A victory 29 years in the making for Kent-based Motley Crew

A casual cricket club founded in 1993, Motley Crew made history with a narrow one-wicket win over The Three Horseshoes

A Kent cricket team are enjoying their moment in the spotlight after bringing their 29-year losing streak to an end.

Now captained by 33-year-old Tom Browning, Faversham-based Motley Crew were founded back in 1993 by Browning’s dad on his 40th birthday.

Made up of family, friends and whoever else they can muster, the team play five or six matches a year against local teams and pub sides, and until relatively recently were complete strangers to embarking on a pre-match net session.

"I think our closest encounter [with victory] was a draw when the match got rained off!" jokes Browning, who made his Motley Crew debut at the tender age of 10. "We’re not very good. The last couple of years, we've been getting thumped.

"Until this year, there’s never been any practice – my dad wouldn’t have arranged that! They just went out on the day and winged it. It’s a good day out, people take drinks and good, and it starts in the pub and finishes in the pub."

^{The original Motley Crew}

However, on Sunday, it was a completely different story, with Motley Crew restricting The Three Horseshoes – a pub side from Hernhill – to 134 for 4 before squeezing home with one wicket to spare.

"We put on quite a show," Browning continues. "Bowling is always our strong point. We always push to bowl first to make it more of a game; if we batted first, we would normally get bowled out for 70 or 80. The bowling was really tight and as a team we fielded well, and when we came off after 30 overs, they’d only hit 134.

"Before we batted, we had it in our heads that we might win because it was an achievable score. Usually, we’re chasing 230 or 240 and that’s not happening. We worked out if all of us hit 14 runs, we’d win, so everyone was trying to do that. Normally it’s a lot of big swing, no ding and everyone trying to hit fours and sixes."

Recent recruit Dan Groom starred with the bat, hitting a quickfire 76, while vice-captain Bobby Dolan was responsible for the winning runs, striking a now infamous 28 alongside 14-year-old No.11 Callum Groom during a nail-biting last stand.

^{The modern day Motley Crew}

"Everyone was on the boundary cheering every run," Browning says. "There were a lot of people watching, my dad was there – he got a little emotional. When Bobby hit the final boundary there was a bit of a pitch invasion and everyone ran on - there were dogs on the pitch, we had hold of the batters – and that’s when the celebrations really started.

"We carried on late into Sunday night. And it’s been mental this week. Papers have been in touch, I’ve taken the bails home, the WhatsApp group has been non-stop, it’s been great."

Motley Crew have a few more matches lined up for 2022, including a re-match against The Three Horseshoes in September, but Browning isn’t concerned with preserving his side’s winning streak.

"One game is more than enough for us," he laughs. "We go out there to have a good time. We’re so used to losing after so many years that as long as we all have fun, it doesn’t bother us too much.

"It’s our 30th anniversary next year and the plan was always to win a game before then – and we have!"