25 runs for zero wickets which meant the Knights ended the match 288 for 4, 50 runs ahead of their opponents.

The second leg of the local derby takes place on Monday night, away at Capel. The opposition are biting at the Knight’s heels so the team will have to bring their A game if they are to remain at the top of the table…..

Newdigate completed their unbeaten run to the midpoint of the season with a consummate display against a Crawley Down side, which had been detrimentally hit by the half term break. Having won the toss, skipper Isaac Grant elected to field on what was a glorious Sunday morning. The home side got off to a bright start, with opener Amelia Gowan taking advantage of her local knowledge, using the slope to assist a couple of crunching 4s through point. However, not deterred by the opening salvo, Newdigate came back into the game with some good accurate bowling and energetic fielding.

Kaz and Corey both picked up wickets and credit to Charlotte Robbie, who bowled her first two overs in league cricket (for Newdigate anyway), going for only 4 runs. Isaac picked up two wickets at in his 2nd over, however the hat-trick bowl at the start of the third over just failed to hit the mark, agonisingly going between bat and pad, but sliding past leg stump. He was the pick of the bowlers with 4-13.

Happy with the score they were set achieve (214), the skipper went out to bat with Kaz under strict instruction from the coach to, and I quote, “have a look first, she batted well, she could be a handy bowler”.

The cursory nod back of acknowledgement must have been just a twitch, as two balls into the innings Newdigate were –10, with both openers clean bowled trying to smash the ball into the attentive and now sunbathing crowd. Having got that out of their system, they then remembered that they knew how to bat properly, running well and collecting boundaries where possible.

Joe Cole’s innings with Corey was of particular note. Not having yet hit a boundary in hard ball cricket, his first shot crossing the rope was accompanied by a very enthusiastic fist pump. He then followed that up with a glorious straight drive and three more boundaries to the longest part of the ground, well and truly putting that gremlin to bed. Isaac and Joe finished with 23 and 22 respectively, and both with strike rates of exactly 200%.

Newdigate won the game comfortably by 108 runs, however it was the manner of victory that stood out in my eyes.
The game was played in great spirit and both teams enjoyed themselves, which was great to see. Also, having had such a tough season last year, it was also great to see the hard work that has been put in coming to fruition. As someone who loves a stat, I found this one quite telling; at this point last year we had taken 9 wickets but lost 55! In two of those games, we lost 16 wickets……treasured memories that sadly I will never forget.

This season we have taken 45 wickets and lost only 19. Last season we only took 34 wickets in total, of which 11 came in one match! so to have surpassed that figure after 5 games is clearly a fantastic achievement. Well done all!

4th June 2023, Newdigate CC Sunday 1st XI registered a hard-earned win hosting Quokkas CC on a 35-overs limited match, despite Driver scoring a well composed 60 not out for the visitors.
Newdigate won the toss and decided to bat first on a dry and sunny day. Simon Carrington (36 off 31 balls, 6 fours and 1 six) started innings in a hurry, while David Callcut (19) was steady with his approach. The second wicket partnership of 69 runs built a strong platform in 11 overs; in-form Jack Bowley (10) and Tom Harper (15) had the starts but both perished on two lovely balls from Driver and Faggie. The Quokkas delivered a double strike on the 13th over leaving Newdigate on 81/4. Newdigate lost another 4 wickets in the following 7 overs asking the tail to wag. The tail-wagging did come through- Monjur Elahi (31 off 31 balls with 6 fours) and Ben Crook (34 of 28 balls, with 5 fours) shared a 40-runs 8th wicket partnership to take the total to 159; Crook launched towards the end to form a 28 runs partnership with Ian Kehl (7 not out). Newdigate was all out scoring 181 runs off 33 overs.
Faggie, 2/2 off two overs with one maiden, was the pick of the bowlers for the Quokkas with goo support from Driver 26/2 off 6 overs. The ‘borrowed player’ young Arthur Carrington impacted the innings by a direct hit run out and then by claiming an LBW. Dave, Radio, Smurtie and Seagull took a wicket respectively. The Quokkas did well to rotate their bowlers – all 10 players, except the wicket keeper, had a bowl!

