Plymouth won by 1 wicket
Clyst St George: 244/8 - Welsh 44, Cook 54no, Wibberley 47; N Hughes 3-47, P.Butson 12-3-38-1.
Plymouth III: 245-9 - Keith Barlow 128, Bobby Luscombe 53; D Wibberley 4-47.
Points: Plymouth- 19; Clyst St George- 9
On the best and hottest day of the summer so far, Abbo won the toss and elected to field. Clyst set off at a fair pace; playing a stroke a ball, before being pegged back by the loss of early wickets. Jack Hughes was unlucky to see a catch go down at backward point, but eventually made the breakthrough that marked the end of a free-scoring opening partnership. Jack was replaced by Paul Butson, who immediately found a testing line; severely restricting the scoring of the Clyst batsmen.
At the other end, Abbo got slogged around a bit; and replaced himself with Nigel Hughes, who immediately found some turn on the dry surface. Cleverly, Nigel bowled a succession of googlies to the new batsman, before sending down a chinaman first ball to the well-set Welsh, who was completely fooled; and was comprehensively bowled for 44 . A wily tactic indeed. With Paul restricting scoring at the other end in his long spell of 11-3-38-1, the Clyst players looked to attack Nigel, allowing him to pick up two further wickets with the help of well-taken catches in the outfield.
The bowlers’ efforts weren’t helped by a couple of dropped chances, including one which would have dismissed their no 4 first ball, as he snicked off to part-time wicket-keeper Luscombe in the face of Butson’s height and hostility. Nevertheless, when Matt Smith effected a brilliant direct-hit run-out from backward point; Clyst were 144/7.
From that point, Clyst added another 100 runs for only the loss of one wicket, in the last over. Wibberley batted aggressively for his 47, including one enormous six which bounced in the road; and Cook also hit the ball hard en route to 54*. We weren’t ecstatic, obviously, that Clyst had reached 244/8: but we also knew that the outfield was lightning fast: so that 240 was probably only around par.
After a sumptuous faith tea, we commenced our innings. Unfortunately, by the 6th over, 240 was looking like a monumental score. Wibberley nipped one back into Andy Sewell’s stumps, then Smithy missed a straight one, before Vic was completely undone by one which swung away and nipped back in again. We were 20/3 and it looked like we were heading for some embarrassment.
But Bobby Luscombe joined Keith Barlow, and together they put on 201 for the 4th wicket; a B division league record, smashing the previous record, which had stood since 1996. Keith made a glorious 128; reaching both his 50 and 100 with massive, joyously struck sixes; sending Abbo into paroxysms of delight unsurpassed since Kentisbeare last year. It is fair to mention that he was dropped 4-6 times (twice particularly glaringly, once early on, and once on 60-odd); but for all that his hitting was pure and, especially through the leg side, of a ferocity rarely seen in the 2nd XI B division since the heyday of Nick Drake in the 2003 promotion winning 2nd XI side.
Meanwhile, Luscombe played second-fiddle while Clyst burned with impotent rage; nudging singles and twos here and there; occasionally breaking out to caress a boundary. By the conclusion of his 53; he could barely stand up, due to cramp. In the circumstances, it was a canny innings; ensuring that Barlow had the support he needed.
The quick loss of Bobby and Keith reduced Plymouth to 222/5; but with only 23 more to win, all the smart money was on Plymouth. Which is why gambling is foolish; because Paul was run-out by a direct hit whilst attempting to take a bye to the wicket-keeper; Danuka had his stumps rearranged by Webberley, who then forced Jack Hughes to snick off. When Jake Foley went a couple of overs later; to force Nigel to join Abbo in a last wicket partnership, the score was 229/9, Clyst had their tails up, and centurion Keith Barlow was going an interesting shade of puce.
16 to win, and the ‘warhorse’ in. Plenty of overs to win or lose in. Could Nigel and Abbo pull it off? There were some close calls; a few nervous prods; but gradually the target was reduced: a wide here, a single there. A mistimed two. Eleven to win now.
Wibberley; with four wickets already, steamed into bowl…and Nigel swept him off leg stump to the long leg boundary. Fuming; Wibberley sprinted in again; but slung it down leg side for 5 wides. The end was almost anti-climatic; as Wibberley, to the overwhelming joy of the Plymouth players, bowled another wide, off which Abbo called Nigel through for the winning runs. Phew.
A close run thing. Well done to Keith and Bobby, obviously; but also to Nigel and Paul, who both bowled with intelligence and skill on a good track. But let's have fewer close matches in future; for the sake of Abbo's blood pressure, at least!
http://www.plymouthcricketclub.com/article.php/20080730000618619