The Kent village of Bapchild is likely to find itself in the next edition of the Guinness Book of Records – for all the wrong reasons, writes Alan Bensted.

Its cricket team, playing in the ECB county six-a-side indoor championships at Canterbury, was shot out for 0 by Christ Church University, the Pharon League champions.

Bapchild’s quarter-final innings (replying to a total of 120-1) lasted just 20 balls.

Unable to play a scoring shot to leave their crease, Bapchild’s batsmen could not handle the students’ pace attack. Three were bowled, three caught by wicketkeeper Shaun Piesley, standing up to the stumps.

Fraser McWhinnie took 3-0 in 12 balls, including the hat-trick, and Philip Semmens 3-0 in eight.

There were polite boos from the crowd when the umpires declined to allow Bapchild the privilege of a leg bye (worth one run).

The reason being the batsman had not offered a shot before the ball struck his pad, then the back wall which normally counts a single.

In the summer Bapchild play in the Kent Village League. Their ground is beside the A2 between Faversham and Sittingbourne. They were nominated for the competition by Swale Indoor League.

They also bowled 25 wides when they fielded but accepted their humiliation with good grace and even agreed to a team photograph to hang in the pavilion.

They said they had had little or no pre-match practice and had not played for many months.
Their team was: Josh Hunt, Dan Pomfrett, James Sutton, Chris Hogg, Owen Harrison and James Weller.