Lord Gnomes Xl 2003
13-Jul 1st XI vs Sheldwich
 


                               
Type of Match     Friendly                        
                               
                               
Ref/Round     2003/13                        
                               
                               
Venue     Away                        
                               
                               
Ground     Sheldwich                        
                               
                               
Toss Won By     Lord Gnomes Xl                        
      who batted first                        
                               
                               
Result     Won - 1 run                        
                               
                               
      Lord Gnomes Xl   183-8 in 40 ov                  
                               
      Name   Score How Out 6s 4s              
  1 J Butterworth   16 C & B   2              
  2 O Dunthorne   29 Caught   4              
  3 M Cannon C 22 Caught   2              
  4 A Finneran   7 Caught 1                
  5 J Lama   0 Caught                  
  6 N Harris   0 Bowled                  
  7 B Mason   8 Caught   2              
  8 C Gill   33 Bowled   5              
  9 P Smith W 37*     4              
  10 A Smith   3*                    
  11 P Gillman                        
                               
      Extras (10B, 8LB, 9W, 1NB)   28                    
                               
      Fall of Wickets Wkt   1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10  
      Score   41 75 86 90 90 91 99 170      
      Outgoing Batsman   2 1 4 5 3 6 7 8      
                               
                               
      Sheldwich   182-9 in 40 ov                  
                               
      Extras (4B, 4LB, 6W, 5NB)   19                    
                               
      Bowling/Fielding                        
                               
      Name   Ov Mdn Runs Wkts W N B Ct Wk Ct St Byes R O
    J Butterworth   2 0 21 0              
    O Dunthorne                        
    M Cannon C 8 1 23 4     1        
    A Finneran   8 1 20 3     2        
    J Lama                        
    N Harris   1 0 7 0              
    B Mason   8 0 59 1 4 4          
    C Gill               2        
    P Smith W                   4  
    A Smith   8 4 20 1              
    P Gillman   5 0 24 0              
                               
                               

GNOME TAKE IT TO THE WIRE IN YET ANOTHER LAST-BALL THRILLER

An increasingly battered Gnome team limped into Sheldwich to renew their rivalry with traditionally strong opponents. Vice captain Tom Godfrey had added his name to the casualty list with a ripped calf muscle, leaving 2002 skipper Matt Cannon to step into the fray. Matt won the toss and, on a scorching Kent afternoon, elected to bat in a 40-over match.

Gnomes made a brisk start, Ollie scoring 29 and Butts and Matt taking the score to 75. Then the wickets tumbled: Butts 29, Matt 16, followed by
Anton who avoided a duck but was caught on the boundary, following one massive 6, for 7. In short order Gnomes were on the edge of disaster with 99-7.

From that moment, it was Chris Gill and Whitstable guest Pete Smith to the rescue. Taking advantage of a possible loss of concentration by Sheldwich, they pummelled their way to 170 and were just 5 runs short of breaking the oldest Gnome wicket partnership record - 75, established by W Hicks and C Mowat in 1978 - when Chris was tragically bowled for 33. Gnome closed on
182-9 with Pete Smith not out 37.

The ask for Sheldwich was just over 4.5 runs an over and what was notable was that, even as wickets fell steadily, they were always up with the rate. At one point Sheldwich were 87-5 but there were good partnerships for the next three wickets, taking Sheldwich to 169-7. Whitstable guest Andy Smith bowled very tightly, Matt Cannon had a great 4-wicket spell, and Anton had an excellent three, aided by 2 smart gully catches by Chris Gill, an overhead stunner by Anton at mid-on, and a neat cover catch by Matt Cannon, falling forward.

When the last over began Sheldwich needed 5 to win with 2 wickets in hand, including their star batsman Shaun Green who was on 69 at the bowler's end.
Anton bowled the number 10 with his third ball. The Sheldwich number 11 scrambled a leg bye and Green was left on strike needing 4 to win off the
last ball. He scored 2 with a drive to mid-on and Gnome got home by the narrowest 1-run margin.*

Pick of the Gnome bowlers were Matt Cannon, 4-23 off 8, and Anton, 3-20 off 8. Whitstable guest Alan Smith had 1-20 off 8 and Buddy Mason was 1-57.

*NB there is a dispute over the precise sequence of the final over which may yet be resolved. Also technically speaking Sheldwich were all out for
182, as Matt Cannon ran out their number 11 batsmen when he left his ground in a vain hope of a third run.