A
weary Gnome team arrived at Minster Lovell for the fourth and final match.
John Dunthorne chose to bat on a dubious looking wicket and scoring was
never easy, with Matt out for 12, Fenton 6, and John a first-ball duck.
The first of two key innings was played by Ollie who made 48 and helped
Gnome to 113-5 off 24 overs. Danny soon departed for 2 but Max Fernie
took over from Ollie to take Gnome into the realms of respectability with
an elegant 52* . Anton fired a quick 19 but then Chris Gill, going in
at number 9 with 4.3 overs to go, revived memories of his innings at Blewbury
(see previous report) with 2 runs off 14 balls faced before he was ignominiously
bowled by Minster’s 12-year-old leggie. Gnome were 177-9 at the
end of their 35 overs.
The Minster
reply followed a similar pattern to Swinbrook’s, with Minster
reduced to 26-5 off 8 overs, Danny and Anton picking up two wickets
each and Mike Fernie the fifth. Then Minster skipper Keith Wright, batting
with the Minster number 6, saw his side to 91 with 12 overs remaining.
But wickets started tumbling again, Minster fell behind the rate and
reached 124-9 at the end of their 35 overs, leaving Gnome victorious
by 53 runs. Anton took 2-10, Mike Fernie 2-18, Danny 2-26, and there
were one each for Pete and John Dunthorne, who had shamelessly awarded
himself the last over, bowling at the Minster 12-year-old.
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