Boconnoc were this week’s visitor’s to Hawkmoor, as Division Six completed their first round of fixtures, every team having now played each other once. The weather was set fair and a full days play seemed on the cards, bar those seeking to leave early for other engagements! Boconnoc arrived bottom of the League, but fortified with two loan players took on a home side with only ten players, Gunnislake having had a late drop-out. Could the eleven spring a surprise on the ten, or would Gunnislake end a run of two successive defeats? Boconnoc won the toss and asked Gunnislake to bat, a propitious decision as that enabled the teas to be planned and executed by the home side. All was well, but more of the teas later…………
Gunnislake set off with intent, but an early wicket saw Ian Mill caught in the ring, leading to two Emmerson’s once again carrying the burden of expectation. The runs came steadily and the hundred came up in the twenty first over. Adam Emmerson followed that with his own fifty and a century partnership two overs later, for once outscoring his twin brother. But a change of bowling and a lapse of concentration gave a simple catch to mid-off, as Barnaby Newbolt broke through for Boconnoc. A brief cameo from Kai Murray-Dustan followed as he attacked with youthful exuberance, but slightly too much air, also handing Boconnoc catching practice, which was gratefully accepted. Meanwhile David Emmerson continued on his merry way, not timing the ball as well as normal, but also slowed by Boconnoc allocating five men to patrol the boundary. Nevertheless he reached his third fifty in four innings, before being bowled by I Hunter. Emmerson’s departure saw a rapid slowing in the scoring as Gunnislake edged toward and past 200, with wides being comfortably the third highest scorer. Boconnoc fought back well, and seven wickets fell in the chase, with four to loanee Hunter and two to Newbolt.
Despite a late dash for forgotten milk, and despite a lack of cheese sandwiches, and despite Kai not being able to find where his Mum left the chocolate biscuits, tea was served and was not too bad. Top marks to Ian Mill for his wife’s home-made lemon drizzle cake and for setting out the teas.
And so to the reply, as Boconnoc sought their first win of the season. Keith Sturgess opened with captain Ray Butler; Gunnislake perhaps a bit short in the bowling department as the medical team kept an eye on both Paul Lees’s knee and Sylvan Pook’s chest. Several early boundaries dispelled any complacent thoughts of the bottom team rolling over and a tight game looked in prospect. After a loosening opening over, Kai Murray Dustan produced a fine spell of bowling. He regularly beat the bat, getting both swing and movement off the seam. Too much movement in fact as the wickets survived unscathed! Nevertheless Boconnoc were falling a bit behind in the run rate. Murray-Dustan gave way to Iain Barker who took a while to settle, but then swung one past Sturgess’s outside edge, who perished to a stumping. Gunnislake had the breakthrough; Sturgess out for 26, with the score on 57 after fifteen overs. Three maidens followed as the screw tightened. Butler and Dave Smith gradually rebuilt the score, but the run rate was climbing. Five overs went for ten runs and then Barker struck again, bowling both batsmen in successive overs. His work done for the day, Barker handed back to young tyke Murray-Dustan, who helped himself to three wickets of his own as Boconnoc gently subsided, resigned to their fate. Ian Mill and Sylvan Pook kept things tight as well, and Boconnoc closed on 138 for eight, 68 runs short of the required total.
In the end it was a convincing win, but after three rather one-sided games it was good to have a closer match, with the result in the balance for much of the afternoon. Boconnoc did not play like a side bottom of the table and we wish them well for the rest of the season (except of course for the return fixture)!
Gunnislake (19 points) beat Boconnoc II (6 points) by 68 runs.