After a week of studying weather forecasts, and some welcome rain, many teams were dusting off their whites, packing the odd spare brolly for forecast showers and setting off for an eccentric English afternoon known as playing cricket. Further up country our national heros were taking on Bangladesh, while in sleepy Cornwall Gunnislake headed west for the daunting prospect of playing league leaders St Minver. The task was not helped by a series of varying excuses (birthday, music festival, sickness bug, work, wife won’t let me play twice in one weekend……..). However, on the plus side the Callington trio of youngsters were back in the side itching to prove their worth.
On arrival an apologetic St Minver captain announced he had two players drop out this morning; perhaps we stood a chance against nine? But no, an appeal had led to two borrowed players from Division 4; cue mirth and then agreement, for Karl had not followed the Liskeard saga. Gunnislake won the toss and with showers still on the horizon chose to bowl. At this stage the game was evenly poised.
St Minver opened with Jake Keast and Matthew Gilbert and both started well, Keast looking particularly ominous. Paul Lees and Kai Murray-Dustan kept the runs in check, with Murray-Dustan getting some pace and movement from the top end, but there was no breakthrough and at ten overs St Minver had laid a solid base of 33 runs. With over restrictions, Ben Alford replaced Murray-Dustan and got the first wicket as one lifted and moved way to give a catch to the keeper, 61 for 1 after 15 overs. At 20 overs St Minver still only had 73 on the board, but were pushing the ball around nicely. However, they seemed to think there was a single almost everywhere, and for a while there was. But then they tried it on with Adam Emmerson; swoop, throw, bails off and Archie Edwards was on his way. Now our scorebook is a bit confused, but I think S Phillips on loan was the next player in; he decided to get a move on and swung lustily, but he was soon moving back to the pavilion, getting a top edge to give a second catch to the keeper. 115 for 3 after 25 overs and Gunnislake were holding their own quite well. But at this point the match began to turn, St Minver skipper Karl Daley came out to join Gilbert and the ball and bowlers took a bit of a hammering. From my own view behind the stumps it was clear that Daley was actually placing the ball in the gaps, an ability quite rare in Division 6. The boundary was peppered, the adjacent wheat field took some stick and the field spread as the score mounted. Gilbert was, however, getting tired. He reached his century and then almost gave up, skying a catch to mid-on, to depart for exactly one hundred runs; 226 for 4 after 37 overs. Still respectable, but Daley fancied a slice of the action. The final three overs went for 48 runs, Daley bringing up his own century off the penultimate ball of the innings. And so a chastened Gunnislake headed off for tea. The bowling was not bad, and I will give a special mention to Ben Alford who managed two wickets and should thus have his name in the Sunday Independent (perhaps a higher honour than this website!) In truth it was more about the powerful St Minver batting, who were showing why they are league leaders.
The Gunnislake innings started circumspectly, with Barrie James and Ian Mill showing great deference to Charlie Edwards and Nigel Hocking. Ian Mill soon found a rhythm and a particular liking to the short offside boundary and Edwards’ bowling. But something strange was happening at the other end though, for Hocking was mesmerising the Gunnislake batsmen. They were like rabbits caught in the headlights; the rot started with James missing a straight one, but then it was if the Gunnislake team had been ordered to give catching practice. Mill looked on helplessly as the score rapidly descended to 52 for 6. Hocking finished with figures of 5 for 7 from his ten overs, as he sought to wrest man of the match from his captain. Stephen Parsons steadied the ship, with some fine forward defensive shots, but few runs to the total. Then Mill fell, caught in the covers, to be replaced by Sylvan Pook. A breezy 12 livened things up a bit, until Pook was run out as Parsons, leaning on his bat at the bowler’s end, sent him back. Another one to be debated in the bars afterwards! Enter captain Stephen Lees at a lowly nine (some say protecting his average, I say allowing other team members a chance). St Minver took pity and decided to give their occasional bowlers a go. A second batting point was secured and Gunnislake had a second wind. Parsons joined in the fun, until being caught on the (short) mid-wicket boundary of all places; not a normal Parsons exit! But the late flurry was no more than slight respectability, and Gunnislake ended on 147 for 8, Lees undefeated on 35.
St Minver took the prizes this week as Gunnislake were comprehensively beaten by the better team. I wish I could blame the two loan players, but I can’t. Nevertheless good time was had by all, and we must comfort ourselves with the thought that there is always next week.