Newdigate won the toss and elected to field. Horley could only field the minimum 8 players so we agreed on a 16 over game.

The opening bats for Horley had a great innings, and the rotation of Rachel Lyndon, Charlie Collard and Karen Fordree kept the extras low, but didn’t take the first wicket. That job fell to Del Posner, Wicket Keeper is her preferred position, but she took one over, and on the 2nd ball, caused the batswoman to make an error and hit her own wicket. Two further catches from Charlie (one caught and bowled), and a dropped catch by Karen gave the opportunity for Charlie to take a run out instead.

Horley finished the innings on 104, a fairly high score for a ladies 16 overs game.

Due to pressing BBQ commitments the big match was moved forwards to a 9.30 start which meant an early wake up call for the various groundsmen. There was also some added excitement with the unveiling and presentation of the new kit. Good stash always accounts for a few extra runs and the team ran out feeling good and looking sharp. This game always feels like a local derby and the Knights knew they had to win. First moment of the game was to lose the toss and be sent into bat. Game on….

Freddie and Joe went in first and steadied the nerves by seeing out the first couple of overs. Freddie had then had enough of that and decided that now was the time to attack… Boom… six…. fetch that! I think the ball needed to be retrieved from Capel (the place not the team). Isaac and Mark then came in and continued with the “foot on the gas” approach. Isaac raced to 16 from 2 overs before finishing on 28. By the halfway stage the Knights were up to 281, no wickets taken and 6 boundaries.

That left Bryce, Millie, Austin and Fraser to protect the score and push on. Bryce and Millie batted excellently, without losing a wicket and with some great running, especially from the wides and no balls. Austin then came in and hit 26 from 13 balls, with another six, this time flicked off his toes and over the sweeper on the rope. The Knights finished without losing a single wicket and with the scoreboard on 332. Confidence was high as they went into the field to defend their total.

If some of the batting was controlled, then the bowling started in the same way. A maiden from Isaac and then 3 great overs form Mark, Bryce and Millie. The first pair seen off with only 16 runs from it. Capel needed 117 more runs to win but it felt a long way off. Then in came Capel’s number 3, he’d obviously been watching Steve Smith and with no shackles to come off, hit 34 runs with a strike rate of 242… The Knights suddenly were in a game. But, as is often the way, those that go big, often go home and get bowled. In consecutive overs, Freddie and Fraser sent the bails tumbling, -10, pegging Capel back. Mark then also disrupted the bails and Austin followed up, which meant Capel needed 70 from their last batsmen. Impossible, implausible, surely incomprehensible?

Capel’s final batsmen bounced into the crease, jogging, swinging and with a haircut that only someone who believes in their ability can truly pull off. Shot, shot, shoooottt…! 18 in his first over… 52 left… 12 in his next over… 40 from 12 balls… he can’t be this good?… 4 from the next ball… then one, his error, his first error.. off strike… To his credit he smashed 38 from his overs. Including a lovely drive that went straight back and slammed into Austin’s outstretched hand. Austin took his time, checked his fingers were all still attached to his hand before bowling the final delivery. Capel needed too many by now but to complete the win, Austin left the bails on the turf one more time. The Knights won by 28 but it had seemed closer a few minutes before that.

So, still top, still unbeaten and James went home in time for his BBQ. Put an extra sausage on… The Knights are top of the league.

By Warwick Hunter

After an extra training match on Sunday, the team’s confidence was high, as they faced off against Felbridge and Sunnyside on Monday night. Newdigate won the toss again (must be those lucky pants Isaac!) and elected to bat first.

Corey and Joe started the game with some disciplined batting and a steady run rate, which set the tone for the rest of the Knight’s innings. Mark followed with his team-mate and became top run scorer with 11 runs. A controversial decision by the umpire which deemed Isaac run out on a free ball was ultimately going to cost them the match, but the rest of the team were quick to limit further damage with Corey, Mark, Leo, Frankie and Oscar surviving their innings by not getting out. The Knights finished on 241; a not unachievable target for their opponents.

