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Gates Ensures Post Office Fail to Deliver | |
Skip to Scorecards: Portland Red Triangle | Post Office

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| With the sun setting over the green hut, and a strong
wind blowing across the strip, two teams came to do
battle in tonight's Evening League fixture. After some
rain the day before, the pitch was looking decidedly
damp, but drying gradually with the high winds, but not
quickly enough to prevent the odd delivery "cutting
the grass". With Martin Hewson still suffering from
a wrist injury suffered in Saturday's game against
Hamworthy Rec., Club Captain, Graham Elenor took charge
and duly won the toss and Triangle were into bat. Opening with Dave Males and Bill Gates, Triangle started brightly as the Post Office bowlers tried to get to grips with the fierce crosswind. Males was first to go as the bowler found some extra bounce coming up the hill, and he popped a catch to the grateful fielder. Didi Trevelyan then joined Gates in the middle, but like the previous week against the Civil Service, was bowled out cheaply. As the innings was foundering, it was left to the dynamic Richard Stewkesbury to reignite it, and with Gates put on nearly 50 runs, though Gates dominated the scoring, reaching his half century with consumate ease. Stewkesbury ran willingly, and produced some flashing drives to the boundaries, but was run out for 13. Gareth "Rupert" Waight, then hit a lusty four in his cameo innings of 5, as he used this as a warm up for his first full game of the season against Old Blandfordians on Saturday. Then Jones came to bat in the final over, on a run of 3 run outs in successive innings. He managed to avoid a hattrick of run-out-ducks, and finished not out on 2, as Gates accepted the applause for a delightful knock of 62, also unbeaten at the end of the 16 overs. Elenor opened with Scott Males bowling up the hill, and newcomer Tom Scott as the Post Office sent out ex-Centenary Club player, Brian Hawker to try to reach the 104 required. Things started well for Triangle, though Males did have difficulty early on controlling the ball, as the wind gusted across the wicket, blowing it down the legside. Once he overcame this, young Males was soon causing the batsmen problems and made the decisive breakthrough, bowling the opener as he attempted a drive. Bowling down the slope, Tom Scott, bowled fairly tight, but the wily Hawker was soon knocking the ball around the field, but was to be undone in Scott's 3rd over, when one kept low and cut in, to take out his stumps. With that dismissal, the only threat came from the Post Office's hard-hitting wicketkeeper, who overcame the hand injury he had suffered in the field, to put both Males and Scott to the sword. As he held up his end, he saw four of his teammates return to the pavilion as the Posties limped towards 50. Males picked up a further two wickets in an impressive spell, including the prized scalp of his former Weymouth youth teammate, George England, who he cleaned up for a golden duck. Tom Scott finished off with 2 wickets, taking advantage of the indifferent bounce down the hill. Elenor brought on Waight and Morris as the change bowlers, as the sun was setting, and both struck in their first overs, as Rupert bowled a tailender. Morris claimed the Post Office's keeper with his first delivery, a wide full toss which was well held by a relieved Gates, who had lost one in the sun on the boundary a few overs before. Rupert then claimed another lower-order victim, before the final wicket fell 2 deliveries into the final over, as the Postmen tried to scramble a quick single, Stewkesbury gathered and in one motion, rolled the ball towards the stumps, and Morris was able to take off the bails just in time. |
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