By our cricket correspondent in the bar with a can of Natch.
The cricket world was rocked to its foundations when both Gifford teams won a game on the same day.
The first team travelled to Pill next to the Rudgleigh Arms and were set a target of 200 by the home side the United Banks after a half-decent bowling performance during which Henry Winterman and Dunty senior took wickets.
The village reached the target with two and a bit overs to spare. Chucker Lamb lashed 40-odd and Five Bellies Dunt scored an unbeaten 94, winning the game with a six.
The seconds beat Alveston by 46 runs.
Batting first, Lewis Jefferies followed up last week’s success with a first ball duck but at the other end Nathan Daniels clubbed an excellent 76, supported ably by Cleft Foot Stephens. Indeed, Daniels was looking good for a ton until Father Foxy brashly predicted the boy would go on to score a ton after which he was immediately out.
Taff Junior scored a fine unbeaten 30 with Morph Meaney once again looking unbeatable until…er…he was beaten for a highly entertaining three. “I don’t know what I was doing out there!” said Morph.
The poverty of the Village bowling attack was brutally exposed when Ian Semple took the new ball along with Stephens. Stephens soon took a wicket and eventually so did Semple in what appeared to be a 12 ball over, packed with wides and byes, until he finally broke through. Taff Junior was the pick of the bowlers with an excellent 2-19. Semple finished with two wickets as did ‘Gwen’ Stefan Johnson, Nigel’s gangly layabout brother.
The real shock was the quality of the fielding. Nathan took three blinding catches and Morph a stunning effort to add to a brilliant run out.
Dan Wiltshire also showed his continued promise with a wicket although his dad Phil showed why he has not played for 25 years by bowling a couple of wayward overs, not batting at all and spilling a simple catch.
Mad ref Bev Woodman attended the game and asked what Foxy was doing in the Second team. “Because we haven’t got a third XI!” came the inevitable reply. However, Foxy did have the last laugh pouching the final catch, narrowly avoiding an horrendous collision with Semple as neither of them called ‘mine’ as they both went for a simple catch.
The Sheriff, who is on the lash in Cornwall enjoying a few gallons of ‘Rattler’, expressed his pleasure at the result by way of a portable telephone text message.
Well done to Nathan for an excellent 76 and three good catches but the man of the match award went to Morph Meaney for yet another all round display. He wins a holiday for eight in Zante.
