A sunny but blustery afternoon at The Nevill fluttered the players' garb like sailors' bell-bottoms in the Roaring Forties, and at times, despite the warmth, the conditions were quite unpleasant around the Ground. Sibton were welcomed to the Premier Division by winning the toss and choosing to bat first, and a wonderful innings from Tim Bishop lit up the early exchanges as he monopolized the strike and scoring to an extraordinary extent.

   Chris Lawrence showed how to restrict the runs on a greenish top as the first seven overs went for just 22, but Bishop pounced upon much wayward line and length to repeatedly deposit boundaries through the midwicket arc, belatedly covered as the score surged to 56-1 from the following six overs. Fred Florry was brought into the attack at this point and he turned in a needfully frugal spell of ten overs for just seventeen runs, keeping one end decisively quiet. Bishop, meanwhile, continued to pepper the legside fence, and reached a glorious fifty out of 65-1 from a mere 47 balls.

   Skipper Evert Bekker rang the changes, but more wayward fare was crashed around The Nevill as Bishop found consecutive partners in Tim Payne (briefly) and Ben Allon (26) during the best partnership of the innings, which saw 58 runs added for the fourth stand from fourteen overs. Hereabouts, Wells broke back with four wickets for 20 runs, but Bishop had moved inexorably towards three figures, duly achieved at 138-3 from 105 balls, and still he was not finished with the home bowlers. Another 40 runs were lashed before a deepfield catch was finally held - there had been two missed chances earlier - and the opener departed having made 140 on his Premier debut from 47 overs. Wells had the innings almost finished at 209-9, but untidily allowed the last pair to drag the score past 225 and an extra bonus point, until at length the innings closed at 232, yielding Wells an extra over in which to make 233.

   The reply was based around a long-haul effort from Alex Williams (92 from 129 balls) with key partnerships from Geoff Paulsen (46) ~ adding 103 for the second stand ~ and Gregor Paterson, when 63 more were posted before a miscued pull-sweep to deep square ended the opener's innings eight shy of 100. Becalmed on 28 for 20 minutes, Williams kept his head, and one glorious six to long-on at a critical time showed a new mental toughness. However, with 63 needed from 12 overs, Sibton upset the steady progress as Gareth Meers snapped up three wickets for six runs to rock the chase and ask much of the lower order. Richard Cutts came out to join Gregor Paterson, prevented the hat-trick, and added a nerveless and rapid 46 which ran the field ragged and at last brought the runrate ahead of the chase. Unluckily out with 6 to get, Cutts had transformed the hitherto diffident running between the wickets, and Paterson echoed this confidence as he moved to a boundary-studded not out 45. For the second day running, Simon Routh hit the winning runs, and Wells were home with 20 balls and four wickets to spare, collecting 16 points for the bat-second win.

   Paulsen cracked eight delightful boundaries in his knock, Paterson five, and Williams, the chief architect of the victory, hit 12 fours and two sixes. Unlucky indeed to be on the losing side, Bishop played a magnificent innings, with 19 fours and two sixes, whilst Lawrence grabbed 5-72 from his fifteen overs, and spectators were able to watch a thrilling match played in fine spirit that went right to the wire with a home win doubtful until the final overs.

   The following week sees Wells away to Bexley at Manor Way on May 7. 

   Evert Bekker, having won the toss, thereby setting the pattern for all of the Wells Saturday skippers, gave first knock to the home XI, and looked to his attack to make the required inroads.

   The track behaved well enough to defy the bowlers, and, gradually, Bexley forged ahead with captain Jack Bell (75) leading the way. Finally dismissed at 119-3 in the thirtieth over, Bell had collected nine fours and one six in a pathfinding knock of 92 balls, and the middle order carried on with Chris Laas (32) maintaining the tempo. The visiting attack sporadically interrupted the sedate progress with a wicket or two when the scoring rate suddenly erupted with new signing Min Patel crashing a 23-ball half-century in a devastating assault that saw the score surge to 264-9 in the 54th over, Patel's share of the spoils being 12 fours in a 37-ball 69 before Chris Lawrence finally rearranged his stumps. Wells took the final wicket in the last over, and left themselves to make 267 for victory. The late blitz of run-making had produced 85 runs from just eleven overs.

   The reply was rocked by Jason Benn and Tom Scorgie (2-8 from a fiery first spell), as the opening ten overs reduced the Wells' line-up to a paltry 20-3, but staunch resistance followed which stemmed the tide. Slowly yet surely, Bekker and Geoff Paulsen (34) rode out the storm, and posted a steadying sixty runs for the fourth partnership, which drew the visiting effort towards calmer waters. Bekker was not out 23 when Paulsen departed and still 25 overs remained, but fortune favoured the fightback as Chris Williams arrived to add 72 further runs with his captain and use up a vital sixteen further overs. Williams played responsibly yet freely, benefitting from an early let-off, but he knuckled down admirably with both players notching half-centuries as the match petered out to a draw. Patel finally bowled Bekker for a doughty 57 (five fours through 96 balls), but Williams guided his side to safety in the company of Brough Cooper, with an unbroken fifty runs bringing up a third batting point as the overs ran out.

   Williams emerged with a fine not out 59, his second such score at Manor Way, which included four fours and a trademark six, while Cooper dovetailed an impervious undefeated 23 to round off proceedings. Unusual events at the Rectory Field meant that Wells dropped to second place in the Table, their extra game played somewhat distorting the lists until the KCCC County Week is over.

