Sevenoaks advance to Kent Schools Cup semi-final

Sevenoaks cantered home by 10 wickets and to see the schools game back up and running is a wonderful sight, writes Ed Krarup

Cricket is back at the heart of the summer sporting landscape with fans returning to grounds and club leagues in full flow.

While the professional and club game is building on 2020’s truncated season, schools’ cricket had no such luxury with pupils on their summer holidays before cricket’s long-awaited return.

But the schools game is now back, and this issue’s schools match of the month sees The Judd take on Kent rivals Sevenoaks in the U18 Kent Schools Cup, a T20 competition also known as the Lemon Cup.

The weather was kind at the Vizards Sports Ground, where The Judd play their home fixtures, but rain in the previous days had softened the surface. As such, when Sevenoaks won the toss they asked the home side to bat.

The Judd got off to a steady yet encouraging start. Openers Angus Hall and Ekansh Singh played sensibly on a sticky wicket, accumulating ones and twos. Hall began to accelerate, hitting two fours and a six, but was bowled by Henry Smith for 25 with 37 on the board in the fifth over.

Singh fell soon after for 15 (48 for 2) and from there The Judd’s batsmen struggled to kick on. 

Satvik Vyakarnam, The Judd’s No4, was brilliantly run out by Freddie Goodfellow. Communication between the batsmen was a factor and had Vyakarnam not hesitated he may have made his ground but that should take nothing away from Goodfellow’s superb direct hit from point. 

^{Henry Smith took 5 for 20 for Sevenoaks}

Several batsmen all spent decent time at the crease, facing 10 deliveries or more, but none could put together that crucial innings.

Credit should go to the Sevenoaks attack who were exceptionally economical. Smith was the pick of the bowlers, taking 5 for 20 from his four overs.

On a wicket where the ball did not come onto the bat, and batsmen had to generate their own run-scoring opportunities, Smith bowled accurately and gave the opposition nothing to work with.

Twice Smith took two wickets in an over, and was on a hat trick having dismissed Miheer Singh and Joshua Prendergast in consecutive balls. His final two overs brought four wickets and conceded just four runs.

A late flurry from Ned Rowland took The Judd to 94 for 9 from their 20 overs. 

In reply, like their hosts, Sevenoaks’ openers started cautiously. Matt Dawkins and Nick Chaplin put on just 12 from the opening three overs but there was no need for silliness as Singh and Rowland bowled tightly.

Dawkins hit Rowland for six in the sixth over and from there the runs started to flow more easily.

The Sevenoaks openers’ performance was a masterclass in second innings batting, when the score is gettable, but on a tricky slow pitch wickets can emphatically halt momentum.

However, those game-changing wickets never came and Dawkins and Chaplin reached their target in the 16th over. Dawkins finished on 46 off 47 and Chaplin 36 off 47 to give the away side a 10-wicket win and a place in the Lemon Cup semi-finals. They went on to face Simon Langton Grammar School with the result yet to be confirmed at the time of writing.

^{Satvik Vyakarnam cuts away for The Judd}

After the match, Ralph Richardson, master in charge of cricket at The Judd, praised the opposition bowlers.

“Smith bowled exactly what was needed. He bowled wicket to wicket and didn’t give much away. He put it in really good areas and the batsmen couldn’t get the ball away. He bowled really well for the conditions,” Richardson told The Cricketer.

“Hall and Singh are both involved in the Kent set-up and they got off to a good start but it was one of those tricky wickets to bat on where the ball would stick slightly. There were a couple of overs where we lost two wickets in an over because we found it tricky to get back in.

“We had a few half chances in the field that may have made a difference but Sevenoaks batted very well. They hit quite a few singles, where even off the good balls they were manipulating something to keep the pressure on the bowlers.”

The Judd is a state grammar school, and despite not having school on Saturday, they run a full Saturday programme from Year 7 up to sixth form. After a missed summer in 2020, it may have been difficult to rebuild momentum but the reality has been quite the opposite.

“The enthusiasm to play has been enhanced by missing last season,” Richardson explained. “A lot of boys have realised now what they have available to them in the summer.

“It has been more noticeable in the senior school because without Saturday school the boys aren’t in school all the time and when it comes to exam season they are normally off on study leave. But our Year 13s have had a really positive response to playing matches.

“There are so many other factors that have an impact on state school cricket, such as the space and staff that are available. Without enthusiastic staff nothing will happen and while they might say otherwise, the pupil are influenced by the staff. We have a very good group of staff in the PE department, as well as academic staff who take teams and coach.”

The Cricketer would like to thank Durant Cricket for their ongoing support of our schools cricket coverage. For more on Durant Cricket, including booking a site visit, please click here