Sunday 14th July 2919

Sunday. A day of rest.

But not in orchid season.

I had arranged another meet up with folks from the Kent Orchid group on FB, so it was off to mid-Kent we would go. But was arranged without knowing that Kent County Council and Highway England were going to use the weekend to close one of the main routs through the county, reduce the other to two lanes, and elsewhere there be roadworks on other main routes.

I know repairs have to be done, sometime, but on a holiday weekend? The M2 was shit for two and a half days from Medway to Faversham, meaning all traffic from that would be on the A2 or M20.

Several people dropped out after reports on Saturday was of travel times from Thanet to London taking over four hours rather than just over half an hour.

It would be an adventure, to get there and get back.

Maybe.

So, and after hearing about another orchid, we left home at half seven for the long slog up the M20 to Swanley.

And for a while, all went well, other than the fact it was raining and overcast. The we came to Ashford, and just after junction 9, traffic came to a halt. We sat for twenty minutes before the police would allow us to move, but we saw no accidents.

In Swanley, I had some accuratate directions, but the starting point a bit vague, and so another wild goose chase began, and ended fruitless 45 minutes later, when we had just half an hour to get down the Detling for the meet.

In the end, no traffic, no worries, meaning we got there and found a place to park in twnty minutes, and the members of the group already gathering.

Hello Brian.

Hello Ian.

Hello Bishop.

All directed at me and my many mysterious identities.

Once we had all arrived, found a place to park, we walked over the footbridge over the A249, still empty, and to the reserve.

Another friend met us with news he had found a large colony of Yellow Birds Nest, and he lead the group through the wood to the spot where over fifty tiny downturned spikes were showing well.

We all got shots, then walked to the meadow, across that to the Broad Leaved Helleborines.

These grow under a few large beech trees, in open sun, and about half the spikes, some 50, were open or partially open.

I pointed to the spikes and the snappers went snapping.

We stayed for half an hour, then said goodbye as our job was done, walking back to the car then driving down the hill and back along the motorway home.

No jams encountered.

Back home, Jools made a gooseberry crumble with custard, which she cooked and I had sitting on the sofa watching the Cricket World Cup Final.

Desert was great, and the cricket was enthralling. I barely moved until eight in the evening.

New Zealand batted well and got to 241, then England batted, and not really got going, losing wickets until they were four down and not having reached 100.

Then two batsman came together, but the required run rate was never reached, and with more wickets falling, they were in touching distance going into the last three overs. Needing more than 12 off the last over, they got a six, then the most extraordinary ball, England ran for a dodgy two, as the batsman dived, the incoming ball hit the end of his bat and was deflected to the boundary. 2 ran runs and a four, 6!

And it ended all square.

241 each.

So, super over. Which I had not heard of. Each team faces 6 balls and whoever scores the most, wins.

England score 15, and NZ score, 15 too. But due to something akin to the away goals rule in football, as England had scored more boundaries, they won.

A great game, neither team deserved to lose, and neither team did anything wrong.

Amazing.

We had chorizo hash and a bottle of pink fizz as the game played out, so we could toast England at the end.

And that was it, four days gone, back to work in the morning.