Saints entered the 2nd innings full of optimism knowing how hard it would be for the opposition to score. Things looked good after Doddy took an early LBW to see off one of the openers for 1………unfortunately their other opener didnt go so cheaply. ‘One shot wonder’ managed 7 sixes all to cow corner, where at one point Saints had 3 fielders on the boundary. I suppose he deserves some credit for acknoledging that there was no gain to be made in playing it along the turf. Everyone in the team stuck at it well and never gave up but Gsy Post managed to knock off the runs with an over to spare. The whole team fielded well (when the ball wasnt sailing over their heads) and Marc Guille in particular bowled well, picking up 2 wickets.

An unfortunate defeat but a great effort by everyone. Lets bounce back in the next game and make it the only defeat of the season.

On to the bowling performance. With a first win of the season much needed, the skipper opted to open with the experience of Doddy and Fezzle – you can rely on them to put the ball on the spot! The first over didnt go to plan as Doddy managed to bowl his entire seasons allocation of wides. For those looking on, it would seem that Doddy had lost his touch but in truth it was a cunning plan between bowler and captain to get The Judge used to the leg side athleticism required from a B team wicket keeper. Anyway, after a rusty start neither openers let the side down with both picking up 3 wickets and Fezzle in particular ending up with superb figures of 4 overs 17-3. With wickets falling and Saints well on top of the run rate, the skipper took the opportunity to look at his bowling options for the season ahead. Tommy V and Pilau (Dom Rice) showed off their college (or La Mare, as we later discovered) sports education with some fine text book actions, further showcasing the pivotal roles they will both play this year. Impressively Tommy V’s 2 overs went for only 4 runs. Seany and the ‘comeback kid’ (Marc Guille aka Gooley) finished off a fine bowling performance, restricting Columbians to 102-7. Oh, Grunter also had a bowl………congratulations on a fine debut mate. Although there were a couple of clangers (The Judge, Fish to name but two) the standard of catching and fielding was surprisingly high for a Saints B team. Several catches were held and at one point Cairnsey even dived for the ball…….naturally it went past him and he had to pull his trousers up.
Well done to the whole team, a great win, lets keep it up.

Got the runs in 13.1 overs winning by 5 wickets, with useful contributions from Dave Eames and Peter Bruges opening the batting and ably supported by Steve Ward, Alex Streeting and Luke Pattimore to finish it off.

Saints batted first and were skittled for 109 on a slow, wet pudding. The pitch dried, and Corinthians knocked the runs off comfortably.

Very disappointing result, but nevertheless something of an achievement to get to the final. Will win it next year.

Here’s the C team report up to 2nd June which I hope will be ok.

The 3rd team’s season started on 26th April with a 16 overs evening game against Corinthians. Batting first they managed to scrape together 73 for the loss of 8 wickets thanks only to Gavin Rudge with 36 not out. Corinthians knocked the runs off for the loss of one wicket in 12 overs.

The next game didn’t get any better losing by 46 runs to Griffins. Having restricted them to 100 for 9 off 16 overs, John Vaudin 3 for 24, Graham Garland 2 for 14, the batting didn’t click ending on 54 all out.

The story continues with another tale of wow this time against Vagabonds. They batted first scoring 115 for 7 off 16 overs, John Vaudin 3 for 22, but couldn’t chase it down being all out fo 79 in the 14th over.

However, things did have to get better. On 20th May we turned up with only 7 men, the sum total available on a Friday evening, to face Cobo Legends who only had 9 men. As the skipper was away, John Purdy captained the side and set about scoring a magnificent 109 off just 50 balls. Peter Bruges helped himself to 58 as they put on 180 for the first wicket, the innings ending on 186 for 4, all wickets falling in the 16th over. Cobo put up a good fight but fell short by 33 runs for the loss of 4 wickets. A victory at last.

The following week the skipper was still away so could there be another victory. Of course there could. Batting first against Irregulars we managed 102 for 6 in 16 overs, Mark Stenner 39, Pieter Robinson 35 not out. Didn’t seem enough. Well it was. Needing three off the last ball they only got one to end on 101 for 9, Andrew Maiden 4 for 19, Russell McDonald 3 for 27. A victory by one run. The skipper can stay away a bit longer.

