BARCLAYS WEALTH EVENING LEAGUE GRAND FINALS WEEKEND 2010
18 and 19 September at KGV
The late September sun shone on KGV which, looked a picture after a long season as 1213 runs flowed as the inaugral Barclays Wealth EL Grand Finals brought the local cricket season to a fantastic finale.
All five divisions of the Barclays Wealth EL were playing for new silverware and in the cases for some promotion over 16 overs on the mat at KGV.
First up on Saturday we saw The Jazz Hats vs East Harbour Independents in a game where the winners would be promoted to EL2 and what a great curtain raiser to the weekend run fest it was.
Jazz Hats posted 120 batting first and were indebted to knocks of 33 from Nick Ravenscroft and 29 from Glyn Smith whilst Paul Pearce with 3 for 27 kept Indies interested. A bit of long handle and some quick running saw Jazz Hats post what was a par score it seemed. Indies reply started badly losing Colin Woodcock in the first over but Richard Collenette and Marc Griffiths got the chase going adding 32 in short time. But once Griffiths was out bowled by Ric Clermont further wickets fell steadily as Indies struggled to keep up with the required rate. Jazz Hats held their nerve over the final couple of overs with Neil Moore returning a miserly 2 for 13 at the death as they closed the game out.
Scores: The Jazz Hats 120/5 beat East Harbour Independents 110/8 by 10 runs
MAN OF THE MATCH - Nick Ravenscroft (The Jazz Hats)
Click on images below to see the action and presentation piccies (in attendance from Barclays Wealth are Alex Howard and Steve Banks);
Next up was EL5 and like the first game this would decide promotion this time to EL4 and saw Praxis Corinthians C take on Clubhouse Optimists 2.
Praxis Corinthians C won the toss and inserted their opponents who then raced to 46 with Richard Spurrier (20) and Mike Still (35) adding these in 6 overs. Ben Cuddihee (3 for 29) put the brakes on the innings with some disciplined bowling and, Clubhouse Optimists 2 closed on 118 for 6 which looked a challenging target.
Praxis Corinthians C lost Gary Cook early but youngsters Toby Belton and Ben Langlois got the chase going with some classy shots as they got up to 60 in the 9th over. However when the pair went one after the other Clubhouse Optimists 2 saw their chance and despite Josh Langlois adding 20 not out wickets continued to fall at a steady rate undermining the run chase. Alex Robin was the chief tormentor taking 6 for 15 showing the value of keeping it straight and sending the bails flying 3 times. Praxis Corinthians C closed on 104 for 9 in the end and it was Clubhouse Optimists who make EL4.
MAN OF THE MATCH - Alex Robin (Clubhouse Optimists 2)
Score: Clubhouse Optimists 2 118/6 beat Praxis Corinthians C 104/9 by 14 runs
Click on images below to see the action and presentation piccies (in attendance from Barclays Wealth is Steve Banks);
The final game on Saturday saw Investec Colombians and Praxis Corinthians B renew their rivalry from EL2 where Investec Colombians had already narrowly won the League title.
Investec Colombians were asked to bat first and took the invitation with both hands as Matt Watson (66) and Dave Clarke (67) posted 113 for the first wicket in just 11 overs. Both players regularly found the boundary with Watson adding 12 x 4's and 3 x 6's and Clarke not to be outdone smiting 6 x 4's and 2 x 6's. A few wickets and few more boundaries saw them close on 171 for 4 which looked an imposing target.
Praxis Corinthians B opened up with Harry Player (19) and Tim Belton (10) and added 27 in no time before both fell quickly to James Fox (4 for 35). Nick Waldron (23) moved things along but the run rate continued to climb. Mike Adkins (58) came to the wicket at the fall of the fourth wicket and upped the pace from the start and suddenly the huge Investec Colombians target looked in sight. But when Adkins lost his wicket and with balls running out they fell 14 short in the end.
MAN OF THE MATCH - Matt Watson (Investec Colombians)
Score: Investec Colombians 171/4 beat Praxis Corinthians B 157/5 by 14 runs
Click on images below to see the action and presentation piccies;
Sundays opener saw Odey Rovers the EL1 Champions take on AP Executive St Martins whose first year in EL1 has been highly impressive.
Odey Rovers won the toss and elected to bat and found the going tough against an energetic AP Executive St Martins side. Stuart Bisson and Adam Martel were sent back early and it was left to Mitch Le Tissier (27) and Robbie Le Corre (23) to set a foundation for the innings. Dan Saunders joined Le Tissier when Le Corre departed and added some impetus with a brisk 22 but Odey Rovers final total of 101 looked some 30 short.
AP Executive St Martins top order of Darren Le Tissier (35), Chris Mauger (11) and Ollie Newey (17) have shown how destructive they can be and they soon found their feet and played some big shots. The Introduction of Adam Martel though saw Odey Rovers start to pick up wickets and it was Dan Saunders again who starred taking 3 for 11 as the regular fall of wickets meant AP Executive St Martins never got ahead of the chase although Le Tissier was still chipping away. Stuart Bisson had the task of bowling the final over and, in the end it came down to 2 off one to tie and a win on countback but only one run was scrambled and Odey Rovers had managed what had seemed an unlikely victory.
MAN OF THE MATCH - Dan Saunders (Odey Rovers)
Score: Odey Rovers 101/7 beat AP Executive St Martins 100/7 by 1 run
Click on images below to see the action and presentation piccies (in attendance from Barclays Wealth is Garry Dayes);
The final game of a great weekend was the EL4 game between MSF Strollers and Grant Thornton B and what a cracker !
Grant Thornton batted first and Gary Perry (40) and John Fleming (18) went off like a train adding 64 in 7 overs before the combination of Jarvis and Sean Romeril (2 for 28) had them both stumped. Liam Smythe (18) kept the scoreboard ticking and with skipper Chris Parrott (14*) saw Grant Thornton to 116 for 5 at the close of the innings.
MSF Strollers started slowly but Lee Gallienne (27) joined Romeril (24) and they began the chase, Gallienne driving two cracking straight 4's. But when Smythe bowled Gallienne the impetus slowed and the target seemed far away. John Le Cras (13) got things moving again and at 110 for 4 off 14 overs it seemed they were destined to win. When 5 runs were taken off the first 4 balls of Kane De Careteret's final over (15th) it looked a formality but a wicket and a dot off the next 2 took us into the final over and just 2 needed to win. Kane handed the ball to the 'old man' and Gary De Carteret struck with the first ball (2 from 5 needed); 4 dot balls followed as the field crowded the batsman (2 off 1 needed)...........a scrambled one and then an easy run out and game tied !! Both teams left the field unsure of what the outcome was now but a quick check at the 4th over on countback meant that Grant Thornton had won (34 v 19).
MAN OF THE MATCH - Gary Perry (Grant Thornton B)
Score: Grant Thornton B 116/5 tied with Strollers 116/6 (Grant Thornton win on countback scores at 4 ovs)
Click on images below to see the action and presentation piccies (in attendance from Barclays Wealth is George Smith);
What a final game and what a weekend..........................the Barclays Wealth EL Grand Finals will be back !!!
(c) GCB 2010