Tideford's triumph in the play-off final is a just reward for a team that has shown it has all the characteristics necessary for a successful side. The bowling has been dominated by Dave Lockett who passed 40 wickets for the second time in his career, not bad for somebody who did not bowl in seven of the games. It was sad to see Steve Osborne suffer with achilles problems so early in the season but support did come from the returning Will Geach and the Bradbeer boys who, with Danny Copp are the players to watch in the future.
The bowlers have been supported by an outstanding team effort in the field — 101 catches have been taken with 20 different players holding on to the chances given. Copp was sure that by breaking the club record of 16 catches by one that he would head the table but Anton Luiten doesn't give up records easily and held onto three in the last game to retain his record with 18 catches in the season.
The big difference this year has been the batting. The introduction of Mark Lindfield to the Tideford 1st XI and the realisation of Jeff Griffin's potential, coupled with the reliability of Snowdon, Luiten and Lister has enabled Tideford to reach in excess of 200 11 times out of the 15 occasions they batted first. Dave Lockett has enjoyed himself with the bat as well, 165 against Colan an indication of what talent is lurking if ever he takes up batting seriously. With a further century under his belt this season, how many other teams would have a batsman with this scoring ability at No 8!
No team can survive without support and without doubt the wives, girlfriends and families of every player involved this season has helped in their own way to ensure Tideford have had such a successful year. Ian Trundley deserves a special mention, for he has worked tirelessly in making sure the square and outfield have been maintained to his normal high standard throughout the season. - JG