More Rain

Looks like a second weekend running the rain is going to spoil Cornwall League Cricket again.

Bude v Menheniot Looe

Saturday 8th July 2023

Cornwall Cricket League Division 2 East

Bude 223 All Out off 41.4 Overs

Menheniot Looe (Batted First) 251-6 from 45 Overs

1pm Start

Long queues of day trippers and holiday makers poured into Bude around midday. The modest town centre en route to the ground looked rammed. 

Weather: The incompetent Met Office had promised nailed on excessive, cloudless sunshine, apparently the kid on work experience had been given authorisation to do the weekend forecast. Everybody appeared to be in flimsy tops, t-shirts and shorts. Unfortunately everyone looked frozen. A solid bank of dark grey cloud, laced with a cool breeze and the odd spot of rain had made camp over the resort. If this was a County Championship game they'd be off for bad light.

Attendance: Around the 20 mark. Half seemed to spend most the afternoon in the Pavilion snack bar area.

Bring Your Own Chair Necessity? There are 8 benches on the shallow banking adjacent to the Pavilion but your own chair gives you a degree of more privacy and a nice choice of view. 

Other than the bank, one side of the field is taken up by car parking, the other side runs parallel to the beach-front route for the public, many of whom naturally stopped to gape at a Cricket ground bang next to the sea.

General Facilities: There is a long modern looking Pavilion which hosts changing rooms, viewing patio, decent toilets and a snack bar facility. 

As already mentioned Car Parking is pitchside and a little tight to the pitch in places (so be aware of the slogger factor should you be a bit nervous of dint damage & cracked windows). 

There is one of the small digital scoreboard contraptions, the type on wheels, which was perfectly adequate for keeping up with the scoreline.

Location: Its stunningly positioned above the beach and waves slap bang on the sea front. 

Take the road past Sainsburys Supermarket at the top end of the small town centre and head down the road to the seafront car park. Take the lane up the hill signed for the Cricket Ground. There are open aspect views across the sea, surrounding headland and distant inland countryside.

The Match: Bude fielded first. Unfortunately they dropped more catches than the England Test side (which takes some doing), a cascade of boundaries slipped beyond (and under) desperate attempts to defend the perimeter. 

Menheniot Looe took full advantage and racked up the runs, Luke Ripley smashed a splendid 127.

At one stage 300 plus looked nailed on until Bude tightened up their act, grabbed a few important wickets and put a block on some younger batsmen in the visitors ranks. Bude paceman Brett Hunter finished with 4 for 20 off his 9 overs. The early surge of the Menheniot Looe innings provided too much of a mountain for the home side and they fell 29 runs short of victory. Stuart Nye bagged 4 wickets for 32. 

Tavistock v Abbotskerswell

Saturday 1st July 2023

Devon Cricket League A-Division

Abbotskerswell 281-9 (Batted First) off 50 Overs

Tavistock 160 All Out from 36.1 Overs

12.30pm Start

Weather: Plenty of sunny intervals but a strong chilly breeze plagued the proceedings. Certainly needed a few layers on.

Attendance: 20 to 30, some could have been players in leisure wear waiting to bat.

Bring Your Own Chair Necessity? Not essential, there are 14 benches in total, mainly on the far side of the pitch opposite The Pavilion. Beware though, they are decidedly uncomfortable after a few overs.

There is nothing at either bowlers end of the field but the stiff cool breeze negated putting a chair out for too long, it was simply too cold. 

Another issue for chairs near the sight screen is the sloping nature of the pitch, particularly at the Whitchurch Road end, it's literally like looking up a hill.

General Facilities: Familiar generic type Pavilion at club level with a small one room bar, decent clean toilets at the rear of the bar beside the changing rooms. There is an adjoining Digital Scoreboard. Plentiful open space for parking exists.

The pitch is certainly undulating here, although the square is level, it is evident that The Pavilion rests at the foot of a distinct slope originating amidst the continuing countryside of the hillside. Obviously this benefits anything hit towards The Pavilion and alternatively offers comfort to the fielding side cutting off (what appeared nailed on) boundaries up the slope.

Location: Less than a couple of miles up the hill from the busy charismatic vibrant town centre. Its on the road to Whitchurch Village, look out for the sign directing you (left) up Chollacott Lane. Go up the narrow lane to the very end where a gate has to be opened (and closed afterwards) for access to glorious open countryside. The ground, appropriately titled 'The Ring' lies in clear view before you. The perimeter of the playing area is blessed with characterful stone pillars which make for a splendid backdrop to the field of play.

The Match: A bit of a slow burner to be honest. Bit like the Clint Eastwood western, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly.

Tavistock have a couple of bowlers, one a pace man, the other a crafty spin merchant who made it hard for Abbotskerswell to gain progressive momentum.

Sadly for Tavistock the support bowlers and general fielding leaked too many runs, including too many dropped catches. Abbotskerswell opener Jack Neylon scored a massive 137 off 129 balls. In reply, after a stuttering dodgy start 17-2, Tavistock impressively struck back to 85-2 at one stage before tumbling all out for a miserable 160. 

A defeat which means Tavistock replace the visitors at the foot of the table.