Cricket- County Division Four (East)

Tideford v Colan

The start of this match was delayed for 20 minutes to allow the missing Colan players to turn up. In the meantime the toss was won by Colan and Rundle, their Captain, made the unusual decision to bowl first on the assumption the absent players would turn up any minute and that the best conditions for bowling would be early on.

To give Rundle and J Wright who opened the bowling the credit due, there was something there as the pitch began to dry out from the overnight rain. With only five outfielders though, it was virtually impossible to keep the runs down and they did remarkably well to restrict the Tideford openers to 51 off the first 13 overs. J Wright especially, put everything into his initial spell of 11 overs and was unfortunate not to pick up at least one wicket whilst only conceding 43 runs.

Dave Lockett, the Tideford captain, who had scored three runs in his previous two innings took the responsibility to open the innings with Jeff Griffin. Both openers knew that if they could overcome the initial burst of enthusiasm from the Colan bowlers there were a lot of runs to be made.

The breaking point for Colan was when Lockett was caught off a no ball and the realisation that the four missing players were not going to turn up. Lockett by now was brimming with confidence and began smashing the ball to all parts of the ground whilst Griffin just did what he has been doing recently, keeping the scoreboard ticking over and allowing Lockett the majority of the strike.

The 100 partnership was completed in the 20th over, the 150 in the 24th and the 200 in the 28th. When Griffin was caught at point off an outside edge for 70 he had shared with Lockett a record partnership for any wicket of 216. Lockett had been the dominant batsman throughout and was finally out in the 35th over for a Tideford record score of 165. The innings included 17 fours, 6 sixes and a lot of running between the wickets as Griffin will testiify.

There was no respite for the Colan team as the remaining Tideford batsmen hammered home their advantage, Danny Copp in particular scored a scintillating 70 in less than 9 overs. Tideford completed their flill allocation of 48 overs with the loss of 4 wickets and amassed a staggering 433, another record which will probably never be broken.

In hindsight a declaration should have been made by Tideford but it was Colan's decision to bowl first and when Lockett did consider that option Colan decided to bowl under-arm along the ground and the idea of declaring was not taken.

Jones and Hawkey were out early on and were already on their way home when Rundle and J Phillips made a fight of it, putting on 42 for the third wicket. The end was only being delayed and within 20 overs Colan had lost the six wickets they had available losing the game by 345 runs which will probably be a Cornwall League record let alone another Tideford record.

Scores - Tideford 433-4 (J Griffin 70, D Lockett 165, G Snowdon 28, A Luiten 60, D Copp 70, A Ellacott 12 n.o., J Wright 1-89, M Jones 1-93, S Phillips 2-31). Colan 88 (J Phillips 35, A Rundle 14, S Phillips 22; S Bradbeer 2-38, J Kinsey 2-26, A Lockett 2-9).

Tideford (20) bt Colan (four) by 345 runs.