   The match was made memorable for all time by the achievement of veteran Wells wicket-keeper, Simon Routh, who reached his 400th First Team appearance for TWCC in a sequence that began against The Vine in far-off 1981. Celebrations of this remarkable feat were duly enjoined.

   A most extraordinary match created new records at The Nevill, and yet no hint of the astounding outcome was to be obvious at the outset. The opening exchanges exposed much faulty groundwork from the home side in the face of an onslaught from David Masters that brought him a 48-ball half-century as he peppered the midwicket boundary to collect ten of his eventual fourteen fours.

   The toss was duly won by Wells, who asked the visitors to bat first, with the result that Masters and Chris Vernon (38) posted 121 from 24 overs before the latter was removed by Geoff Paulsen in his first bowl of the campaign. This merely brought Chris Piesley to the wicket, who serenely moved to a consummate 70-ball 50 that included twelve fours, while partnering the opener towards what seemed a certain century. At 163, however, Masters, on 95, lifted his heel, and Simon Routh removed the bails to effect a characteristic lightning stumping, and Lyndon Lockhart was brought to the crease. A magnificent partnership now blossomed between Piesley and Lockhart that added 110 delightful runs from 92 balls, and the latter moved to the third 50 of the innings from 45 balls with 9 fours. With five overs to go, Wells suddenly came to the party, and snapped up six wickets as the closing acceleration was attempted. In fact, 39 runs came from 28 balls, but the catching and fielding were fully back to normal, and a final target of 313 was set, while much-needed bowling bonus points were collected.

   Never before in the KL Premier Division had such a total been successfully chased, and no First XI had attained such a score in pursuit of victory. Nonetheless, a masterly assault from Alex Williams saw to the removal from the attack of Daniel Masters, and 41 runs were crashed from eight overs when the first wicket fell, to bring Paulsen to the wicket. Williams became becalmed while Paulsen supplied a classical vignette as he made 31 runs out of 44 before falling to a caught-and-bowled from the ever-dangerous John Williams (4-57). The way was now opened for an outstanding partnership of 73 from Williams and Richard Cutts that saw the score rise to 158-2 at the required tempo when Lordswood snapped up three wickets within six balls for just a single run. Cutts had notched a finely-paced 31, while A.Williams fell for a pathfinding 83 (ten fours and one six) from just 88 balls. This was the turning point of the innings, perhaps of the match, but brother Chris Williams and Brough Cooper were equal to the unusual demands placed upon them as they rampaged along at seven-per-over to put up 140 runs for the sixth wicket from 20 teasing overs to keep the home chase on track. Williams moved to a second successive undefeated 50 while Cooper, equally assured, raced to his own debut Premier half-century from 50 balls with nine fours. A superb midwicket six, with an immense carry, from C.Williams brought the target down to 14 from 16 balls before a direct hit run-out removed Cooper just as the run-in seemed unstoppable. Routh - already the scorer of winning runs in three other 2011 matches - came to the wicket, and the final two overs were reached with a run-per-ball required. 

   Greenwood now bowled the over of his life and just three runs were conceded, meaning that nine were required from the final D.Masters over. Somehow, Williams and Routh scrambled two twos and three singles, and Routh had the last ball to face with all four outcomes still possible. Correctly guessing the path of the delivery, Routh smacked the ball backward of point and the batsmen joyously ran the winning two to conclude an exceptional match. There were heroes aplenty on both sides, but the euphoria was for a match that exceeded all norms.

   And so a 110-over contest was fully played out, with six fifties having been scored ~ three for each side ~ and the proceedings were conducted in a fitting and hard-fought spirit throughout. Both XIs could take huge credit from the occasion, and it was an utterly entralling event, especially as the outcome neared, for the many spectators who had gathered. An event which raised cricket to a new level in the KL Premier, doubtless to be overtaken as a record in the course and fullness of time, was nonetheless unforgettable on the day no matter what may transpire.

   Hartley won the toss and asked Wells to take first innings, and in-form opener Alex Williams (68) stroked thirteen boundaries in a fluent and attractive contribution that set the tone for the first phase of the game.

   An early loss was overcome as Geoffrey Paulsen (41) helped to add 65 for the second partnership, and A.Williams went on to add 46 with Richard Cutts when the home bowlers finally broke through again either side of the drinks interval. The visitors had peaked at 131-2, when Darren Bridges snapped up two wickets, while James Hockley, in a guileful spell that was to bring him 5-38 from fifteen skilful overs, worked at one end and all but finished off the Wells effort on his own. That he did not conclude matters for the home attack was due almost entirely to a sparkling third consecutive KL half-century from Chris Williams, whose belligerent 71 (seven fours and three sixes) produced a rearguard that the lower order and tail supported just long enough to overcome the mayhem induced by Hockley. Six wickets had gone down in two bursts of three, for nine runs and then 18 runs, and the tally had teetered to 184-8 with 12 overs yet to survive. C.Williams, 29 not out at this juncture, stepped out to slam three fours and three sixes in a wonderful late rally that added 57 for the last two wickets, of which his own share was 42 before becoming last man out at 241.

