Rusty Chairman Teaches
Suttoners a Lesson

Match Ball Sponsor: Phil Laming & Sons

With a side packed with experience and the odd ruffian, including 1st team star, and former Weymouth FC penalty spot king Simon Browne (now free from the shackles of a 2 year suspended sentence for arguing with umpires) Ryan was more than prepared. Unfortunately the opposition arrived lacking their main antagonists, the Barber boys and old favourite Malik Kudmany, who had been replaced by some rather timid youngsters. Not deterred, John stuck to his game plan and promptly lost the toss and led his side onto the field.

Chairman Rhys "Rusty" Davey was given the new ball and with instructions to take no prisoners, and he did just that with a fiery opening over that ended as a maiden. Grant Neven showed signs of rustiness himself as he began a torrid day behind the stumps by spilling some regulation takes. Bill Trevett had the honour of bowling up the hill, and combined with Rusty as they restricted the visitors to 20-4 after the first 16 overs, picking up two wickets each. Trevett started things off by tempting Parsons into a drive, which sliced towards Scott Males who took a fine one-handed catch. The very next over Davey bowled Baverage with the first ball, and then his replacement Burden also succumbed to Rusty's guile as he was back in the pavilion with his leg stump lying on the pitch. In the interim over, the old combination of Trevett and Neven combined to send Clifford packing, as Stumpy held on to a regulation take, as the batsman tried in vain to get his bat out of the way.

A change of bowlers at both ends saw more wickets fall as Scott Males and Jan Davey were given the ball. Jan first cleaned up young Balham then took care of Bransby in his next over with a very straight forward caught and bowled. Tony Quayle then replaced Jan and removed John Barber, trapping him in front of all three stumps, and umpire Stewkesbury was in no doubt as he raised the finger, though it did look a little high from the sidelines. Scott dismissed tail-ender Suttey, bowled, but then deprived Quayle of another wicket when he let a catch go straight through his hands at mid on. Missed opportunities were proving to be the theme of Triangle's fielding performance as earlier Quayle had missed a diving attempt that ricocheted off his forehead, then Simon Browne failed to react to a chance at gully, while Neven added to his misery by missing an easy stumping. TQ finally got his man 2 balls into the 25th over, bowling Cryton and ending Suttoners innings on a meagre 43.

After a tea that had been prepared with just 2 hours warning, John Ryan was taking no chances and sent out Dave Males and Jan to knock off the winning runs without loss for maximum points. Dave started in his familiar cautious style, proving the perfect foil for Jan to hit out, which he did after just a few deliveries faced, punching an effortless six then following it with three fours. Just as he was hitting his stride, a ball from Suttey rapped him on the pads, and umpire Quayle had no reservations on giving him out, much to the disgust of Davey.

Simon Barrett was next in, with instructions not to try anything clever by the stand-in skip, and so after probing the infield, scored his first and only runs with a sweetly struck drive for four. He then tried to hit over the fielders again, but misjudged it and Clifford plucked the ball out of the air, costing Triangle what may prove to be a vital point at the season's end. Simon Browne was sent in, and with the spectators baying for blood, he got off strike with a scrambled single, allowing Males to add a succession of 2's to his total, before Browne hit the winning runs off the wayward Burden who had been brought on for what proved to be the final over.