Francis Clark A division
Tavistock v Cornwood
HIGH flying Tavistock Cricket Club met mid-table Cornwood at the Ring. Cornwood won the toss and asked Tavistock to bat.
Jones and Kaitiff put on 50 before Jones was caught for 28. This was followed by two dubious umpiring decisions, Stephens was given run out and Kaitiff lbw, when all but the bowler and umpire heard the ball hit his bat.
This brought Manning and Luffman together. They set about plundering the Cornwood attack, putting on 68 for the fourth wicket, before Manning was caught in fine style on the boundary by Boase. Arnie Searle got into his stride, crashing boundaries to all parts. However, the chief reaper was Luffman, who hit 90, which included ten fours and five sixes. Searle scored 32 and Steve Miles ended up on 17 not out as the Tavistock innings ended on 286 for 8. The Cornwood bowling figures did not make pretty reading, particularly Dave Tall, who was hammered for 86 off his nine overs.
The Cornwood innings was just an over old when cricket became inconsequential, as one of the Cornwood players noticed that his two young children had gone missing.
Within seconds player?s from both sides were combing Whitchurch Down, running in all directions. Thankfully, the children were found safe and well on the golf course.
When play resumed, it was Cornwood that settled quickly, against some pretty ordinary Tavistock bowling and fielding. Walters and Cooksley reached 70 in no time.
Dave Manning then brought Steve Nicholson into the attack and he was rewarded by having Walters caught behind.
Duncan Boase, the ex-Devon player, soon got in on the attack. butchering Miles and Alexander, before Alexander clean bowled him for 33.
At this stage Cornwood were ahead of the run rate. Andy Gauler then bowled in tandem with Nicholson, six or seven tight overs. Gauler was rewarded with first the wicket of Cooksley for 71 and then dangerman Kevin Willcocks for 33. Tall hit a quickfire 29 before having his middle stump uprooted by a resurgent Alexander. Crownwood then shut up shop and the game ended in a high scoring draw.
Tavistock bagged 14 points which takes them to the top of the A division and a step closer to their dream of premiership cricket in 2005.