By Stephen Lees

BOND TIMBER CORNWALL CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION FIVE EAST

South Petherwin 2 v Gunnislake

GUNNISLAKE thrashed a depleted South Petherwin Seconds on Saturday, managing to complete a win underneath grey skies and rumbling of thunder. 

Star performance was once again Joe Organ, who followed up last week’s top score with four wickets for a miserly eightruns, as Gunnislake raced to a nine-wicket win.

South Petherwin started the game with nine players, and frantic efforts to find a couple more ended without success. 

With three first choice bowlers missing Gunnislake were also under strength, but had the comparative riches of ten players and Oscar Crichton, a young player on loan from Callington. 

The weather looked good at 1pm and on winning the toss South Petherwin elected to bat. 

Sam Payne and the experienced Roger Gerry opened for South Petherwin, while the new ball honours for Gunnislake were handed to Oscar Crichton, bowling with some pace and the left-arm off breaks of Joe Organ. 

A slow start followed, with runs hard to come by, and Gunnislake swooping in the field to contest every run. 

At ten overs the score had crept to 19, but four maidens followed until Organ had the first breakthrough, with danger man Gerry out lbw for three.

Kiera de Villiers then flourished briefly for South Petherwin, but fell to James Boundy, caught and bowled. 

After that there was little resistance as wickets fell steadily. 

Joe Organ finished off his spell with a hat-trick, all bowled. 

Brother Dean chipped in with two wickets and Boundy wrapping up the innings with the final wicket. 

Crichton bowled well without success, but nevertheless conceded only eleven runs from his seven overs.

South Petherwin finished on a meagre 50 runs and it looked as if only the weather could save them.

Sam Graber and Stephen Lees strode to the crease, eager to get on with the chase, but also mindful that nothing is ever certain in cricket.

Graber opened up with 20 runs from the first two overs from his end and after four overs Gunnislake were nearly halfway there.

Cue a rapid change of bowlers as South Petherwin captain Emma Barnes brought herself on to bowl. Things immediately slowed down. 

At the other end, Kiera de Villiers was bowling beautifully with some swing and also movement off the seam.

Meanwhile the skies were darkening, rain was falling over Dartmoor and then Kit Hill disappeared into the clouds.

Off they came for rain. Had South Petherwin, Houdini like, managed a great escape?

But ten minutes later the match resumed. Lees went for the winning runs, but over-reached a near full toss and spooned a catch to square-leg. 

It was left to that man Joe Organ to steer Gunnislake home, though not without a scare as Oscar Crichton nearly took a stunning running catch off what turned out to be the final ball of the match. 

And so Gunnislake achieved their first win of a much-delayed season and secured a maximum 20 points in the process. For once they had dodged the weather as other matches nearby were abandoned. 

South Petherwin must hope for better things when regular captain Ollie Peterson returns next week from his university studies.

South Petherwin 50 all out (J Organ 4-8, J Boundy 2-12, D Organ 2-14). Gunnislake 51-1 (S Graber 35no). Gunnislake (20 points) beat South Petherwin (1) by nine wickets.

Match scorecard: https://gunnislakecc.play-cricket.com/website/results/6289374