Austin and Isaac opened the bowling aggressively; both achieving 2 wickets within their first overs. Mark followed taking 2 wickets for 7 runs; Leo with 1 wicket for 11 runs and Joe got an awesome stumping as wicket keeper. Felbridge and Sunnyside were consistently racking up the runs though and with Newdigate having scored 241 and Felbridge & Sunnyside already on 243 with 3 overs to go, the opponents just needed to see out their remaining overs. But Newdigate had other ideas…..

Mark was first to shave 5 runs of the opponent’s total, but the batting pair’s steady singles kept them still 2 runs ahead of the Knights on 243. Austin took another wicket in the penultimate over, but with 4 runs scored, Felbridge and Sunnyside were still winning by 1, with 242. It was down to Isaac to work his magic in the last over…..

His mum couldn’t watch as he bowled a superb dot ball to start. But then the batsman hit the second ball long. Some quick reactive fielding, however, meant the batsman only managed 2 runs. A dot and a single came next which meant they were now on 245, with 2 balls to go. Newdigate needed a wicket……and a wicket they got. As the bails were sent flying high by Isaac, cheers from the players and crowd erupted, as everyone realised the game would be decided on the last ball. A final single by the second highest batsman meant the match finished on a draw which seemed a little unfair given the excitement of the game, but a win is as good as a draw……?!

The Knights retain their position at the top of the table but their next match against local rivals Capel will determine whether they stay there! The game kicks off early on Bank holiday Monday morning (9.30) so if you are at a loose end, I’m sure the team would appreciate your support. Come

The only frustration this week came from the scoring table, whilst they tried to keep up with the number of wickets taken and total runs scored against Lingfield.

After the success of last week, Newdigate captain Isaac Grant, won the toss and selected to field first. It wasn’t long before he did what he does best and dispatched the first batsman within the first few minutes. Next up to bowl was Kazuya Foster who took the second wicket and a very accurate throw from Mark Moody-Stuart sent the bails flying for three. Quick reactions from Fraser McLean and wicket keeper Joseph Cole maintained Lingfield’s low run rate and some strong bowling from Freddie Bennion ensured another wicket fell. Austin Hunter had obviously had his Weetabix for breakfast, being involved in five wickets; clean bowling 2 batsman, catching and bowling Lingfield’s highest run scorer, running out another and taking a catch from final bowler, Millie Guthrie. The score at the end of the first innings was 228 for 10 to Lingfield.

Fraser and Kaz, took to the field first for Newdigate, creating a strong foundation for the rest of the team to build upon. Isaac and Mark made some big hits which meant that the two wickets that did fall, didn’t create much of a dent in the scoreboard. Millie and Joe’s pairing continued to send the score board in the right direction, followed by the final nails in the coffin from Austin and Freddie who collectively scored just under thirty. Lingfield scraped a cheeky LBW and a clean bowled to finish, but the Knights were too far ahead to be caught and finished the game 276 for 4. Well done team.

Still top of the league……although arch-rivals Capel are snapping at our heels…….!

Newdigate Under 15s Start the Season in Fine Style

by John Callcut

Newdigate started their Surrey Junior Cricket Championship campaign in fine style with a good win against Salfords. Skipper, Charlie Stimpson, won the toss and probably regretted his decision to bowl first as Salfords got off to a flyer with Samuel Lee hitting a quick fire 19. Three wickets then fell with two for Dexter Duthie and one to Toby Ball. A partnership of 63 between Perowne and Wright was broken by Stimpson but a well hit 11 from Marley Pierre enabled Salfords to reach 120-4 from their 20 overs. Archie Gibbs-Power and Aiden Jones both bowled tight spells in the middle with Gibbs-Power bowling the only maiden over of the match.

