The sun shone, Broughts argued with the umpire and Matt Craven enraged the bowlers....yes, it's business as normal at KCC. On a day more suited to June, skipper Renno won the toss and decided to take first use of Abbo's intial strip of the season. It was to prove like most of last years tracks a joy to bat on although there was turn from Burton Latimers spinners. Too much turn for 'Rambo' Ghuman who played back to the first delivery from a slow man and was LBW to end a steady opening partnership with the Badger.

Craves had already been dropped at slip in the seasons first over but after that settled into his game and was playing a fairly subdued innings. He was joined by John Hanger, back playing after two years out and almost immediately looking as if he had never been away. Together the two started to tuck into the bowling and proceeded to put on 138, John providing the style and elegance, Craves the muscle & power as the visitors attack could find no answer. There were grumbles aplenty at some of Matt's more agricultural efforts but nothing that could be said about the many clean hits he sent to the boundary including a loverly lofted off-drive one ball after the visting keeper had described his previous effort as 'the ugliest thing he had ever seen'. When Matt was finally cleaned up aiming another huge blow through the on-side it left just enough time for Tom Burton to gain a little batting practice before the innings closed with 231 on the board.

Any hope that the Northants side had of mounting an assault on this target lasted less than three overs as the two Tom's, Burton & Driver sent the first three batsman on their way. From then on it was a bit of a grind as the visitors struggled to make much of the home attack. Joe Cuthbert bowled a tight spell, Renno settled onto a testing length and Broughts was Broughts. Thinking he had a catch at slip as the ball looped up he was massively dischuffed when umpire Pedley (almost certainly correctly) turned down the appeal. Grumbles & shruggs abounded as he returned to his mark and proceeded to pitch the next delivery virtually on his toes. He got his man in the end, clean bowled this time and end up bowling six overs for six runs. As the innings petered out with over one hundred runs still required

John Bleby - 17/04/2011