   Chris Lawrence, fresh from his own heroics with the bat, now took out the prolific Hockley with the first ball of the reply, and followed this shortly by removing the similarly dangerous Dan Stickels at 18-2. Such a marvellous riposte by the visitors served simply to highlight the consummate artistry and distinction that followed as Charlie Hemphrey (105) and Sam Billings (89) first blunted, and then overcame, the bowling in a match-turning third partnership of 158. Billings (89) went ahead initially as he crashed twelve fours and two sixes, although Hemphrey quickened his pace after the former's dismissal to collect four sixes and ten fours in all on his way to a memorable and delightful century made from 100 balls faced.

   Dismissed with the scores level, Hemphrey's exhilarating effort was ended to a catch from the persevering Paulsen, leaving the final act to be completed by James Thompson as Hartley passed the target set with six wickets and fourteen overs to spare in what ended up as a somewhat one-sided contest despite the many fluctuations. The win allowed Hartley to overtake Wells in the Table and take fourth spot as jostling for position in the competition increases in intensity. The abiding impression of a match that saw much grand batsmanship on the small ground was surely the effort of the younger Williams as the Wells' late order strove for survival.

   The luck with the coin for once deserted Evert Bekker, and Wells were asked to field in the heat of the afternoon, and they had much leather-chasing to do in a patchy display that was uncharacteristically loose and error-strewn. Nonetheless, the long, hot spell had ensured that the track was a bowlers' graveyard, and, through 110 overs of effort, notably from the top-class home attack, only ten wickets were to fall in sapping conditions throughout the day. A swarm of bees also put in a brief if worrying appearance in the course of the play, decidedly unappreciated by Umpires and nearby fielders alike.

   The Bromley batsmen quickly found the boundary as the Wells bowlers toiled, but two wickets were down for 73, including that of the promising star James Goodman, when the game really took shape. Miguel Barbosa and Matthew Dennington came together in the seventeenth over and were not parted until the forty-eighth, by which time a match-defining partnership of 182 had been forged, and with it, a long chase in prospect for the visitors. Dennington crashed ten fours and two sixes in a 99-ball 96, bowled by the persevering Chris Rainger as he strove to reach three figures. Barbosa was equally severe, with seventeen fours from an undefeated knock of 143 balls, that occupied the crease through 174 minutes in all. Carrying out his bat for a wonderful not out 135, Barbosa added 69 for the fourth partnership with ex-IIs luminary Sadiq Hassan, who resumed his liking for any Wells attack with a quickfire 38 (seven fours) as the 300 was reached and surpassed, while the fourth wicket of an exhausting session fell in the final over to leave Wells 331 to make for victory.

   The likelihood of a successful chase was remote in the extreme, not least as Dennington and Ricaldo Anderson opened up with fiery bursts that required great skill to defy. Nonetheless, the main batsmen all got scores en route to a steady 67-2 after the first seventeen overs, and the second seventeen saw a slight acceleration with 77 more being made for the loss of two additional wickets. The third seventeen saw the match change in dramatic fashion as Geoffrey Paulsen was joined by Chris Williams at 144-4. A partnership of 134 runs was the outcome of much aggressive and dominant strokeplay by the Australian and his young partner, with a combined tally of fourteen fours and four sixes, the latter all struck by Williams, so that the stand blossomed and flourished at the staggering rate of almost eight-per-over. At length, Williams was caught with the score at 278, after a new Wells fifth wicket KLP record had been created, but these heroics had come late in the piece, and only four overs remained in which to grab 53 runs to reach a third major bat-second win. Still the batsmen went for it, Paulsen moving from 83* to 108* with Richard Cutts as the next three overs netted 38 runs, but, from the first ball of the last over, with 15 needed, Paulsen was run out, and the momentum was fatally lost. Anderson now clawed back the situation for the home XI, despite unavailing attempts from the seventh pair, and the chase fell short by just nine runs. A wonderfully vigorous late surge had taken Wells to the very brink of a famous win, yet they had to settle for the losing draw, and a fall to seventh spot in the Table, such is the fickle way of fate.

   Paulsen's prodigious effort brought him his sixth KL century from 22 outings, and his first against the vaunted Bromley line-up, taking up 98 balls and 145 minutes, whereas Williams (C.) notched his 61-ball 79 in 66 exhilarating minutes, being his fourth League half-century in successive innings, a quite singular feat, without parallel for so youthful a player. And so another great match came to an end with spoils shared in a drawn outcome, the greater portion of the points falling to Bromley by virtue of their slightly larger total. A sobering thought was that, in Win-Lose circumstances, Wells would have taken nothing from a game in which they scored 321 runs, wickets also being a key criterion.

   The home skipper won the toss, and asked Wells to bat first, no doubt hopeful of a clutch of wickets in the unusually damp conditions. In fact, the Mote wicket played extremely well throughout, and the batsmen of both XIs enjoyed the chance to excel, notwithstanding some incautious expansive play as the overs ran out.