Newdigate’s openers Elliot Spiers (8) and Dexter Duthie put on 30 in three overs. With the dismissal of Spiers, Duthie was joined by Jones and they put on 59 before Jones was caught behind for 7 off the bowling of George Ross who then took a second wicket. Duthie retired on 52 having scored his maiden half century. In fading light Harry Ball (11) and Charlie Stimpson (11) reached the required total with Stimpson finishing the game with a towering six straight over the bowlers head with four overs left and three wickets down. Pick of the Salfords bowlers was spinner George Ross who took 2-9

We might have struggled to get a team together, but 8 drove out to face Oxted and Limpsfield at Grub Street tonight, having won the toss, we elected to field.

With some of our key players missing this season, we knew we had to keep a tight field and the team worked hard to keep the run rate low with some great fielding. Rachel Lyndon started the fall of wickets, taking one in the 2nd and 8th over. Charlie Collard (Captain) followed with a further one in the 13th over. Bella Whitton put in a great performance in her bowling debut, she was unfortunate with a injury to her eye and finished the game in A&E. No lasting damage and we hope she is back with us very soon.

Oxted & Limpsfield finished the innings on 87.

 

As the endless rain seems to have finally finished, it almost feels like cricket weather!

However not more than two weeks ago, our outfield looked more suited to grazing cows than for cricket.

Thanks must go to those who have made that possible behind closed doors (so to speak):

Andy Major for his work with the square and the outfield
John Callcut for his work on the outfield with both outfield and hand mower
Neil Clark, who also gave up his time to mow by hand the bottom section of the ground
Mark De Vrij, for also giving up his time to hand mow the longest areas and cut the outfield

If you see them, please take the opportunity to thank them, as the ground now looks in amazing shape.

There was a huge pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for the U11 Knights, as they secured a comfortable win over Oxted and Limpsfield on Wednesday night.

It was touch and go whether the first match of the season would go ahead but after a huge downpour, 9 wet, excitable cricketers (and James!) took to the field, fired up and ready to go…..

Isaac Grant © opened the bowling and showed the opposition that the Knights meant business by taking a wicket in his first over; his first of many victims. Bowling was slick and fielding was tight. Mark Moody-Stuart despatched another batsman in his opening over, as did Fraser Mclean. Then wicket keeper, Joseph Cole, was quick to react to send those bails flying high and Oxted and Limpsfield’s scoreboard was going backwards! And so it continued, with another wicket taken by Austin Hunter; one from Corey McManus, a second for Fraser and Isaac ending the Knights stint in the field with a “fivefor”. After 16 overs Newdigate had taken 12 wickets, with Oxted and Limpsfield scoring just 204 runs. A great start.

After some cheeky chat from the boys about retiring after the first 2 overs, the Knights batted well through sunshine and showers. The slow and soggy pitch created a steady and consistent run rate and communication within the partnerships was good with only 2 run outs! Oxted and Limpsfield claimed 2 wickets (and the 2 run outs) from the mighty Knights which meant Newdigate finished the match on 253.

A special mention to Charlotte Robbie who was making her debut performance for the team and a great win for the U11s who are currently top of the league (as no other match was played due to the weather!) … “We are top of the league, say we are..”

A brief presentation ceremony was held to award the previous season’s best bowler for the team, where the club Chairman James Penfold presented the trophy to the winner of the trophy to Jagadeesh Subbiah.

The game was also covered by the newly installed electronic scoreboard and Leapfrog live streaming, a welcoming addition to the club’s portfolio.

The day’s proceeding started with the players of both teams paying tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with a one minute silence and later at the end of over 16, with a one minute clapping. Merton CC (Boars) captain Neil Simpson led the proceedings.