But the skipper is back for the game on 2nd June against Deloitte. Put in to bat we managed only 107 for 9 off 20 overs thanks to Steve Ward’s 44 and to the opposition’s two Asian bowlers taking 3 wickets a piece.. They knocked the runs off in the 16th over to win by 6 wickets. Oh dear, the skip just can’t get it right. He’s soon to be away again so is that a good omen.

Saints followed up their first match win with another convincing victory over group leaders Irregulars at the KGV. A constant drizzle always threatened to curtail the game, but fortunately it never got strong enough to lose any cricket. Bowling first, Saints experienced a peculiar from a two-paced two-bounce pitch, which was recovering from a weekend of GPL action. Doddy at the top end struggled to extract any sort of pace or bounce, whereas Fezzle from the bottom end was unplayable, with good wheels and plenty of carry. Saints battled through the conditions as the ball quickly lost any shine and absorbed several gallons of water. Frequent rag work didn’t relieve it of a sponge like consistency. The conditions eventually allayed slightly, and as the pitch dried ever so slightly, the bowlers found a bit of action.

Playing in his first game of the season, Dave Jones was the pick of the Saints bowlers, finding a nagging line and length and creating chance after chance. The 5fer he managed was well deserved, although had a couple of other decisions, stumpings and catches gone to plan, it could have been more. Sean Romeril also found some unplayable turn, ripping the ball off the tops of the mud deposited on the track. Saints took regular wickets, whose bowlers were backed up by some quality fielding from Chris Hurley and Ron Weasley. At 90/9, Irregulars looked down and out. But a last wicket partnership of 40, as half the Saints side succumbed to the previous night’s beers, saw them bat out their overs. But 136 never looked enough. And it wasn’t.

Sean and Brocky opened up and despite the rain having increased and turned the pitch into a veritable chocolate filled mud bath, were rarely troubled by some average bowling and fielding. Saints kept well ahead of the 3 and a smidge run rate, as Brocky rattled up a quick 37 before a heave went wrong. Young Luke Pattimore was undone quickly, but DJ joined Sean and they got Saints within sniffing distance. An ugly attempted moo saw DJ1 bowled allowing DJ2 to take Saints to the glory, seeing it home with Sean. Sean ended on a superb 47* – the man is literally a run machine at the moment.

Saints will be disappointed to have not secured a full 20 points, but with this sort of team and form, a spot in the semi finals looks very likely.

Saints A lost by 80 runs.

A pleasant evening at Port Soif saw Saints take on league leaders Rovers. Asked to bat first, Rovers started in imitable fashion, with the first ball going for 4, and very little respite for the next 4 overs, by which time they had reached 80 without loss. Spenny and Fezzle struggled with a strong cross-pitch Port Soif breeze giving Goodie a real workout behind the stumps. Wickets came as a miserly Ishy and Scrappy pegged them back, and although they continued to hit freely, the run rate slowed up considerably. DJ2 had a rough introduction to Div 1 cricket after tweaking his shoulder after a couple. Everyone chipped in with wickets, Fezzle a couple, Scrappy a couple and new sign youngster Kitt Betley bowled superbly and was rewarded with three wickets, with thanks to some good catching from Uncle Fezter. Fielding was good, with some good commitment from Tappy, Kitty and Ishy in the field. What might have been a 200+ target was restricted to 192, with the extras worth a telling 24 to the total.

Saints’ reply struggled to get going. Faced with a run rate of nearly 10, for any chance of forcing a win there was little choice but to go for it. RV found the middle of the edge and top edged a ball straight down fine leg’s throat, which on any other pitch would have sailed over for 6. Brocky looked in good touch again but an ugly wipe undid his previous good work and was bowled for 15. The star of the show was young Tapp, who batted sensibly and creatively for 34, the scoop up and over the wicket-keeper a particular highlight. Goodie gave him some fine support later in the innings, himself powered to 28, but the rate was always likely to escape them. Fezzle did his best later on, smashing his first ball out of the ground for 6, but finishing on 112 saw Saints finish 80 short of what was always going to be a tough challenge against a very strong side made up of at least 6 GPL players.