Sunday 24th May saw me travel by train from Bedford via Central London to Beckenham, just inside the county of Kent. The object of this exercise was to complete my list of having seen county cricket on all the current first class grounds in the country. The trains all ran like clockwork and the changes at Blackfriars, with its stunning views of the Thames (which runs below the platforms), St Pauls and Tower Bridge, and the lesser known Herne Hill were negotiated. A pleasant walk from Beckenham Junction took me to the Kent county ground just as the first ball was being bowled.
Pavilion at Kent county ground, Beckenham
Kent were taking on very local rivals in Surrey, on the first day of a four day championship match, and a reasonable crowd was in residence, although perhaps not as many as I anticipated. A lot of temporary seating had been installed possibly for the T20 game which was scheduled to follow this match and recent work on the surrounds, with newly laid turf a bit of a hazard, was much in evidence. It is a pleasant ground, with some flats at one end giving the residents an excellent view of the cricket from their balconies. A large sports hall included the club shop and a bar and refreshment facilities were in evidence around the ground.
Lunch interval at Beckenham
Having paid £15 to get into the ground, not many people (myself included) had forked out a further £5 to sit in the large banks of temporary seats, especially those who had travelled by car and paid £10 to park. There were plenty of individual seats around the boundary edge and a very relaxed atmosphere as Kent started to pile up the runs. They had lost Denly early on, lbw to Fletcher who is on loan from Notts. After that Robert Key, after a period out of the side, returned with a vengence showing the class which once made him an England player. After Bell-Drumond also went lbw, this time to Ansari, Key's partnership with the young man Sam Northeast was the highlight of the day.
Spectators enjoy the sun at Beckenham
Fletcher soon retired with an injury and was left to Dunn and Curran to provide the seam attack. Ansari, talked of as an England possible, looked the pick of the bowlers with his accurate left arm spin. He eventually dismissed Key, yet another lbw, who seemed somewhat surprised by the decision, although no doubt reasonably satisfied with 89 runs to his name. Northeast followed almost immediately caught by Roy off Curran for a splendid 73. 182-2 had become 182-4 and with the next man in, Stevens, out for a duck this soon became 189-5.
Kent county ground, Beckenham
Sam Billings, the wicketkeeper, restored some respectability in partnership with Fabian Cowdrey. They put on 46 before Billings was caught behind by Wilson off the persevering Curran, yet another son of a famous father who played for Northants with some distinction. Next man in Haggett became the third duck of the innings, which somehow subsided to 282 all out, when you felt it should have been more.
However, no complaints - a very pleasant day, in good surroundings and the sun shone for most of the day. What more can you ask for. Just time on the walk back to the station, for a short detour to the ground of Beckenham cricket club on Foxgrove Road, where a friendly Sunday match was taking place. Nice big ground for one of the leading Kent club's which produced two former England players, Derek Underwood and Richard Ellison.
Beckenham cricket club, Foxgrove Road
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