On a typical September pitch, which was dump with slow outfield, the toss was won by the Hosts who decided to bat first. The Host lost an early wicket and the run scoring progressed slowly as the batters were adjusting with the variable bounce off the pitch. Boars contained themselves until the 30th over when the total was 70 runs; Paul Permenter (42 not out) being the anchor who carried his bat out right through the innings. Adil Sharif (21) batted fluently when the sun broke out and Sujanan Romalojoseph (21) hit big to post a respectable total of 123/7 off 40 overs. Newdigate bowlers maintained good line and length, using the condition well. 10 bowlers were used, wickets were shared and some typical Sunday Cricket catch drop were witnessed.
Newdigate openers Jagadeesh Subbiah (21) and David Callcut (44) started the response really well for the visitors. They handled the uneven pitch condition and concentrated on scoring singles and doubles. Subbiah’s concentration lapsed after the drinks break when he holed out to Mid-on. Redwan Ahmed (19) batted confidently with Callcut and a comfortable win for Newdigate was on cards. However, when was a match between Newdigate and Merton ever one-sided? Sujanan Romalojoseph claimed quick 5 wickets on his return spell who even gave himself a chance of taking a hat-trick at one point. Newdigate lost quick 6 wickets scoring only 11 runs and a win was only 9 runs away at the beginning of 35th over. Nerves and butterflies, all started to show; however James Dearsley held his cool and smashed a few big shots to register a 2 wicket victory for Newdigate on the 38th over.
Besides the competitive feel, both the team players enjoyed a great tea, courtesy Merton CC; celebrated the end of an enjoyable cricket season with the promises to meet each other in 2023. Newdigate played 6 colts/emerging youth players which also promises a good future for the club.

Newdigate CC Sunday 1st XI hosted The Cricket Society CC on 14th August 2022. The Cricket Society CC is a prestigious team that Newdigate CC is hosting for many years and it was great to welcome them back this year.
Newdigate CC won the toss and decided to bat first on a very hot day. A flat pitch and very quick outfield promised a lot of runs for the day. However, the Hosts did not quite justify the decision to bat early as two quick wickets were lost early on. Dan Jones (21) and Redwan Ahmed (10) steadied the innings, while Aiden Jones (16) ably contributed when Newdigate seemed to negotiate with some accurate bowling from The Cricket Society. However, middle and late order collapse from Newdigate did not allow for a big total and the Hosts managed to set a small target of 74 runs off 25.3 overs. Andrew Sheldon (20/4 off 7 overs) was the peak of the bowlers for The Cricket Society, while Amir Iqbal and David Farringdon took 2 wickets each.
Newdigate’s hope to bring some sort of competition by taking early wickets were sparked when Andy Glen managed one straight away. However, aggressive batting from Rehan Mahmud (52 not out) and a solid knock from Tom Gross (20) ensured that there is no further drama. The visitors batted with ease to reach 78 runs off 12 overs losing only one wicket to seal a comfortable win by 9 wickets.
Due to the early finish of the official match, the captains agreed to a play a further 16 overs bear match, which was again won by The Cricket Society, which was played in great spirit and with a bit more competition.
Overall, it was a great day, full of fun with a lot of food and drinks enjoyed by the players and spectators.

Newdigate CC Sunday 1st XI visited Cranleigh Commons Cricket Ground on 3rd July to play a 35 overs Friendly Cricket match with their Gentlemen’s XI. The fixtures were on the cards for last two years, but did not happen due to COVID and weather and both the teams were happy to finally have the match underway.
Cranleigh won the toss and decided to bat on a hard pitch, the ground was lovely with big boundaries. Cranleigh openers James Hamblin (38) and William Hamblin (26) laid a solid foundation for the Hosts justifying their captain’s decision to bat first. Newdigate’s opening bowlers struggled to reign the runs scoring rate. Bowling change brought Newdigate some success and the scoring rate slowed down a bit. Dave Burke (28) kept the runs flowing for the Hosts, with contributions from the other batters around him, Cranleigh innings total reached 163/8 off 35 overs. Ian Kehl made his 60th Birthday a memorable one by claiming 4 wickets conceding only 26 runs off his 7 overs while Monjur Elahi took 2 wickets.
In reply, the visitors started well with Andy Glen and Marcus Glen opening the batting, but lost a quick few wickets to a very disciplined Cranleigh Bowling. Newdigate lost a few wickets while the batters were trying to clear the boundaries on a big ground. On the half way of their innings, Newdigate were struggling with only 60 runs losing 7 wickets, while a notable contribution came from Sebastian Dearsley (23). A defeat by a big margin was very possible. However, the partnership between Monjur Elahi (10 not out) and Jagadeesh Subbiah (62 not out) steadied the ship for the visitors a bit and Subbiah even made an attempt to register an unlikely win with a flurry of boundaries and sixes. However, clever bowling and field positioning from Cranleigh denied the visitors from causing and upset and Newdigate’s innings total reached to 132/8 off 35 overs. R Wheeler claimed 3 wickets giving away only 3 runs off his 2 overs while Nicholas Pickens took 2 wickets.
Craneligh CC Gentlemen’s XI won by 31 runs.
The match celebrated a total of 4 pairs of Father-son participation and it was played in a great spirit of friendliness.

