Date	TW Score	Opposition Score	Venue	Result	Team
27/08/05	143 for 9 wkts	RASRA 139 all out	(A)	TW III won by 1 wkt	TW III XI
TW gained a dramatic last wicket victory in the quest to retain their status in their League. An excellent innings by Kevin Matthews of 34 not out, including a last- wicket partnership with skipper Steve Niker led the team to victory in fading light. An excellent spell by BJ Allatt, backed by fine fielding, gained three wickets to reduce RASRA to 40-4, but some typical belligerent West Indian batting saw some big hits before excellent catches by Sahil Sharma and Pradeep Murgesan appeared to swing the game to the Wells. Andrew Kerrison produced some of his best bowling of the season, and snapped up three late wickets to give the Wells three extra overs, and put RASRA all out for 139. TW were reduced to 17-3, before Sahil Sharma (25) and Nigel Keess (41) looked to have swung the game to the Wells. With 40 required off 13 overs and 5 wickets in hand, the Wells seemed to have the game in control - however a late tumble of wickets led to the final 12-run partnership and the victory.
20/08/05	104 for 6 wkts	HSBC 103 all out	(H)	TW III won by 4 wickets	TW III XI
Put in, HSBC lost dangerous opener Derek Birmingham to Nick Tunnell in the opening over, whereupon Wells carried all before them. Matt Carr-Jones picked up 3-30, ably assisted by Greg Brunger and BJ Allott. Spin brought Andy Kerrison two late wickets, and the home attack were delayed only when M.Keogh and Mike Thompson added 42 for the eighth wicket - Keogh carrying his bat for a fine undefeated 39. The chase featured an opening partnership of 44 between Carr-Jones (29) and Brunger, and, in spite of the loss of a flurry of wickets in mid-innings, Wells' momentum took them to victory with overs and wickets to spare. The XI therefore began to consolidate their hold on a place in their new League following various vicissitudes.
23/07/05	249 for 5 wkts	Erith 245 all out	(A)	TW III won by 4 runs	TW III XI
It was overcast at the upper Nevill when Steve Niker won the toss and batted, but the progress of the innings was anything but gloomy as Mark Trathen anchored the innings with an obdurate not out 66 (8 fours). Support was forthcoming down the list, but the appearance of Adam Fulwood - in his first match of the campaign - transformed the effort. Slamming 10 fours and two sixes, Fulwood hit up a rapid and cultured 73, putting on 123 with Trathen for the fifth partnership, giving his side an excellent platform from which to attempt victory. The reply was solid and purposeful, Jan Leaver (72) leading from the front and receiving sound support. G.Tongue in particular was difficult to dislodge, but Wells steadily took wickets until the introduction of Nigel Keess made victory a reality. Keess purveyed his unique offerings of orthodox spin and gathered in 5-59 to reduce Erith from 225 for 5 to 245 all out, clean-bowling the visiting last man with just two balls remaining in the match. To their credit, Erith chased until the final denouement, and a narrow thriller was settled in Wells' favour by a mere 4 runs.
02/07/05	156 all out	Dartfordians 285 for 8 wkts	(H)	TW III lost by 129 runs	TW III XI
The visitors elected to bat first on the upper Nevill, and an avalanche of runs accrued as the young attack strove to contain the rampant top three in the order. Phil Ellis notched an impressive century (22 x 4, 1 x 6), while Mike Naylor and Ian Walford both passed fifty, these two adding a further 12 fours and 6 sixes on the tiny ground. The score reached 230-1 before Wells succeeded in stemming the flow, Sam Weller picking up 5-50 and Nick Tunnell grabbing 2-38, and the youngsters were clearly animated as they gained reward after such carnage. Dartfordians lost eight wickets in all, but the target was enormous and it was really a question of trying to bat out the overs, with the result foregone. Sahil Sharma (32) anchored the early effort as the score rose to 60-1, but the visitors hit back strongly to take 5 quick wickets before the main resistance was encountered. Skipper Steve Niker (31) and James Sharp (41) added a precious and face-saving 61 runs for the sixth wicket, and Sharp went on to rally the tail to some effect. The attack, however, had little trouble wrapping up matters, Walford snapping up 4-33, and Wells slid to an overwhelming defeat with almost eight overs unused. Nonetheless, they could look back on Weller's first 'five-fer', and Will Lee's smart and tidy keeping, in addition to the main features of the game.