   Wells overcame an early loss in the best possible way with a marvellously deft second partnership of 138 between Gregor Paterson and Geoff Paulsen, which occupied twenty-eight testing overs and saw the total up to 175-1. Danny Rowe, who had a fine afternoon, removed Paulsen for a commanding 66 (8 fours from 93 balls) at this point, but Paterson moved on to an accomplished and stylish century as he added 58 with Will Stickler for the third wicket. The home attack was looking a trifle threadbare with the score at 233-2 after 48 overs, but, although maximum batting points had been hauled in, and the total was just what the home XI did not wish to be seeing, there was a sudden mini collapse as four wickets fell while the customary acceleration was mounted, and it took a sparkling vignette from Richard Cutts to drive the final score up to 292-7 as the overs ran out. Theo Burley, Evert Bekker and Fred Florry all assisted as the last four overs contributed a quickfire 46 runs, Cutts' running between the wickets being quite outstanding. Paterson's maiden KLP century, made out of 233, took a brisk 124 balls and included 12 fours and a six, underlining his liking for this ground, where, in 2010, he had made 72. His 113 was the torch-bearing factor, but how those final few runs would crucially matter was soon to be revealed. Rowe came away with a catch, a run-out and 3-47 from ten overs.

   The reply was equally as decisive after a brilliant catch by Alex Williams had removed the Mote number one. Tom Harvey (114) and James Hodgson (70) came together to add a magnificent 154 for the second wicket, and soon the chase had reached the relative security of 216-2 with just nine overs to go and 77 needed for the win. Rain had caused the loss of 20 minutes play, and the Wells attack now grabbed wickets as the tempo intensified, but the removal of Caspian Paget and Matt White seemed to signal the end of the push for victory. The total limped to 271-7 with nine balls remaining and 22 still required. Paulsen ended the penultimate over leaving 20 to be taken for the win, and Laurence Waters, with that man Rowe, crashed fifteen of them from the last over in a nail-biting climax that saw Wells escape with the winning draw after a late frisson of anxiety. Their seventh spot in the Table was maintained by dint of the thirteen points gained, but the bottom three in the lists are beginning to fall away from the main pack.

   An important toss was won by the home captain, who had no hesitation in asking Wells to take first knock on a damp afternoon with much rain about and in the air. The general impression of gloom was matched by some indifferent batting, and, overall, the visitors gave of less than their best at vital times, going down by six wickets to Bickley with just four balls to spare.

   Barry Hooper was in irresistable form from the outset as the bowlers strove to take advantage of helpful conditions with late movement under lugubrious skies. A wicket in the opening over was the start Wells did not want, but Gregor Paterson (20) and Geoff Paulsen set about repairing the damage with a second wicket stand that added 44 runs to the score from eleven overs. Paulsen constructed a patient and defiant half-century in a marathon stay of 114 balls, during which he struck four boundaries on an unusually spacious outfield where the ground slowed all but the fiercest shots. The innings went into sharp decline as three wickets crashed while the score stuttered to 60-4, but Chris Williams averted a Hooper hat-trick and went on to post 42 with Paulsen before the latter was snared after a noble vigil. Williams also departed a few balls later, whereupon the third, and last, forty-plus partnership was ground out to drag the total up to 148. Richard Cutts and Simon Routh both combatted the rampant attack and the difficult circumstances as they proved obdurate and hard to remove, but the runs came slowly with 43 taking fully fifteen overs to accumulate. Neil Clinton trapped both batsmen within three balls, the tail showed enterprise briefly, and Bickley were set 174 for victory. Hooper came away with the outstanding figures of 5-51 from 14 overs.

   Thunder and lightning had greeted the Williams-Paulsen partnership at 13.40, with the score on 79-4, and heavy rain sent the players scurrying off for more than two hours while an early tea was taken to the accompaniment of the cacophanous intermezzo outside. A resumption was finally made at 16.16, with the outcome as described.

   After due deliberation, the reply was allowed forty overs in which to make the runs, and the home batsmen chanced their arm whenever possible as the Wells attack looked for wickets. The want of a second spinner or a real speedster were handicaps that the attack did not wholly overcome, and watchful thirties were aggregated by Paul Clinton, Phil Browning and Ben Fulton as the target came into reach. Wells did not help themselves with two missed catches and run-outs, while Fred Florry (3-63) stood out virtually alone in defying the victory charge. The chase was neatly timed as completion occurred in the last over, based upon a set tempo of four-per-over throughout the innings, and Fulton (35*) slapped the winning four at 20.28 to bring a much-needed 16 points to Bickley as they sought to pull clear of the dropzone.

   In fact, the respective positions in the Table remained as they were for both teams, although Park drew clear of the bottom places and moved into the lower reaches of the main pack, whose collective matches had been more seriously affected by rain on the day.

   Following a weeklong spell of heavy rain and no certainty of uninterrupted play, this was not a toss that either captain particularly wanted to win, however, the coin came down for Blackheath and they chose to bat first. Almost at once, the weather conditions began to improve, and when the game, albeit somewhat early, was completed, the afternoon was bathed in warm sunshine.