Reigate won the toss and elected to Bat.

The opening bats held firm and Newdigate struggled to break the pairing, topping out at 59 before a great catch by Anna Lewis snatched retirement away from Rosie who finished her innings on 37 runs.

Jacqui Goldsmid found her feet and then took 3 further wickets, 2 clean bowls and an LBW putting her top in the league with 7 wickets in total. A fantastic catch by Vicky Clack off of Anna Lewis bowling got the biggest cheer, it’s brilliant to see the older team members improving in the field. There were other good fielding performances from Pippa Bennet, Tanya Clack and Sharon Millar. However, Reigate continued to find the boundary and finished their innings with 168.

With some of the best bowlers we face in the leagues, we knew we had a hard task to get close to the target, Skipper Karen Fordree went out for a duck in the first innings, making way for Jacqui to pair with Anna Lewis. Jacqui went on to put in a strong performance, retiring on 40 runs. Other notable performances were from Amelia Brien and Del Posner, bowled out on 16 runs. Jacqui went back in and finished her innings just 3 short of a half century.

Newdigate quicks Charlie Stimpson and James Dearsley gave the hosts a dream start, claiming 2 wickets each on their opening spell. The visitors were 4 wickets down scoring 17 runs. The Colts bowlers were introduced into the attack, giving the regular bowlers a rest in the hope to give away some runs to the visitors. However, Marcus Glen had a different idea and took 3 more wickets on his very first over! Safwan Ahmed, while expensive took another one. The visitors were reeling at 40/8 on the 14th over. Some late resistance came in form of Haroon Dass (49 not out) and Rizwan Munir (24) to take the total score to 143 after 29.1 overs. Mr Extra also contributed a healthy 39 runs to help the scorebook. Marcus finished with his best 17/3 off 3 overs, Andy Glen and Jagadeesh Subbiah bowled economically sharing 5 maidens between them.
Julian Jeffery started with his typical gritty innings to see off the initial sting from Hermes Redhill’s bowling while on the other hand, Simon Carrington played a dominant innings of 55 runs (retired not out) with 5 fours and 2 sixes. Jagadeesh Subbiah’s aggressive innings of 50 (retired not out) comprised of 7 boundaries and 1 six while Sebastian Dearsley played a mature innings of 10 runs. Newdigate scored 146 runs losing only one wicket on the 23rd over securing a big win by 9 wickets.
Overall, a dominant performance was displayed by Newdigate with the ball and then bat on a day when everything worked, even the catches were held brilliantly. The visitors were short of a player and the hosts helped them in every possible way to get an enjoyable match out of the day. Cricket was the winner.

Newdigate bowled well at the beginning, so well that the visitors were reduced to 42/6 at the end of 24th over. Balaji Raju, Charlie Stimpson, Dexter Duthie, Andy Glen claiming a wicket each while Ian Kehl registering two wickets, the visitors were at the risk of being folded under a hundred. A resistance came in form of Connor Headen (35) and some late counter-attack from David Floyd (13 not out) and David Barber (18 not out) along with healthy Mr Extra (24) helped the visitors register a score of 141/9 off 40 overs. Jagadeesh, Ian and Dexter ended with 2 wickets each with great economy rate.
Newdigate, in response, started very poorly, almost as identically as Merton. On the 11th over, the hosts lost 4 wickets scoring 41 runs. Thankfully, solid Julian Jeffery held it in one end (28), Jagadeesh Subbiah (24) and Balaji Raju (15) helping him. A recovery was made, but as Jeffery fell when the team score was 86, it was down to the late order to score another 56 runs. It was tough and was done before against the same opposition. Skipper Monjur Elahi (20 not out) led the re-building works with Ian Kehl (10) and a repeat of last year’s tense match was in the vision. Some cunning strategy from Merton Boars kept giving away easy singles to Elahi and taking wickets from the other end. At the end Elahi was left stranded, courtesy to Neil Simpson’s clever tactics. Newdigate’s innings folded scoring 127 runs in the 35th over, conceding a defeat by 14 runs.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable game, a great poster for friendly, yet tense village cricket match. Every moment of the match was enjoyed by all players and spectators, every run and wicket were rejoiced. The success of the colts were celebrated. Now, Newdigate will be looking forward to amend errors later in the season when we are due to visit Merton.

