By Stephen Lees

CORNWALL CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION FIVE EAST

St Stephen 2 v Gunnislake

GRAEME Murray produced an iconic spell of fast swing bowling, taking eight wickets, to lead Gunnislake to a 96-run win at St Stephen Seconds.

Against some good opening bowling, Gunni openers Kevin Beare and Stephen Lees made a steady start, scoring at close to three an over. The partnership came to an end when Lees was hit on the head taking a quick single and retired hurt.

His replacement, Joe Organ, took up the reins and when there was a change of bowlers the run rate began to accelerate. 

Beare was bowled by the off-breaks of St Stephen skipper Richard Budge, but James Boundy joined Organ at the crease and the runs began to flow. Boundy was looking in great form, with two straight sixes to his name, when he missed a straight one and was also bowled by Budge for 28 at 105-2.

While Budge played on the minds of the Gunnislake batsmen on his way to figures of 7-50 from his ten overs, at the other end Joe Organ stayed firm, passing his fifty and using his feet and reach to negate the spin of Budge. He finally found some support from Ian Dawe, who cracked a quick 19. But just as some were wondering about three figures Organ met his end, bowled by the returning opening bowler Joseph Millar. There was a brief final flurry, led by number eleven James Pethick, which left Gunnislake two runs short of 200 runs and maximum batting points.

St Stephen set off on their reply with gusto, nine runs coming from the first over, before Murray produced a remarkable hat-trick.

Coming up the hill, was quick off the mark, bowling Joe Newnes off his pads, with an inswinging delivery with his second ball. Josh Lawther fell next ball and as Gunnislake gathered for a possible hat-trick, Murray repeated the deliverywith an inswinging yorker which castled Ollie Budge, leaving St Stephen reeling at 9-3! 

Richard Budge tried to take the attack to Gunnislake, but Murray was superb, bowling Richard Sargent in his second over before Budge (21) found the same fate in the eighth over (41-6).

A damaged calf muscle left keeper Craig Coad limping and trusting to good co-ordination, rather than foot movement. 

A style more often seen on a baseball pitch was, however, very effective and a small recovery ensued. 

Eventually, however, another Gunnislake bowler joined the party, Ian Dawe inducing a bottom edge to see Millar caught behind. 

But Murray was not done; Tilly Dodd was well caught at first slip by Joe Organ and then Murray got his eighth victim and seventh clean bowled when William Harvey departed without troubling the scorers. Coad was still in at the other end, but finally sliced a drive into the safe hands of Joe Organ, back-pedalling from slip to take the catch off the bowling of James Boundy. 

In less than 20 the St Stephen ship had sunk and Gunnislake had stormed to an 85-run win. 

The stage was set by Joe Organ’s excellent knock, but it was Graeme Murray who took the honours with bowling figures of 8-39.

It was a fine example of accurate swing bowling at pace that would have graced a much higher level.

With one match to go, Gunnislake inch up one place to fourth in the table, but three teams are separated by a meagre fivepoints. With the move to ten-team divisions next year, the final matches and final placings and could be crucial! 

Iconic Opticians Man of the Match: Graeme Murray, with an honourable mention for Joe Organ.