Gunnislake will be glad to see the back of St Stephen, as if you include St Stephens Saltash, four games have now been lost to the Saints this season. With a difficult selection once again Gunnislake’s backs were to the wall from the start. Seven regulars were joined by Geoff Husband (hoping to avoid the heat) and Ian Mill who confirmed his impending transfer from Bude by coughing up an annual subscription. Sorry Ian, Play Cricket will still record you as Unsure until next season. We thought we had also gathered the talented father and son Mike and Adam Howgill from Werrington, but Adam had a bad back, so Mike arrived on his own. Frantic phone call and Jemima Cameron was summoned for her debut. Even more frantic explanations of the laws of cricket and tactics (like rounders really). Are you with me still? On to the match report!
Gunnislake won the toss and chose to bat, a lucky escape as only seven had arrived at that time. Barrie James and Ian Mill took on the responsibility of blunting the St Stephen attack. Indeed James set to with some gusto, driving and cutting and outscoring Mill, until trying a drive too many, and losing his off stump. George Jefferis had next dibs, having padded up early as Brian Martin had been stuck in traffic on the M5. (You get a whole local history in these match reports). Runs were accumulated steadily and the score had reached 56 before Jefferis was adjudged LBW to Richard Budge. Brian Martin and Adrian Cameron helped the score along mid innings before a brief cameo at the end from Stephen Lees saw Gunnislake close on 140 for eight. Budge and Reece Le Masurier both took three wickets for St Stephen.
After tea (please note for future reference, Jemima is a vegan) play resumed again. St Stephen mirrored the Gunnislake tactic of experience to hold up one end (James AKA Stan Job) and firepower (Mill AKA Oliver Martin) at the other. Oliver Martin (I assume no relation of Brian) boomed the ball far and wide, especially in the arc from mid-wicket to the bowler. Stephen Lees missed a catch behind, and so Paul Lees (also no relation) completed the job himself, bowling Martin for twenty. After 20 overs St Stephen were behind the run rate at 42 for 1, and Jefferis had completed his ten overs for a miserly seven runs. Was the impossible possible after all? Job soon followed to a stumping and then Shaun Hicks was caught behind, with Geoff Husband murmuring a few words of approval from first slip. But Gunnislake were getting carried away; St Stephen wheeled out the big guns and Charles Cole took to Sylvan Pook’s bowling with relish. Adrian Cameron also showed Jemima how not to do it, and a promising situation turned into something of a rout. With support from Richard Budge, Cole passed his fifty and soon after St Stephen passed their 140 target.
Gunnislake had slipped to another defeat, on this occasion by seven wickets. The match was close for three quarters of the time, but the defeat was in the end comprehensive. The skipper will have to return to the drawing board, and find some fighting spirit to take on the challenge of Ladock next week. Adam Emmerson should be released by the Royal Marines, but his brother David remains at sea with the submarine fleet. If only we had the nuclear option, former captain Andy Astley, currently working in Dubai…………………
Gunnislake (four points) lost to St Stephen (20 points) by seven wickets.