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A season of
turmoil could best describe this year's cricket for
"Stewkes' Seconds" as the team's performances
on the field were put in the shade by behind-the-scenes
shenanigans as a bitter power struggle took place.
The long-established
junta of the Baxter-Stewkesbury alliance was threatened
by a free-thinking radical in the form of the season's
newly appointed Vice-Captain, Jones. After the sickening
defeat at the hands of Bridport, the Duke relented,
falling on his sword and vowing to retire from the game
for good. In stepped the hero of the hour, Jones, taking
a new broom to the dusty shelving of the second team, and
looked to breathe new life into a sleeping giant. An
impressive first innings display against Division 5 high
flyers Yetminster, gave hope as they were dismissed for
little over 200, but the reply from the batting side fell
short.
An encouraging start indeed, this unfortunately
proved to be a breath of hot air, as the new leader,
dubbed "Wing Commander" Jones by the resident PRT
Spokesman, outlined his five year plan for the 2nd XI,
also promising to bring in big name players including a
former South African youth international. However, he was
left floundering when the visiting Child Okeford team
arrived ready to play. They were to find the match had
been cancelled that morning after a pitch inspection by
the groundsman and club captain, though they had not been
informed by the home team's captain. In a reign lasting
less than Steve Coppell at Manchester City, Jones handed
in his resignation and left the Saturday afternoon
limelight completely for the rest of the season to
concentrate on his Sunday form, leaving the Duke to
return in a blaze of glory.
Regrettably, his
flame did not burn as brightly, as he yielded once again,
this time to his doctor's diagnosis on his damaged
shoulder, and retired this time for good at the end of
the season. Carrying the torch into the 2002 season will
be the lovely Neville, PRT stalwart and 2000's top rated
Sunday League wicketkeeper. Rumours abound that Jones
will return to the Saturday line-up next year, but it is
still at a wait-and-see stage.
On the field all
was not rosy, but then it became rosier with the
emergence of promising young talent, as the always
improving Scott 'Snott' 'S'Males had a new rival for best
youngster with the arrival of Chris 'Spinner' Skinner.
Belying his nickname, Spinner is a fast bowler of some
promise, generating pace and bounce from his small frame,
as well as showing no fear with the bat. Plucked from the
clutches of the Weymouth Cricketing Empire, his capture
may well prove to be a valuable coup in future years as
the first team continues to hold onto its tenuous grasp
on local superiority.
Victories were hard
to come by this year, though the record books will just
have the single win for 2001, many on the team will
remember fondly the crushing defeat administered to
Gillingham 2nds in the first home fixture of the campaign.
Recoiling from a sound thrashing against promotion
favourites Yetminster (PRT dismissed for a paltry 29,
Yetminster won the match before tea was taken, causing
Ben Doidge to be sent back to the first team after his
abject display of batting), Stewkes rallied his troops
and leading by example, hit a lusty 30 with the bat and
then recorded career best figures of 5-17 with the ball.
This should have been a landmark victory in the season,
to reflect on in weeks to come, but the gods were against
him from the start. Gillingham pulled their 2nd XI from
Division 5 cricket, the victory, points and the captain's
personal best bowling analysis disappeared into the
hallowed pages of the What If? book of records.
The squad needed
strengthening, and the reappointed captain Stewkesbury
knew this, so calling in a favour from fellow Las Vegas
veteran, Graham Elenor (club captain and official
Triangle spokesman). With Gordon 'Smokey' McCombe going
through a run of indifferent form, he was transferred to
the seconds in the hope he might regain his love for the
game. He added a pace attack to the side which had been
lacking any bowling resembling pace, and also
strengthened the fragile batting order. Further
reinforcement came in the guise of the good Reverend,
Bill "Preacher Man" Gates, a fast scoring top
order batsman. Along with the other new acquisitions of
Mark Knott and Sam Polley (the only plus points of the
brief Jones era), as well as the mighty Neven returning
from injury and the equally mighty Rupert, now free from
the rigours of childbirth, the outlook for the rest of
the season looked decidedly rosy.
Unfortunately this
was not to be, but encouraging results showed a marked
improvement, especially when the long awaited victory
arrived when local rivals Abbotsbury fell under the spell
of the frightening pace attack of Rupert and McCombe, but
the damage was done by Bill Gates who notched up an
impressive 77, accompanied by McCombe contributing with a
flashing 48, setting up the tail for victory.
The final game at Bridport was a sign of
things to come as Neven put the home side into bat, even
though they had notched up an impressive total of 382 at
Reforne already that summer. In agreement with Vice-Captain
on the day, Tony Quayle, they decided on this course of
action to stop the opposition from seeing the England-Germany
game which was being played that evening (the result of
course being a 5-1 victory to England). Once again
Bridport put on a mammoth score against the Islanders,
not helped by their attack lacking the swing twins of
Males (Scott) and Morris, who had been called up at the
eleventh hour to field on the boundary for the first team.
After a hard innings in the field, PRT were once again
playing for pride, and stubborn batting from Quayle and
Neven ensured that the innings very nearly reached its
conclusion and the moral victory was theirs as Bridport
missed most of the first half. This strategy backfired on
our heroes as the long journey home meant that none of
the PRT 2nd's saw any of that famous game in Munich.
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