Merstham, in only their second year fielding a ladies team, had 11 players with some members in their first ever game. Newdigate won the toss and elected to field.

Newdigate, fielding some new but experienced members for this game, had a bigger than normal pool of bowlers. Jacqui Ann Goldsmidt making a very welcome debut and opened the bowling, taking 3 wickets and a run out in her first 3 overs. Another newcomer, Harriet Fryer, took a further wicket with a fabulous catch by Charlie Collard, who then went on to take 2 run outs.

Skipper Karen Fordree bowled 2 wickets, and took a further run out, and a catch by Sarah Oram gave Anna Lewis the final wicket, Merstham were all out for 76.

The second innings saw a strong opening from Jacqui and Vicky Clack, getting 31 and 7 runs respectively before being bowled out. Sarah Oram and Claire Jeal saw out the batting innings, finishing on 82/2, with a total of 26 runs for the pair.

A second win for the Ninjas securing our place at the top of the SLAM table.

Sunday 8th May 2022 was the opening day of a new era for Newdigate CC Sunday 1st XI, as we started our first Village Cricket League match against Effingham with a strong win on a low scoring affair.
Both the teams played a few colts, the weather was sunny, it was a timed match, there were some moisture on the pitch. Newdigate won the toss and decided to bat with the idea to see off the opening spells, let the moisture dry and set up a score around 180 and then defend it.
Well, the batting plan did not quite materialise, Effingham made inroads with Newdigate’s top and middle order. Newdigate was reduced to 23/6 on the 13th over. The tail wagged, Mike Duthie (42) leading with Charlie Stimpson (24), James Dearley, Jon Bell and Balaji Raju all contributing to achieve a score of 128 before the visitor’s innings folded in the 34th over. Ollie Tebbits (9-14-5) was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts.
For a win, the hosts needed just 129 from 51 overs – easy? Especially when the pitch eased up and the ball was coming on the bat nicely. Defending a low score of 128 was challenging, but confidence were there as Newdigate had a strong bowling attack. A nice tea was enjoyed, thanks to Effingham for hosting; there were talks of a past encounter of the exact situation back in 2019 https://newdigatecc.play-cricket.com/website/results/3755552
Jon Bell and Jagadeesh Subbiah started strong; with Jon bowling with his accurate line, creating the pressure while Jagadeesh profiting with the wickets. The hosts had a slow start and scored 17 runs in 13 overs losing 4 wickets. Ollie Tebbits (24) and Dave Roberts (39) steadied the ship and kept the scoreboard going. It was a cat and mouse game with Effingham was gaining the advantage every time a boundary was scored, but Newdigate claiming it back by taking a wicket. Regular rotation of bowler, 8 were used and the variation helped getting wickets. Last two wickets, two talented Effingham colts, stuck together to frustrate Newdigate, four dropped catches did not help either, possibility of all results – loss, win, draw – were in the cards. In the end, Duthie made the day his own by taking the last two wickets to seal a win for Newdigate. Effingham innings folded scoring 117 in the 46th over.
Phew, what a sea-saw day of cricket, the crowd had their money worth (not that they had to pay for a ticket, but they should do when watching Newdigate Sunday team are playing!). All players contributed massively, Duthie starred the day, Subbiah claimed four wickets, all the bowlers bowled economic spells, De Vrij kept outstandingly well, magnificent catches were taken by Seb Dearsly and Andy Glen. A great thank you all players for securing a wonderful win and we look forward to continue the run.

