Outwood Complete Hat Trick Against Cudham

The vagaries of the Div. 7 fixture schedule meant that Outwood played Cudham for the third time this season on Saturday - and achieved their third win. Conditions couldn't have been in starker contrast to the last encounter which was played in steady rain throughout.

Cudham won the toss and elected to bat. After 9 balls and the score on 2 - 2 they may have been ruing that decision. Dru Tunstall and Max Evans bowled a tidy opening spell, quickly removing both openers. Cudham staged a recovery which took the score to 90 - 4 before the Hall brothers dried up the flow of runs with some tight bowling. Wickets fell as Cudham tried to break the strangehold and Keith Hall (3 for 7 from 5 overs) and Jeremy Charlesworth (2 for 4 from just 7 balls) brought the home side's innings to a close on 104 after 33 overs.

Nat Hiscocks (15) and Paul Howard (59) made the run chase look relatively easy with an opening partnership of 40 but Outwood's fragile batting was soon in evidence again. Cudham sensed a whiff of a chance with Outwood on 79 - 5 but Paul continued to hold the innings together with a fine 50 before James Malley and Keith Hall saw us home with 4 wickets and 13 overs to spare.

So far so good as Outwood hit the top of the Division in early June. However, the acid test comes in August with tough games against Pembury, Bidborough, and the return leg of our tied game against Otford.