Luckett can be an unforgiving ground for bowlers, with modest boundaries and downhill runs from three sides of the square. On Saturday records fell once again as Gunnislake amassed 466 for 4 from their forty overs. Leading the way was Dan Pethick with an iconic knock of 280, both team and individual scores a record for the Gunnislake side. A spirited reply from Luckett II still left them 202 runs short, as they closed on 264 for 9.
The afternoon started off quite sedately as Pethick and Paul Hollow found their rhythm. Pethick was particularly severe on anything over-pitched, while Hollow was playing with a lovely straight bat, piercing the field for fours. Early on Pethick gave a sharp chance to the keeper, with an inside edge, but survived the scare. Then the eighth over, bowled by Gareth Clements, saw Luckett break through. Hollow clipped the ball firmly to mid-wicket, where Ben Williams took a good catch. Two balls later Graham Murray fell LBW for a duck, leaving Gunnislake on 48 for 2. It turned out to be a high point of the match for Luckett.
Gunnislake captain Dinesh Thirupuvanarajah, joining Pethick at the crease, was also in an aggressive attacking mood and the score began to rattle up. Pethick limbered up with a series of sixes, being particularly severe on first change bowler Stephen Brown, who was taken out of the attack after conceding 55 runs from three overs. The first hundred arrived in the fourteenth over, but the next hundred took a mere six. Pethick passed his century and Dinesh seemed on course for a maiden tonne when he holed out to Ben Williams, nevertheless achieving a career best 88. But there was no holding back Pethick, as a series of search parties were sent to reclaim balls from adjacent fields.
Dan Pethick reaches his double century with another six
As Luckett wilted there were a few near misses on the boundary, but Pethick rode his luck, passing 200 and then his previous career high 225. At the other end Jamie Wright accumulated steadily, with a series of elegant deflections, but in the most part was content to pass the strike back to Pethick. The end, when it came, was almost unexpected. Playing through the shot slightly early, the ball rose high but did not quite have the distance. Martin Budden at long-on had time to gather the nerves and wait patiently for the ball to drop into his safe hands. Pethick’s score of 280 included twenty fours and twenty-eight sixes. 457 for 4, but the damage had been done. Soon after the innings closed on 466 for 4, with Clements returning the best bowling figures of 2 for 59 from his ten overs.
Martin Budden takes the catch
Luckett’s response was along the lines of “we might as well have a go”. Wickets regularly fell to attacking shots, with Lee Roberts picking up three wickets, as Luckett raced to 94 for 4 in 14 overs, only 19 behind the equivalent Gunnislake total. At this point opener Tom Rickard was joined by Steve Brown and between them they built a partnership of 93. Rickard drove well and Brown was particularly severe with anything drifting down leg-side. On another day a scoring rate in excess of a run a ball would have been enough, but Luckett were batting for pride. Gunnislake gave a series of less used bowlers a turn, with Paul Bertorelli, Jordan Lee and Irfan Sheik all bowling tidy spells.
But it required Gunnislake captain Dinesh to break the partnership, with Brown caught at mid-on for 58. Not long after Rickard passed his own century, before also playing a tired shot to Dinesh, to be caught in the covers for 101. It was an innings of class, even though over-shadowed by Pethick’s earlier heroics. With that Luckett’s resistance faded, two more wickets fell as Luckett closed on 264 for 9, denying Gunnislake a final bowling point.
It was a memorable day for the Pethick family, with Dan being the third generation of the family to play for his home village. Nevertheless his 280 still fell 31 runs short of the all-time Cornwall Cricket League record. That remains the property of Andy Brenton, who scored 311 against Tideford back in 2013. That feat was achieved when batting for ………………… Luckett. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/23318074). Deja vu: at the time, a Luckett spokesman stated “He’s just a very good cricketer and I’m sure he could play at a higher level and get paid for his troubles but he just wants to play with his mates at Luckett – that’s Andrew all over”.
So now we know the challenge for Dan next year!
Iconic Opticians Man of the Match: Dan Pethick
Gunnislake 466 for 4 (D Pethick 280, D Thirupuvanarajah 88, J Wright 37no; G Clements 2-59). Luckett II 264 for 9 (T Rickard 101, S Brown 58; D Thirupuvanarajah 3-54, L Roberts 3-61). Gunnislake (19 points) beat Luckett II (7 points) by 202 runs.