   The lessons of the previous week at Bickley had been well-learned, and the visiting opening batsmen were greeted with some very fine swing bowling where conditions allowed, and the length sent down was immaculate. Unsurprisingly, uncertainty was generated, and the tempo was moribund while the batsmen sought to combat the difficulties before them. Ten exemplary overs from Chris Lawrence and Chris Rainger brought them three and two maidens respectively, a wicket apiece, thanks to the ever-alert Simon Routh at the wicket, and the score ominously stood at 16-2. George Wells (11) and David Hammond now posted the main heart of the run-making, taking the tally on to 44-3 before Chris Williams and Evert Bekker snapped up six wickets for 19 runs in nine overs that broke the back of the Blackheath effort. Both bowlers netted 4-20 as indeterminate strokes and several shouldered-arms allowed perfect seam bowling through to the wicket, and, where necessary, the field supported the attack with catches. Routh bagged three caught and one stumped in the innings, finally taking a feather from the persevering Hammond, who became last man out for a doughty 34 (five fours), made as all fell away around him from twenty overs of valiant defiance. 63-9 became 77 all out as Bekker went for a few in the penultimate over, yet the abiding memory remained that of Williams (C) joyously uprooting the stumps time and again in a spell of seven overs as per ECB guidelines.

   The reply had necessarily to be watchful, yet Gregor Paterson was soon hooking to the square leg fence while Alex Williams unfurled some aerial shots, caused, it later transpired, by a broken blade. The opening partnership rattled along to 29 from just five overs, several shots eluding the fielders by a hairsbreadth, when Paterson was run-out going for a quick single, and the hatches needed to be battened again to keep out the threat still posed by the attack. Geoff Paulsen saw the score to 49-2 before departing lbw, and Will Stickler went at 71 just after the dependable Williams (A) had been deceived following a needfully vital vigil lasting 45 balls. Extras had mounted as the score moved ever closer to the target, and skipper Bekker finally cracked two twos and a four to bring up the win. The match was completed inside 48 overs, leaving the extraordinarily large number of 62 overs, and six wickets, in hand. Wells took 16 points from their third bat-second win of the campaign, and retained their seventh position thus in the Table. The next match is away to Sevenoaks Vine on 2 July for the last Win-Lose-Draw game of the Summer, as the No-Draw format takes over for the 'back nine' from 9 July 2011.

   Wells journeyed to The Vine in Sevenoaks, where they won the toss, and elected to field first. The attack was wayward early on, with the result that John Bowden and Michael Koster (71) settled in and went on to post 125 before the latter was removed in the twenty-first over. Any early initiative had passed already to the home batsmen.

   Bowden moved remorselessly towards three figures, while the remainder of the line-up offered support in varying degrees. The visiting attack was changed frequently and indeed enjoyed several successful phases, yet overall was undisciplined and wanton. Any profligacy from the medium pacers was punished by Bowden in particular en route to a 134-ball 123 that lasted up to over 53. However, after the first success, Wells removed three more as the score stuttered to 150, when Tyler Griffin (28) and then Anthony Shales (28) added 42 and 59 for the fifth and sixth wickets respectively with Bowden as a free-scoring anchor. The bowlers were not assisted in the field, as a lacklustre display was far from error-free, but Fred Florry (2-52 from 15) was economical as ever, while Michael Churchill, although wicketless, was also frugal. The last few overs brought another clutch of wickets, but the scoreline of 284-8 was much in the Vine's favour as the wicket dusted up.

   The reply, in a season that had already seen such tall chases as never before for Wells, was a disappointing anticlimax. However, the start from Alex Williams and Gregor Paterson promised great things as 41 came up in just six overs, but thereafter it was all downhill. The home attack shared out the wickets, all but James Day being successful at some point, and the Wells line-up folded meekly with just one partnership of any note in the rest of the innings. At 81-5, skipper Evert Bekker (35) added 51 with Simon Routh (36), but when the stand was broken at 132, the tail dissolved to Griffin and Lorne Burns with scarcely a shot in anger, and an all-out total of 152 propelled the Wells headlong to a 132-run pasting. Griffin snapped up 3-13, while Burns grabbed 2-25, ex-Plaxtol man Michael Thompson netted 2-15, and lastly Luke Blackaby got in on the act with 2-13.

   Almost as an afterthought, Wells took four points from the encounter, and settled lower to eighth spot in the Table. The Win-Lose back nine commence on 9 July at The Nevill against Bexley.

   Overcast skies and preceding days of damp conferred a seeming advantage upon the winners of the toss, and Evert Bekker called correctly and was enabled thus to ask Bexley to take first knock. The pitch was hard and true yet swing and seam were seen to advantage, as was perhaps to be expected, and the early exchanges brought a brisk start for the visiting side with 31 runs coming up in four overs.

   Min Patel (24) launched the innings with a salvo of boundaries, but Chris Williams soon rearranged his stumps, the prolific Greg Bain was carelessly run out, and Jamie Askew was bowled by a Chris Lawrence pearler. Skipper Jack Bell withstood these setbacks, but was most fortunate to be missed in the slips on 30, and again after reaching a marvellous battling half-century, yet the visitors' effort had slid to 142-7 after thirty-five overs, with Wells fully in the driving seat. Bell was 46 not out at this juncture, and had been supported by Kent new man Adam Riley (33) while a fighting fifth partnership of 56 was ground out to give slim hopes to the Bexley side, currently topping the KL Premier Division. A couple more half-chances were missed hereabouts, and Bell was allowed to steer his side to a position of relative security as, bit by bit, he extracted assistance from the tail-enders to bat out the overs. Taking out his bat for an heroic undefeated 84 (9 fours), Bell stayed at the crease for 93 balls spanning forty overs, and brought about a remarkable second-half revival for his side.

