Gunnislake welcomed back star batsman Dan Pethick for their trip to Menheniot on Saturday, and Graham Murray also returned from injury. However, the magic oofle dust was not enough as Menheniot Looe II ran out comfortable winners by five wickets. Gunnislake struggled to 120 for 9 off their forty overs, while Menheniot reached their target with fifteen overs and five wickets to spare.
After a run of winning tosses Gunnislake captain Dinesh Thirupuvanarajah’s luck ran out and they were asked to bat by Menheniot Looe. And so out strode Jamie Wright and Dan Pethick to uphold the village honours. Facing them were John Cowley and the experienced Hugh Rogers. Cowley took the first over and fifth ball up offered a juicy full toss. Pethick’s eyes lit up but he slammed it straight to mid on where Leo Harbour held on, to the jubilation of his team-mates. While cricket is a team game this was indeed a major blow for Gunnislake; Pethick remains the division’s leading scorer, but his average halved to a mere 118!
Enter returnee number two, Graham Murray, who injured his shoulder in the reverse fixture at the beginning of the season. Murray showed his usual class without really getting going, before finally connecting with a lovely straight drive for six over long-on. But cricket can be a cruel game and next ball he was adjudged LBW to Dave Crawford for 19. Meanwhile Hugh Rogers was tying up the other end, with five maidens in his first seven overs. Rogers finally got a wicket, bowling Dinesh just before the halfway mark, to end with the parsimonious figures of one wicket for eleven runs from his ten overs. And Gunnislake had crawled to 57 for 3.
A few more of these next week please!
It might have been a good base, but the current Gunnislake team do not bat in depth. Stuart Adams, a fellow veteran of Cornwall Over 60s, took over from Rogers and while slightly more expensive began to run through the Gunnislake middle order. Three wickets fell to Adams as a meagre ten runs were added, all bowled. The tail wagged briefly, but having squeaked a third batting point Gunnislake seemed pleased to block the last over and deny Menheniot Looe maximum bowling points. Adams finished with five wickets for twenty-one runs.
A brisk 12 from number nine Stephen Lees came to a premature ignominious end……
120 for 9 was well below par and it was going to need something special for Gunnislake to win. Dave Dickens was soon bowled by Dinesh, but that brought Menheniot captain Marc Wright out to join the evergreen Hugh Rogers. They made it look a different game as the ball flew around the ground and the run rate cantered along at five an over. Gunnislake tried an early change of bowlers, bringing on Dan Davies and Ian Dawe. And it was Davies who made the breakthrough, bowling Rogers through the gate, with an inswinger that just clipped leg stump. Five runs later Davies held onto a remarkable caught and bowled when the ball was drilled straight back to him. 98 for 3 and the star batsmen out; was there a glimmer of hope?
Alas not, while Dawe took two wickets of his own the damage had been done and Justin Kidd and Stuart Adams took Menheniot Looe over the line.
With 19 points Menheniot Looe sit in a comfortable fourth place, with Newquay III now in their sights. Menheniot still harbour hopes of an immediate return to Division 4, but the gap to Lanhydrock in second place seems a rather daunting one. Gunnislake mustered five points and cling on to fifth place but have Pencarrow snapping at their heels.
Gunnislake 120 for 9 (J Wright 21; S Adams 5-21). Menheniot Looe II 121 for 5 (M Wright 47, H Rogers 34; I Dawe 2-12, D Davies 2-48). Menheniot Looe (19 points) beat Gunnislake (5 points) by 5 wickets.