25/06/05	195 for 6 wkts	Wilmington 196 for 4 wkts	(H)	TW III lost by 6 wkts	TW III XI
The Wells innings was based upon a second century of the campaign from Greg Brunger, who made exactly 100 and ensured the visitors reached a competitive total. Brunger received cameos of support down the list, notably from Alistair Williams (19) and Fred Ball (16). This young side set a decent target for Wilmington, but was unable to break down the chase effectively in the second phase. The home side scored enough runs to maintain the reply, despite losing four wickets. Some late big hitting hid the closeness of the issue, the match being decided with just four overs remaining, and the Wells XI, composed largely of colts, encountered a sharp learning curve which they gamely tried to take on. Brunger added to his status with two of the wickets to fall.
18/06/05	163 all out	RASRA 164 for 8 wkts	(A)	TW III lost by 2 wkts	TW III XI
The visitors, by arriving late, forfeited the toss and were penalised 6 batting overs, and so the game got underway with Wells choosing to bat. Marcus Faithful played finely from the start, but received patchy support, only Mark Trathan looking secure until running himself out. Faithful slammed three consecutive sixes on his way to posting a maiden fifty, before falling at deep long-off, whereupon youngster Alex Williams and Mark Thompson took the home innings into the 150s before RASRA polished off the tail with more then four overs to spare, thus mitigating the earlier penalty. Albert Cordeal, for the Eagles, took 4-32, and ensured that the chase would be feasible following his late burst to end the innings. The reply stuttered to 21-2 before M.Beache (31) received support down the order, but Wells made steady inroads to reduce RASRA to 139-8. Mark Thompson (3-42) and Andy Kerrison (3-43) had taken Wells to the brink of victory, but they were defied and eventually succumbed as Seb Banten (33*) fashioned a tail-end recovery which just took The Eagles past the target total with one further over available. Faithful added to his tally with three catches and a stumping, but a narrow defeat by two wickets overshadowed his heroics. Wells remain comfortably placed in the table.
11/06/05	237 for 3 wkts	City of London 121 all out	Nevill Top	TW III won by 116 runs	TW III XI
Wells, upon winning the toss, batted on the Upper Ground to outstanding effect as Nigel Keess recorded a maiden IIIs century. The opening partnership set up 45 runs, but it fell to James Hagger (42) to dig in with Keess as 104 were added for the third wicket. This effectively placed the game out of City of London's reach, but proved not to be the end of the punishment. Keess hit 16 fours and 3 sixes in a commanding and fluent knock, at length partnered by Andy Kerrison as 70 further runs were put on with no additional loss of wickets. The target total was 238, which gave all the advantages to the Wells attack. Graeme Corbishley (4-11 in 9 overs) wrecked the visitor's response, sending City reeling to 52-5 before Gavin Atkins and Chris Todd (35) doubled the score and put up some necessary resistance. This partnership, however, was the only one of note, as Mark Trathen (4-13) stepped up to remove the tail, Todd being last man out with some nine overs still outstanding. Considering the lofty League position of City of London, this was a pleasing result for Steve Niker's young side, who are now showing that they are enjoying their stint in the new surroundings of the KCL, and are already providing promising players for higher XIs.
04/06/05	190 for 5 wkts	Cobham 168 all out	(A)	TW III won by 22 runs	TW III XI
In keeping with Wells' other two elevens, Steve Niker's side lost the toss and were put in, but this soon backfired on the home team as 104 runs were hit up for the opening partnership, with Greg Brunger (58) and young Will Stickler (88) in little trouble during their 24-over stint. Cobham then enjoyed several breakthroughs, but Stickler remained until the score reached the relative safety of the late 170s, scoring 9 fours as he made comfortably his best score at this level, ensuring that Wells would set a stiff target total. The middle order added a few more quick runs, and Cobham were set 191 for victory, which looked to be a challenging score for their long batting line-up. The reply was soon rocked as two quick wickets fell, but skipper Mark Sheppard (45) set about a recovery which saw the score into the eighties in good time, partnered latterly by Duncan Fitness, who was to be caught off a head-high full-blooded drive. Wells then struck back with three further wickets before the home batting again staged a dangerous fight-back. Martin Corden (28) and Andy Scott added 60 to take the chase to 147-7 before a second wondrous head-high catch removed Corden. Fred Florry (4-43) had been the architect of the final collapse, and, despite some late blows from last man Jon Fraser, Cobham finally were dismissed just 22 runs shy of a notable win. The Wells groundwork was noted as the difference between the sides, Richard Cutts, besides his two astonishing catches, saving some 20 runs out on the boundary, and he received excellent support from his young team-mates as save after save was made. The collective effort was exemplified by Will Arthur's perfect stumping to remove skipper Sheppard. Wells took 20 points out of the match, and moved into safer territory in the League.