   The reply commenced in warm sunshine as the conditions changed round completely, and Alex Williams commenced a fightback equally as meritorious as that seen from the Bexley captain. Gregor Paterson departed at 23 to bring Geoff Paulsen to the wicket, and the second partnership grew in a trouble-free manner as the score rose to 61. Paulsen was then most unluckily dismissed when a straight drive was deflected into the non-striker's wicket, and this reverse turned the tide of the game. Wells lost four wickets to a mixture of misfortune, mis-striking and excellent catching, and, despite Williams (A) standing firm with an undefeated and flawless fifty-one, the score had dipped to 114-6 after 35 overs, while the runrate had increased as Bexley sought to strangle the chase. Ninety-three runs were required from fifteen overs now as Simon Routh buckled down to give lengthy and vital support to Williams who moved on relentlessly. The tempo was maintained in a wonderful stand of 67 for the seventh wicket, when finally the pressure told and Williams was beautifully caught from an aerial drive at deep long-off at 181. Sixteen balls remained for 26 runs to be gathered, and now Routh perished for a perky 36 (three fours) as the task outgrew the resources available. Finally, the Wells chase fizzled out as boundary hits ceased, and Bexley triumphed after an amazing recovery to snatch the win by just eight runs.

   The Win-Lose format has a cruel finality but this was a match that, for long periods, was in the pockets of the home side, although, such was the narrowness of the margins, that only the last few balls proved that the target was no longer attainable but fully out of reach. In every way, this was a game that was a credit to the twenty-two players, for the cricket played and the manner of its execution, and two great innings were witnessed. Wells remained safely above the dropzone but they had missed a great chance to put a telling gap between themselves and the bottom two sides.

   Wells journeyed down towards the Folkestone coastline and the outlying district of Lyminge for a must-win encounter with dropzone occupants Sibton Park, whose position one below the visitors could be markedly improved were they to win the game. The toss went to the home side, who, following many days of heavy rain, invited Wells to have a bat, trusting the attack to take full toll of any advantage to be found in the wicket.

   True to the game plan, the Sibton bowlers overturned the top five in the order for just 64 runs from the opening twenty overs, and looked to have settled the course of the game in so doing. There was movement off the pitch and tentative strokeplay that time and again brought an edge or a leg-before, and there appeared to be no answer to the prevailing conditions. But just as suddenly, two young Wells batsmen determined to seize back the lost initiative by fighting hard and battling through the adversity, taking a while to establish themselves and latterly purring along at a delightful pace as 96 precious runs came for the sixth stand in the following twenty-three overs. This was a triumph of discipline and will power as much as excellent technique, with the result that Chris Williams played a wonderful innings of 81, supported by an equally valiant knock of 44 from Richard Cutts, which brought about the re-shaping of the match in a remarkable do-or-die recovery. Cutts was eventually caught-and-bowled at 160 with seven overs remaining, but his replacement, Michael Churchill, was ideal as Williams' new partner, and 43 joyous runs came in a hectic follow-up. Gareth Meers' last three overs were crashed for 47, but during this carnage Williams was bowled at last by the persevering Steven Rowe on 203, after an epic 99-ball effort which included seven fours and two sixes. Churchill now guided the score past 225, and full batting points, in company with Simon Routh, and at the close Sibton were asked to make 229 for victory.

   The reply struggled to 69-3 after twenty-six overs, skipper Evert Bekker having removed danger man Tim Bishop, bowled for ten, thus preventing a re-run of his exceptional 140 from the Nevill match. The resultant deceleration suited Wells, but still they had to ensure miserly bowling spells. Fred Florry, Geoff Paulsen and Churchill duly obliged with 24 overs for just 79 runs in the mid-innings phase, but there was a twist yet to a game already marked by swings of fortune. Daniel Lodge (50) and Tom Payne added 71 for the fourth partnership in fourteen overs, leaving the final ten overs to attack the 89 required. Lodge left at 152 after a run-per-ball innings that refreshed the home effort, and everyone now lashed at almost every ball to get the score moving at the necessary rate. In this mayhem, Bekker was the perfect nemesis, collecting a personal-best haul of 6-38 as the late rally fell short by just eighteen runs. Steve Hobbs smote 27 from 21 balls in the dying stages, but the prize just eluded Sibton's grasp at the bitter end.

   An extraordinary game of cricket brought Wells 18 points and a greater margin between themselves and the dropzone, closing the gap on the main pack in the Table. A number of tough games are upcoming, so the result on the day was of the utmost importance.

   The toss was won by the visitors, and Andy Tutt seemed almost reluctant to take a choice, finally opting to bat first on a warm and sultry day at The Nevill. Wells had struggled to complete their bowling line-up during the week, and opened up with two eighteen year-olds, no doubt something of a record even given the accent upon youth now encouraged in the Premier Division.

   Chris Williams set the scoreboard moving with a wicket in his opening over, and this feat was copied by Matt Green, making his First Team Premier debut. The total briefly showed ten for two before the true nature of the surface became apparent, but first there came a cluster of legside wides that shifted the score along as Dan Stickels, not unused to accelerating the runrate, was joined by Charlie Hemphrey, who had already notched 105 in the home fixture and had been in imperious touch. The combination was potentially lethal for Wells, and they were brutally exposed as the third wicket partnership of 263 runs occupied almost all of the next forty overs. Stickels led the way, notching 50, 100 and 150 first, but Hemphrey was no less destructive, with the pair crashing 37 fours and 3 sixes between them, the outfield at times receiving a fusillade of boundaries. Not out 96 when Michael Churchill finally snared Stickels for 151 in the deep, Hemphrey went to an undefeated 151 himself at quite a pace, and when the overs ran out, Wells were left to make an improbable 347 for victory. True, a chance was missed in the slips early on, but both men played with extraordinary power, skill and certainty over an extended period, and the home bowlers generally went at sevens, a notable exception being Churchill.

