GNOMES LOSE TO SWINBROOK IN LAST-BALL DRAMA

Sunday saw Gnomes back at Swinbrook for the traditional August weekend encounter, with the ground looking as beautiful and well-kept as ever. This had been billed as Norman Ackroyd’s retirement match, although he denied this and said he had come to celebrate the passing of the old Swinbrook pavilion. He was nonetheless presented with a glass tankard which marked his 538 matches between 1973 and 2003. Matt Cannon also recorded that, prior to the match, Norman had taken 832 wickets and made 1590 runs.

In a 12-a-side timed match, Norman opened the batting with Pete Gillman, who was playing his 31st successive Swinbrook August tour match. With combined ages of 126, the two Gnome veterans laid claim to the oldest Gnome opening partnership ever, and Norman was applauded all the way to the wicket. He was off the mark with an adroit leg glance from his first ball. It became clear that batting was going to be a testing proposition, with Swinbrook having watered the pitch despite recent rain, and the ball began lifting alarmingly at the road end. Norman was caught for 3, Anton for 7 and Mark for 5. However Pete was playing one of his Swinbrook anchor roles and the score at lunch was 69 for 3.

Soon after the resumption Pete played on for 29 and then a further succession of Gnome batsmen, none reaching double figures, came and went. Cameo of the day went to Lew Chester who thought he had struck the ball through the covers and set off for a run. But the ball had been fielded and Lew slipped while attempting to turn back and was still flat on his back when he was run out. Then came a moment of high interpersonal drama when Swinbrook appealed for a catch behind against Matt. Norman, who was umpiring, gave Swinbrook the decision even though (a) Matt had just presented him with his engraved tankard and (b) Matt had not hit the ball. When he returned to the pavilion, Matt said he wanted the tankard back. Later, Norman wondered if he should have waited to see if Matt walked.

Skipper John Dunthorne notched a duck ("The ball reared viciously off a length": J. Dunthorne) and although Chris Gill notched a patient 31 Gnome appeared to have lost the match at 106 for 10. Then a valiant and stylish partnership of 47 – a Gnome record for the eleventh wicket -- between Fenton (24*) and Ollie (27) took Gnome to a near-respectable 153 in 51.5 overs.

Swinbrook were soon in trouble in their reply, with Danny taking four of the first five wickets, including danger-man Simon Huxtable, and Norman the fifth – an unplayable ball that both swung and moved off the seam. At that point Swinbrook were 35-5, requiring 119 to win from approximately 30 overs. Skipper Mike Bellenger and Jaffa Parker dug in to take Swinbrook into the 90s when both were dismissed. With Swinbrook at 99-7, their hopes rested on Vic Last and Richie Parker.. Swinbrook fell behind the rate and a draw looked odds-on until John Dunthorne opened up the game up by bringing back the spinners.

With 3 overs remaining, Swinbrook still required 23. The quicks were back on but Vic and Richie took the score to 149, needing 5 to win, at the start of the last over. Matt bowled five dot balls only for Richie to smash the sixth and final ball high over the pavilion for a stirring Swinbrook victory by 3 wickets. There was jubilation among the Swinbrook team and their supporters, and no one in the Gnome camp begrudged them their win, which restored the Ackroyd Ashes to Swinbrook’s possession.

Danny was the pick of the Gnome bowlers with 4-19. Matt had 2-29 and Norman 1-18.