After last week’s humiliation at Bristol Lions, the village needed to defeat Carsons to avoid relegation.
Could they do it?
The Gifford batted first and all was going well after 25 overs with no wickets lost. Naturally, this good fortune could not last and wickets then tumbled at a rapid rate of knots as they were bowled out for 161.
Dan ‘Five Bellies’ Dunt smashed an excellent 62 but there was little support among the ranks apart from Red Faced Longy.
Foul mouthed gobshite (and millionaire businessman) Bowers and Chucker Lamb contributed little to the effort having had no sleep between them the night before. Ian Semple and Lewis Jefferies celebrated their promotion to the first team with highly impressive golden ducks.
Defending such a low total was never going to be easy, especially with half the team already on the beach, but somehow they did it, skittling Carsons for 135(ish).
Chucker Lamb awoke from an apparent coma to bowl the best he has all season and Mark ‘Cleft Foot’ Stephens took wickets too. And portly layabout student Nigel Johnson added to his ten runs with a very good catch. Semple and Naked Nathan managed to jump across balls in the field rather than making a serious attempt at stopping them.
So, relegation averted and the Beaufort echoed to the celebrations for the rest of the weekend.
Man of the match – Ian Semple for his fine golden duck and crap fielding.
Martin Black is 59.