   The reply was expected to coast to maximum points at 225 and then take a look at the requirement, but instead seemed shell-shocked as wickets were surrendered or freakishly lost in an uneven display. Gregor Paterson alone showed any form at the top of the list with a handsome 59 before being lured out for a stumping, and at one point the reply had reached 122-3 before the middle order collapsed with four wickets going while just 16 runs accrued. Richard Cutts (24) sensibly tried to rally the tail, with Churchill (20) again to the fore, and two batting points were successfully hauled in during this phase. The final wicket fell one run light of a further point, which somehow summed up the day for the home XI.

   Three points from the encounter sufficed to keep Wells ahead of the dropzone, but alarmingly The Mote had dished out a warning with a fine win at Bexley, although Sibton Park were beaten at The Vine. First, however, the new-look Bromley XI arrive at The Nevill on 6 August for a match upon which much may depend.

   The Mote, propping up the Premier Table, and in dire need of points, came to The Nevill, won the toss and chose to bat first. The day turned fine after early showers, although a 35-minute delay prevented play getting underway on time, and the visitors finally got going with Kent's Matt Coles and Tom Harvey leading off at pace.

   The opening ten overs produced 53 runs, and, at the very end, the wicket of an out-of-sorts Coles, whereas skipper Harvey, in his Annus Mirabilis, rattled up 32, fourteen of which came from Chris Lawrence's third over. Such a rate of scoring was reined back with a double change to the attack, yet Harvey continued in lordly form despite going lame and requiring a runner for the rest of his innings. Fred Florry and Michael Churchill bowled in tandem to apply some pressure, each man breaking through while controlling the runrate, and after 35 overs the score had moved on unevenly to 151-3 with Harvey ominously poised on an undefeated 88. The advent at this point of Caspian Paget (41) signalled an urgent increase in the tempo, and 98 runs were added for the fourth partnership from thirteen overs, with Harvey again reaching three figures from the Wells attack and showing no indication of weariness as he motored on towards his 150. Geoffrey Paulsen yorked Paget at 249 and then ran out James Marriott at 274, but between these two events Harvey had largely seen to the savaging of 28 from Lawrence's final two overs, and 46 in all were taken in the closing five overs to bring up a target of 278 for Wells to chase. Evert Bekker's seventh over had gone for 21, and the home analyses ~ spinners excepted ~ mostly made alarming reading. Nevertheless, the Man of the Moment, Tom Harvey, carried out his bat for an undefeated 150 (seventeen fours and two sixes) from 169 balls, and moved his 2011 tally on to a dazzling 797 at 66 with every prospect of adding to these figures as the season draws to an end.

   The reply was given a fluent start by Alex Williams, who reached a dashing 32 out of 50-2 before feathering one to the slips, but from this moment on the chase atrophied with the runrate drying up as Harvey and Glen Aukett took full control. Jamie Baldwin became completely subdued, Bekker made a brisk start and then holed out, and suddenly the score had slipped to 82-5 from 22 overs and the victory bid was in disarray. At this juncture, Chris Williams was joined by Richard Cutts and a lively partnership of 43 in 34 minutes ensued, marked by nimble running and delightful strokeplay. Each man grew in confidence, and gave The Mote pause for thought, yet, at 125, Williams mistimed one to be caught, and Cutts was left to guide the lower order towards the gathering of batting points. With the first such gain in sight, Cutts skipped down the track to deposit Harvey sweetly over long-on for four, a stroke which prompted the return of Coles to the attack, and the innings was brought to a close in short order as extra pace and bounce beat the lower order. Cutts left for a topscoring and crowd-pleasing 35, while Theo Burley added a dozen or so to the total before the defeat came.

   Once again, an avoidable loss was suffered by Wells, and survival again became a serious consideration, despite the gaps that still exist between the bottom four clubs facing imminent danger of the drop. Indeed, an opportunity arises for Wells when they meet Bickley on 20 August to draw clear of the last two places. But a fresh battle plan must be devised and executed to avoid the lapses of recent weeks.

   Bickley Park came to The Nevill effectively to decide which of the two sides just above the dropzone would pull away by virtue of victory. Winning the toss, Bickley chose to bat first on a slow deck that gave little to the quick bowlers unless cloud cover allowed swing, and the bright sunny day seemed to deny even that.

