Yelverton 2nd XI v Stoke Gabriel 2nd XI FORMER Yelverton player Tim Nand-Lal came back to dent Yelverton's charge to the C division second XI title as he contributed 82 runs and his son Stephen took 3 wickets for 24 runs. Stoke Gabriel ran out 5 wicket winners in a high scoring and entertaining game. On a green Yelverton track, which had been flooded the day before, Stoke won the toss and put Yelverton into bat. Yelverton started well with Kevin Beare and Tom Watkins putting on 30 for the first wicket in quick time. Matt Corstorphin (2-66) broke the opening partnership when Chris Life took a caught behind, the first of four catches for wicket keeper Life. Matt Tamsett joined Watkins and the pair put on 47 for the second wicket. Mike Perkin bowled Tamsett but the momentum was with Yelverton. Dan Vince shared in a 54-run third wicket partnership and at halfway Yelverton were on 120-2. A score of at least 250 looked on the cards. Stephen Nand-Lal came into the attack and he removed Watkins for a well made 64 and shortly afterwards Dan Vince for 26. The Yelverton run rate slowed and Mike Perkin began to get in the groove. He took 5 valuable wickets as the Yelverton innings lost its way. He finished with figures of 5 for 61. Jerry Warland raised the Yelverton run rate towards the end with a hard hit 37. Yelverton slipped from 173 for 4 to 212 all out with Nand-Lal taking the last wicket in the 45th over to give Stoke a vital extra over to help them with their run chase. Nand-Lal finished with figures of 3-24. Given the conditions 212 looked a good score at the tea interval. In the fifth over of the Stoke reply Jeff Baker was dismissed to the bowling of A Hood. Dave Higgins and Tim Nand-Lal then put on 59 for the second wicket with Higgins playing the more aggressive role. Higgins hit nine 4s in his score of 48 before he was caught by keeper Scott off the bowling of Chris Pearson. Pearson bowled his usual consistent line and length as he conceded just 7 runs in his first 5 overs. Ashley Hill (31) and Nand-Lal held the middle part of the Stoke innings together as they contributed 60 for the third wicket. Hill expertly used his feet to get to the pitch of one ball and he proceeded to plant it out of the ground. Hill lost his wicket to the bowling of Dan Vince but the required run rate never rose above six per over as Stoke expertly managed their run chase. Matt Corstorphin came in at number 5 and he looked solid in scoring 29. Going into the last ten overs Stoke needed 59 runs with seven wickets in hand. Nand-Lal and Corstorphin upped the run rate and got the equation down to just 16 runs off 4 overs when Nand-Lal went for one big hit too many as he became the second victim of Pearson. Nand-Lal contributed 82, including 15 4s. Tony Carter and Pearson put the pressure on the Stoke batsmen with some tight bowling. The pressure saw just 10 runs scored off the next 3 overs, including the wicket of Corstorphin, to leave Stoke needing 6 runs off the last over. Youngster Alex Bertram joined Clive Burnell for the last over. The first ball was a dot and was followed by Burnell dancing down the wicket and hitting the ball to long on. The pair looked for two and the lightning reactions of Bertram got them home. This was followed by two shots from Burnell to 'cow' corner which likewise Bertram scampered and turned into 2s, Stoke managing to get to 213 for 5 with just two balls to spare in the 47th over.