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CHAMPIONS! It has a nice ring to it
- and successive titles ensured some thick heads on Sunday morning
as Helston was painted red, or yellow in this case, as Porthleven
celebrated long into the night!
Just 18 points were needed to make the title safe, and St Day started
well, rode their luck and passed 50 without losing a wicket, as the
ball seemed to miss the fielders, or umpires with cold hands decided
to keep their mitts firmly in their pockets, much to the annoyance
of a ginger Australian as he was denied a certain LBW when Kev Jones
played no shot to a straight one, someone was no amused!
Carvelly was feeling the effects of the previous evening as he struggled
with his line, but did manage to hit yet another batsman's helmet
- becoming a bit of a habit for the silky tongued South African! Parish
and JJ Walker came into the attack, and they too found things hard
before a poor delivery from the skipper, full and wide, (the delivery,
before the gags start!) was lashed straight to Paddy Gardner in the
covers, a great catch considering his blistered palm - what is it
about these young lads and blistered hands?!
With the deadlock broken, wickets then began to tumble, Walker having
Young catch Rule before bowling Carpenter next ball, Snowden soon
followed, Parish taking a rare catch. Then a fine piece of captaincy....
the only trouble being it came from the vice captain! JJ put Adam
Young right out on the mid wicket boundary and the very next ball
Moyle smacked the ball straight into his waiting paws - a good catch
finished off with an even better forward roll!
Cook appeared a little nervous and backed away from each delivery,
but by the end of the over Parish finally found his range and removed
the leg stump, before Derek Newman took a stunning catch (it will
be by the time he's told the story again....and again....and again...!)
to leave Parish and Walker to hit the sticks once more each and JJ
to pick up a well deserved 5-for, skittling 10 man Saints in just
the 28th over.
The reply was certainly swift - Boo Boo Bonnett hit four 4's from
his first 14 deliveries, the thought of the evening celebrations seemed
to have him in a bit of a rush! Dean Bray was in no mood to hang around
either, as the score raced to 48 before Cook was brought into the
attack and his first ball was finely glanced by Boo to leg, so fine
that it didn't pass the keepers gloves!
Newman joined Bray and the pair safely knocked off the remaining runs,
'Nostalgia' hitting the winning runs from the last ball of the 15th
over to wrap the title up by 4.15 and send the players out for an
early start, getting amongst it, for what proved to be a great evening,
and a big thank you to T's for the free drinks, and apologies for
any behaviour we can't remember!
Still two games to play and then a County Final against the Eastern
champions of Division 4 on the 9th September, but Division 3 cricket
awaits next year - it couldn't be 3 in a row.......could it?!
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