Beer and Sandwiches Save the Day!
Colonel Mustard, once again chipper, after finding his scrimshaw-engraved orca tooth snuffbox and indeed voluminous sperm whale tooth hip flask, reports from the lofty peak of The Garrison on St. Mary’s. The tour may be over now, but the Colonel’s failing memory ensures he remembers it as a raging and in fact raving success.
Sharks are pesky beasts, which should not be approached by amateurs or those of a nervous disposition. I should know, having dissected a small one when at school. In those days, anything that walked, swam or crawled upon the Earth’s surface was not exempt from the scalpel of any spotty schoolboy aged 15 or thereabouts. Now, dear reader, don’t you dare think I’m suggesting that at that age I was a pustule covered n’er do well of a Herbert. I take great exception to that!
I’ve seen Jaws (even the exceptional Oscar nominated one with Michael Caine), so if I may be so bold as to suggest that I’m a bit of an expert on the shark thing, you’ll have to concede. ‘You need a bigger boat,’ is something I’ve always said, relating to Scillonian III and this suggestion is irrefutable, even to the seasoned salty dog seamen of the Atlantic ( & I don’t mean the pub in Hugh Town).
Before I describe the last match of the tour, I must pay my respects to those members of Bayshill CC’s touring party who haven’t been mentioned so far, because they as always, are an integral part of the unit and a part that is not only needed, but wholly appreciated by the players themselves. Yes, dear reader, I mean the friends, partners, wives, children, grandchildren, in-laws, outlaws, chairmen and anybody else who remotely attaches themselves to the Bayshill standard!
So here they are – Rachael, Bronwen, Elli, Jess, Helen, Claire, Jason, Ottoli, Janet, Kate, Jesus, Isabel, Carolina and of course Peter the Chairman & Founder of the club.
So to the game. (No need for Special Boat tickets at £20 for this one! Hurrah, hurrah and thrice Hurrah for that!)
Bayshill decided to turn things upside down and shake up the batting and bowling order for this their last match against a St. Mary’s side, which in the past couple of years has turned out to be the most accommodating on the islands.
Steve and Adrian Liley opened for the club, a first for them. Steve dotted out the first over to Cowan, before the first run appeared on the board with the eleventh ball. In the seventh over Steve went, trying to cut a ball off the stumps for 12 off 18, with two fours and the score on just 20. Once again, as in previous games, the scoring rate was down for a T20. Jamie Liley replaced Steve and made a creditable 3 before being bowled. Adrian finally departed on 10 off 32, in the fourteenth over and only 47 on the board.
Paul Saunders made 16 off 12 with three fours, before running out Chris Horner for a Diamond Duck (Chris didn’t face a ball). Martin Van Dyke made three off 7, before Fran’s 15 not out off 7 (three fours) lent the score an air of respectability at 101. However, top scorer by far was extras, who waded in with a hefty 33! Well done him I say!
St. Mary’s made the runs relatively easily in 14 overs, but not without a scare along the way. Martin Van Dyke picked up Tim’s wicket for 8, caught by Tom Liley. Jamie Liley bowled four tidy overs for just 19 and 2 wickets, with the Rob H, LBW and Will (duck) bowled. Tom Liley also had a well judged run out dismissing Alec for just 2.
One interesting break in play came when a St. Mary’s batsman accepted a business call before receiving a ball mid-over. To the surprise of the fielders, we learned that a en electricity pole was sparking out somewhere on the islands. It can’t have been too bad, as the batsman carried on irrespective.
Ali made short work of the scoring with 5 fours and two sixes. Olly bowled a memorable over for just 12 (no details forthcoming). Paul Saunders had Kev caught by Tom Liley again, as well as having a clean bowled.
So the game was done and dusted and St. Mary’s the winners. Sandwiches of a high standard and a load of beer were provided by the hosts and for that the players and supporters were grateful. What more could you want?
The tour was over for the 32nd time and the only thing to do, was to book up and look forward to next year. A day or so after the last Bays’ players left, someone was bitten by a shark near Penzance. The local information suggested that swimming in an area where food had been placed in the water for sharks, wasn’t the brightest thing to do. Bayshill players know better than that. The real reason was that the shark was upset it’d missed the tour of the mighty Bays and was simply taking its frustration out on a ‘rubbered up’ snorkeller. Last year we had Wally, this year we missed Sharon the Shark by a day.
Bayshill 101/6
Liley S 12 18 2 0
Liley A 10 32 0 0
Saunders P 16 12 3 0
Stirrup F 15 7 3 0
Cowan 4/1/18/1, Thomas 4/1/9/2, Bar Man 1/0/10/1
St. Mary’s 106/6
Kev 11, Ali 38*
Liley J 4 0 19 2
Van Dyke M 4 0 13 1
Saunders P 3 0 28 2