21/05/05	141 for 9 wkts	Centymca 142 for 3 wkts	(A)	TW III lost by 7 wkts	TW III XI
Wells' bat-first strategy backfired as a weather break at 39 for no wicket caused the innings to lose momentum, but young Will Stickler (39), with 48 from Mark Trathen later on, got the score moving again, and, assisted by tail-enders James Sharp and skipper Steve Niker, saw the target total reach an under-par 141. An early wicket gave Wells false hopes, as Rehman (42) and Timms (46 not out) made light of the chase, but the home batting remained secure, Wells capturing only two further wickets as their total was overhauled - Centymca taking the match with seven wickets in hand.
14/05/05	182 all out (Greg Brunger 63)	Dartfordians 136 all out (Brunger 5-37)	(A)	TW III won by 46 runs	TW III XI
In clinching their maiden win in the Kent League (West), Wells III were indebted to a fine all-round performance from Greg Brunger, yet contributions throughout the side ensured a 46-run win, which moved the side up the table, and suggested permanence if not yet promotion. Brunger (63, 8 x 4) was the lynchpin as Wells, batting first, reached 122-6, needing to post a decent target total which could set up a victory. Young Will Arthur, with a stylish 31, rallied the tail, ably assisted by Andy Kerrison and Matt Bolton, so that, as the overs and innings concluded, Dartfordians were set an imposing 183 for victory. The home side were quickly pegged back as the Wells attack, led by Martin Phillips and Matt Bolton, held sway, only Neil Dickerson (36) offering real resistance. Brunger bagged 5-37 and Kerrison 3-45 as Dartfordians fell from 44-1 to 93-8, the former turning the game Wells' way then stepping up to grab the final wicket to seal the win. Some stunning catches were taken by Will Arthur and Steve Niker, whose second deepfield effort ended Dartfordians' chase. Niker's side took 20 points from the game, and showed that they are certainly not out of their depth in the League.
05/05/05	157 all out	Wilmington 161 for 5 wkts	(H)	TW III lost by 5 wkts	TW III XI
Wells batting was based around George Alexander(28) and Pradeep Muragesan (43), who added 50 for the third wicket. After TW lost Andrew Kerrison and Will Stickler early in seaming conditions. Some lusty blows by Niaz Jaberlchail and Stuart Young gave Wells hope of making a more substantial score. However, it needed another batsmen to play a more substantial innings. The posted score did give Wells a chance of victory. TW Third XI are finding life tough in the Kent Cricket League Div 4 West - Division 1b. Wilmington's hard hitting batsmen gave the Third XI a glimmer of hope for victory as they were reduced to 100-5, chasing 157 for victory. However, despite some close escapes as balls just missed the stumps and others lobbed frustratingly over second slip, another vital breakthrough did not occur. Wilmington?s Kevin Saunders (61) including 5 sixes set the tone of the opposition innings. Niaz Jaberlchail made an impressive start with a wicket with his first ball and a hostile opening spell shows promise for the future. Debutant Stuart Young also bowled an impressive spell grabbing three wickets for 34 runs. Whilst James Sharp(15) making his debut bowled two tight overs at the end but the Wells could not grab further wickets to add to their bonus point tally.
30/04/05	122 all out (Greg Brunger 32)	Erith 162 for 7 wkts	(H)	TW III lost by 40 runs	TW III XI
Erith were put in at the Nevill, but found the going hard against the canny bowling of Mark Thompson and Mark Trathen, posting just 23 runs in the first 20 overs. Openers Jan Leaver (50) and Sam Mason (46) stuck to their task, however, and posted 97 before a wicket fell, whereupon the acceleration gained pace despite a fine return of 4-38 from spinner Andy Kerrison. The home attack came in for some heavy punishment as the overs ran out, and Wells were set 163 to win. Greg Brunger (32) and Nigel Keess (30) put up 60 from 15 overs to establish a sound platform, but some unexpected weakness in the face of the Erith spin attack proved ultimately decisive. Leigh Rogers (5-13) and Simon Benn (3-23) tore the heart out of the chase, only Mark Thompson briefly defying the collapse. Wells finally fell 40 runs short, with only bonus points gained as a consolation.