Despite the continuance of wet weather leading up to last weekend, the A grade match against Ranelagh-Grove on their home ground was able to proceed. The Kingston Crows won the toss and elected to bat first but soon lost an early wicket. Dan Elliott 63 and Brett Stevenson 42 then combined to add 101 for the 2^nd wicket that set us up to finish on 8/196 after our 50 overs. Given the inclement conditions this was a very competitive total. Jamie Knott and Levi Treptow both made scores of 28.

The team had suffered a blow leading up to the game when strike bowler Nick Townsend suffered an injury in the Twenty20 game on Tuesday and was unable to play. Jamie Knott proved a worthy replacement for him snaring 5/24 and with Dale Punshon 2/25, combined to decimate the top order of the “Rams” innings and leaving them 7/25. They staged a mini comeback but we took our 9^th wicket via a run out with the score on 91 in the 35^th over and their last batsman was too ill to come to the wicket thus giving us a comfortable win.

B grade took on Longley at home and batted first in the very damp conditions. Eventually it was decided that it was totally unfit to continue playing and the match was abandoned after 27.3 overs with our score 1/85. Gareth Percey was on 48no and Richie McInnes on 13no. In form opener Damian Pearce had been dismissed LBW for 19.

C grade took on Blackmans Bay at the Bay on Sunday and did a reasonably good job to restrict them to 6/153 off their 50 overs. Malcolm Scriber was the most successful bowler taking 3/25 off his 10 overs. Gab Lefleur and Shane Hall each took a wicket and Malcolm also completed a run out.

Once again we struggled with the bat with only skipper Shane Hall 22 reaching 20. Ash Woodhead and Alistair Triffitt both made minor contributions but we were dismissed for 94 in the 34^th over

In the Twenty20 game on Tuesday 25^th November we took on Margate at home and amassed the excellent total of 220 thanks to great knocks from Jamie Knott 72, Marc Owen 52no, Dan Elliott 36 and Brett Stevenson 22.

Margate lost a wicket of the first ball of their innings and their skipper, Josh Woolley, should have been dismissed in the same over. He certainly made the Crows rue the dropped catch as he plundered the bowling. Thankfully wickets fell around him and we were able to eventually dismiss them off the second last ball of the 20^th over for 167.

All at the Club offer their condolences to Robyn and Lyndsay Moody and family on the passing of Robyn’s mother.

“From the hill”