At Reigate’s St Marys pitch, Captain Toby Wells lost the toss and Reigate elected to bat. This turned out to be favourable for Newdigate given the fading light.

A strong opening performance from Adam Hallett finding the boundary on the first ball of the game. Adam and Sam held firm and Reigate were unable to take a wicket. Archie Gibbs Power and Toby Wells batted 2nd, with another solid performance each finding the boundary consistently.

Harrison Smith and Jacob Mumford batted 3rd and managed to keep a clean sheet. Austin Hunter made a great debut for the U12 team paired with Harry Grimley. Harry managed to find the boundary 4 times and was the top run scorer with 21 runs. Jojo Thorneloe and Harry Woods closed the batting for Newdigate finishing on 286 runs.

Newdigate put out a solid bowling and fielding performance with Jacob Mumford topping the wickets taking 3. Other wicket takers were Harry Grimley, Harrison Smith, Archie Gibbs Power and Toby Wells and Jojo Thorneloe. There were also two catches from Sam Curry and
Harrison Smith.

Reigate ended up needing to find 14 runs off the final over. Archie bowled well, but a fielding error meant they took 7 runs from the penultimate ball leaving them needing 3 from the final ball of the over. Despite the pressure Archie stayed strong and bowled a beautiful ball which Reigate couldn’t get hold of, securing a very deserving U12 team the second win of the season.

Facing a young Ashtead side, skipper Karen Fordree lost the toss, (some things don’t change!), and Ashtead elected to bat.

Anna Lewis opened the bowling on strong form, followed by Charlie Collard but the opening batsmen proved hard to break down. We showed a pretty strong performance in the field but the outfield and pitch were lightening quick and Ashtead kept finding the boundary.

Harriet Fryer made her debut for Newdigate bowling 4 overs with an economy of 6.75. Sharon Millar also played her first match for us putting in a strong performance on the boundary.

In the 9th over, a great catch by Rachel Lyndon got Karen Fordree the first wicket of the season, and Anna Lewis and Charlie Collard followed with 2 and 1 more respectively. Ashtead finished the inning of 16 overs on 113.

Anna Lewis opening the batting and found her form immediately racking up 36 runs before being caught. An injured Del Posner (took a ball to the knee in the opening over as WK), also found the boundary before being caught LBW.

Charlie Collard on great form, making a total of 32 runs which included three 6s, the last of which put an end to the game in the 12th over.

Newdigate won with 6 overs to go. A great first game, streamed live on Newdigate Cricket Club’s Facebook page. Here’s to many more!

Newdigate’s preseason finished well with a strong victory over London Gymkhana, who were promoted last year from our division up into the Surrey Championship. Having not beaten the side from Alexandra Park in Surbiton for a number of seasons now, this was a good opportunity to prove that the credentials are in place for a similar move up the leagues. On another glorious spring day, Newdigate started well having been put in the field, with Cooper striking early with Ahmad going for a duck. The other opener Tahir Iqbal, ever a thorn in the Newdigate side, went on to score his standard 50, but apart from Chaudhary (62) the visiting side were kept very much in check and with the wickets being shared between Cooper (2), Davies (1), Wickremasinghe (2), Dunkerley (1), Down (2) and Roast (2), Gymkhana being bowled out for 201 in 39 overs.

In a novel and promising turn of events, Newdigate’s chase started well, with both openers scoring at a good rate, Wickremasinghe (47) and Arnold (39) laying the foundations for others to build on. The win was sealed by Davies (67*) and Dunkerley (31*), who looked in excellent form, offering up both classical and explosive cricket shots that had the crowd purring. Newdigate reaching 205 in just 32 overs to win by 6 wickets. Next week the 1st XI travel to Dulwich for their first league game against recently relegated Alleyn CC, whilst the 2nd XI are at home to Warlingham. Please come down and show your support.

Crawley CC seals win over Newdigate CC Sunday XI – 24.04.2022

---