SAC vs Boulogne Rising Stars, 25 May

While the senior cricketers were making their (largely) triumphant way across Kent, both footballers and junior cricketers had designs on using the pitch in their absence on the Sunday morning. After some swift and delicate negotiations, the footballers agreed to realign their pitch, and both fixtures were able to go ahead simultaneously. 

The SAC Junior Cricketers were entertaining the Boulogne Rising Stars, whose name comes from their regular practice sessions in the Bois de Boulogne. There was a mixture of ages on both sides, so finding a format that would allow all the kids to play required delicate diplomacy. It was decided that the youngest should go first, playing the Kwik cricket format of everyone batting in pairs for two overs and bowling one over each. Henry W, as the oldest in the group, was elected wicket keeper and gallantly agreed to neither bat or bowl in the fixture. The SAC bowlers, after a wild start, kept things tight. Pair after pair (five in all) of Boulogne's batters heaved and huffed to a score of 52 in their 10 overs. In reply, the SAC batters were rarely troubled to keep up with the rate and with Yuva and Paul in particular putting the fielding side under pressure with some enterprising running between the wickets, the Boulogne score was passed with several overs to spare. Throughout the match, both sides were warmly supported by a large and appreciative crowd. 

A 15-over-a-side match for the older cohort was arranged with the teams mixed up and several nervous-looking fathers put on standby to field. Henry opened the batting and was so untroubled that he retired in the 10th over to give the others a chance in the middle. Hayden and Jacob took their opportunities to shine and might have shown the bowling side of their game if rain hadn't curtailed proceedings after just one innings was completed. We look forward to welcoming Boulgone back on 6 July for the next matches in the series.

Junior cricketers triumph in the clash of the codes, 30 May

Wth the football season winding down, a joint session with the cricketers on 30 May gave all the kids a chance to try each other's sports. Cricket went first and those footballers who also played tennis showed their skills as they hit up 23 for the loss of five wickets in their allotted overs. Predictably enough, this proved to be a relatively simple task for the cricketers, who reached their target for the loss of two wickets. What was less predictable was that although the footballers would put four goals past the cricketers, they conceded nine! Charlie, with a hat-trick, was top scorer, Samish and Gabriel each grabbed two, and with Jacob and Yuva also getting on the scoresheet, the cricketers might well be setting their sights on tennis next.

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