Tamar League Cricket Gunnislake v Buckland GUNNISLAKE continued their unbeaten start to the season with a convincing win over an under-strength Buckland side at Hawkmoor on Saturday. Given a hard wicket and quick outfield Gunnislake skipper Matt Ricard opted to bat first. Batting with more restraint than is usual the captain scored seventy-one before falling to the bowling of Pike. (8-0-52-3). His innings included fourteen fours, but these were plundered from poor balls rather than being the result of rash shots. On a track which favoured the batsmen all got themselves established and forged good partnerships. Danny Pethick, (23) James Boundy (28) and Brian Martin (30) all kept the scoreboard ticking over at about five runs per over. The innings closed with another fine partnership between Aaron Pethick (17 no) and Sam Boundy (28 no) who stroked the ball cleanly to all parts of the ground. Buckland?s bowlers were constantly under pressure. Elkington (12-0-56-0) stuck to the task without reward. Tom Rogers (9-1-41-1) and brother John (8-1-31-1) were the other wicket takers. Setting out in pursuit of Gunnislake?s total of 220 Buckland soon lost wickets. Hugo (9.3-0-46-3) and A Pethick (5-1-11-1) again proved effective in opening the bowling for the home side. Buckland?s main chance of approaching the required score lay with big-hitting Tom Rogers and when, after a careful couple of overs he started to open his shoulders things looked ominous for the home side. Two fours off the opening two balls of Hugo?s sixth over were followed by a huge six. The Gunnislake bowler was not deterred however, and took the vital wicket with his last ball. Gunnislake, as always fielded with energy and enthusiasm. Never more so than when Phillips hoisted a top edge towards square leg. Both Rooke at mid-wicket and S Boundy at fine leg wanted the catch and a collision resulted. Rooke, as always, came up clutching the ball. Buckland (3 points) were dismissed in the nineteenth over for eighty-two and Gunnislake (20 points) continued their table-topping run with a victory by 139 runs.