   The opening overs from Chris Williams and Geoffrey Paulsen posed problems only by attrition, and Richard Clinton quickly showed fine timing and skilful placement through the covers as he partnered Sean Keyes (24) during a brisk opening partnership. The stand was worth 68 runs from 14 overs when Keyes holed out, and then spin from Fred Florry accounted for the unusually becalmed Ben Fulton, who had never really got going. Clinton continued blithely to pepper the cover region, but, having made a comfortable 63, he departed after he touched one to the 'keeper. Abhijit Kale seemed a shade out of touch aside from a couple of fine drives and was smartly run out by Alex Williams, while the score then stood at 165-4 from 41 overs with skipper Chris Coulson just warming up on 25 not out. Gordon Darroch stepped out to crash a series of dearly-needed boundaries, and the runrate soared briefly as the fifth partnership produced 75 runs in the final nine overs during which Wells dropped a regulation boundary catch and looked somewhat patchy in the field. Coulson reached the second half-century of the innings from 62 balls, and Darroch ended with a battling undefeated 43 from 31 balls, but overmuch caution earlier had left the total looking short at 240-4 when the overs ended. The home attack had been revamped to utilise three spinners, and this manoeuvre had certainly reaped reward, despite some looseness towards the close.

   The reply was given a heaven-sent start as Alex Williams notched his fifth fifty of the campaign, powering nine fours in a 74-ball 66 that, with Gregor Paterson, enabled 118 runs to come up for the first wicket in twentysix overs. Williams batted serenely well but left soon after the drinks break, and the Bickley bowlers now enjoyed some respite as Geoffrey Paulsen and Paterson found it difficult to pierce the field. The attack bowled well to their fields, and Paterson played over one at 125 to bring a second success as the runrate dipped. Jamie Baldwin took a while to get underway, and the tempo drifted despite 65 runs coming for the third wicket in fifteen overs, and suddenly the chase required rejuvenation. At length, Paulsen underhit a catch to long-on at 190, and the equation called for 51 from eight overs. Oli Priestman generated some urgency but fell lbw at 204, and still a run-per-ball was the minimum to bring about the win. Quite against the play, Baldwin despatched some short stuff through long-off, and Chris Williams settled in rapidly, with the outcome that Bickley's men went for 23 in two overs, and finally Baldwin latched onto three legside offerings to bring up his second KL fifty and the victory all within the 47th over. The running between the wickets from over 42 was crucial and exemplary and put enormous pressure on the defending fielders.

   The six-wicket win was Wells' first ever Premier victory over Bickley Park at The Nevill in 15 years of Premier cricket, and the eighteen points allowed the home Club to leapfrog their opponents of the day to take seventh spot in the Table and give themselves a hugely better opportunity to evade relegation. Seven points from two matches is now the key, with Blackheath away on the upcoming Saturday, and Vine at home on September 3 to wrap up the League season. 

   The final match of a taut campaign saw Wells beat Sevenoaks Vine in the last over to improve their points tally but not their seventh placing in the Table, incredibly the sixth result achieved within the final six balls of a game during the season, and the eighth if Cup games are included. It was a fitting and triumphant valete for Geoff Paulsen, who, in addition to taking a sensational slip catch, played supremely well at the pinnacle of his form to record the highest home score for TWCC, and guided his side to a magnificent win by five wickets with just two balls remaining.

   The Vine won the toss and chose to bat on a greenish top which promised runs but initially gave the bowlers some assistance. Again, the home attack was opened by two 18-year-olds as Chris Williams and Matt Green sent down their pace offerings which John Bowden and Karl Pearson attacked with gusto. Williams removed Pearson at 17 thanks to a regulation catch from Evert Bekker, and the pair repeated this work in reverse to take out the prolific Bowden for 34 from 68 to an excellent running catch. Fabian Cowdrey was unable to repeat his success of 2010, taken briliantly one-handed by Paulsen for one, and Luke Blackaby pushed his first ball to Jamie Baldwin to take the score to 81-4 after seventeen overs. Anthony Shales had been meanwhile powering the ball about mightily and now he and Olly Howick (68) rescued the visitors' innings as they posted 140 for the fifth partnership to close in on maximum batting points at 225. Shales hammered twelve fours during a splendid recovery, reaching his century after 134 balls at 252 with two overs of the session remaining. Williams (3-36) now added to his haul as did Bekker (4-59) in a hectic closing phase, and the target was set at 271 for the win.

   The chase was at once wrongfooted as Kent's Simon Cook removed Alex Williams, but Gregor Paterson safely partnered Paulsen as the second stand produced 118 runs from twentysix overs. Paterson had his stumps rearranged to bring Baldwin to the crease, but now Paulsen entered his pomp and smashed 72 in the next eighteen overs with seven fours and a six, and the third wicket added a delightful 106, marked by fine running, to give Wells a real chance of ending the season on a high note. Cook removed Baldwin for a steady 35 at 225, and the equation came down to 46 needed from 30 balls and all to play for. Wisely, Williams (C) was promoted, and he and Paulsen smote a quickfire 23 in 12 balls, the skipper came and went, but by now it all came alike to Paulsen, who added sixteen of his own runs from thirteen balls, bringing up the fiftieth over with four required. Paulsen moved to 149 from the second ball, and amid enormous anticipation and tension, blocked back the third. To wild cheers and applause, the fourth ball was slammed for four to bring up the win and at the same time the batsman's 150, the first such knock for a home player at The Nevill in the short history of the Premier division. It was a wonderful innings to mark the farewell of a wonderful and well-liked player, an innings to live in the mind's eye through long, cold winters.

   And so it was that 2011 ended with a win, after the relegation fears and endless batting tracks of a long, hot summer, and a night of celebration was soon to commence. However it must be added in all fairness that a match which was played out in exemplary fashion in the truest spirit of the game by both sides, was then graced by the opposition players staying on long into the evening.