LBWs 5 Run Outs 4

Hot on the heals of last week’s trip to Boconnoc this week it was an immediate return fixture as Gunnislake hosted the League leaders at Hawkmoor.  The home ground was playable at last, having managed only 20 overs so far this season.  The outfield and square were both soft, but after a scary wet Friday morning the weather improved and the Tamar was able to at last hear the gentle thwack of willow on leather. 

Gunnislake gave first starts to Nick Wiggs and Dinesh Thirupuvanarajah (remember that name everyone!)  and welcomed back old campaigner Sylvan Pook and the prodigal son, Josh Crow.  We had been taking lessons in squad rotation from the professionals.

Gunnislake won the toss again and asked Boconnoc to bat.  A risky decision against such a good team, but the wicket was soft and with Pook and Thirupuvanarajah in the Gunnislake side, the bowling was much strengthened.  Unfortunately there is no predictive text on this computer, as Thirupuvanarajah opened the bowling for Gunnislake, despite having not bowled a ball in nearly two years.  Paul Lees took the riverside end and we were off!  Some zip from Thirupuvanarajah complemented the accurate slow bore them out approach of Lees.  On the batting front a steady start from David Smith and Chris Lomas was interrupted when Smith was caught at point, and then Ryan Greenslade was run out in a mix-up, without troubling the scorers.  Middleton was then out adjudged LBW bringing John Sleep to the crease. He proceeded to up the tempo, with boundaries coming freely, with good support coming from Craig Hampton-Stone.  However, the flow was interrupted by two more LBWs, both to Pook, which Boconnoc would have reviewed if DRS was available.  Sadly not yet in Division 6.

Boconnoc tried to up the pace, but were kept in check by some accurate gentle seam from Mark Everett, who also managed to claim three victims, all bowled.  Thirupuvanarajah came back towards the end, keeping the run rate in check at a valuable time.  And so the innings came to a relatively gentle end, with only four runs off the last five overs as Boconnoc closed on 134 for eight.  Gunnislake felt well pleased with their performance, but Boconnoc were probably still slight favourites.

Boconnoc tried to up the pressure in the second innings, with Matt Middleton bowling accurate fast left arm over from the village end, partnered by young Oliver Frith from the riverside end.  Kevin Beare and Jamie Wright rarely looked in trouble, but a solid foundation seemed at times to be in danger of becoming more of a case of bogged down.  The score crept to 14 off ten overs, but it was not until the 16th over that Boconnoc had their first breakthrough, as Beare fell LBW to the off spin of Boconnoc skipper Kevin Spencer.  Spencer repeated the trick in the twentieth over, pinning Wright LBW, to leave Gunnislake 36 for 2 at the drinks break.  However, Middleton had bowled his full allocation of 10 overs, for a meagre 15 runs, but no wickets.

The run rate picked up after drinks, but wickets began to fall regularly; 44 for 3 became 46 for 4 and then 48 for 5.  A traditional Gunnislake collapse was in full swing.  Enter an unlikely hero, Dean Organ, who decided another sort of swinging was in order.  He would make a fine golf player in another life!  The bat arced through and the ball sometimes went straight and sometimes to mid-wicket.  Debutant Nick Wiggs joined in the fun, the score began to climb and the watching crowd began to wonder if Gunnislake could pull off an unlikely victory.  Then Organ skied one to mid-wicket, well held by Middleton, with the score on 85, still 50 runs short of the target and ten overs remaining.  Enter a rusty skipper, Stephen Lees, for his first innings of the season.  It remained nip and tuck as the run rate remained unchanged and the target approached.  Then Wiggs was bowled for 23, 102 for 7.  Pook joined Lees, the score crept up with a mix of singles, the odd four and Mr Extras all contributing.  Another 28 were added in six overs; the pendulum had swung in Gunnislake’s favour.  The victory line was in sight when Pook was caught in the 39th over and then Lees was run out in the last over with just two needed.  But a final twist in the tail was avoided as Thirupuvanarajah hit the winning boundary, to acclaim from the watching home side.

It was a pulsating match, with twists and turns and a tight finish.  Despite their defeat Boconnoc remain at the top of the table and clear favourites for the title.  Gunnislake put in a great team effort and came out narrow winners on the day. Well done everyone.

Boconnoc II 134-8 (J Sleep 52, C Hampton-Stone 20; M Everett 3-39, S Pook 2-30), Gunnislake 137-9 (N Wiggs 23, S Lees 21; C Neville 2-22, K Spencer 2-33). Gunnislake (17points) beat Boconnoc II (7 points) by 1 wicket.

Scorecard