EYMET v ST AULAYE – 26-07-09
Report by Tom Hinds

SIDDALLS CUP

Eymet hosted St Aulaye in the cup on a warm Sunday afternoon. Eymet Captain David Horlock won the toss and had no hesitation in deciding to bat. Horlock and his new opening partner Sam Harrell both batted sensibly, preying on the bad balls and running well. Sam was in an aggressive mood and raced past 50, his first for Eymet, but soon after that he was clean bowled. This brought Nigel Jones to the crease; his partnership with Horlock was shorted lived as the skipper mistimed a pull shot. Tom Hinds and Nigel steadily pushed the score towards 150. Hinds finally exploded; clubbing a huge six back over the bowler’s head, only to find himself back in the hutch a few balls later, having been stumped. Jones completed a well-composed unbeaten 50. So Eymet finished their allotted 35 overs on 178 for 4, a score which, with such a good bowling attack, should have been easy to defend.

After tea, when the home side took to the field, Alan Coombe’s opening spell from the swimming pool end was somewhat wayward, barely able to hit the strip, but luckily Vince Morgan was bowling slightly better. Nevertheless the visitors found runs easy to come by, helped by some poor fielding and the Captain dropping an absolute dolly! More shocking fielding followed as Alan ran around to catch a skier on the boundary, only to let the ball through his hands and smack him in the eye. The first aid received from Linda was top notch.

When St Aulaye needed just 50 to win, the breakthrough was finally achieved by Horlock making amends taking a catch off the bowling of Jones. Wickets started tumbling, the comeback was on.

With two overs remaining and only four runs required - surely game over, but then Vince bowled a superb over, knocking out two wickets for no runs conceded, including a beautiful run-out by Matthew Hinds.

The final over was to be bowled by Bill Rhodes : a single off the first ball – unbearable tension mounts - then a scampered two tying the scores, Harrell making a well-taken stumping. Rhodes then bowled three beautiful unplayable deliveries and the game finished all square. What a result !

The celebratory beer was tasting so good until an umpire confronted David Horlock, reporting that St Aulaye had complained about one of the umpire’s decisions. Horlock was not impressed, so the umpires and captains got together to sort this tricky situation out. In the end the only logical outcome was for Eymet to go through due to fewer wickets lost and to the fact that previously made umpiring decisions may not be reversed.
So roll on the semis.

Our thanks go to our local sponsors l’Epicerie Anglaise, (The English Shop), Rue du Temple, Eymet.