As Guy Fisher crowned an excellent season by hitting his 1,000th run for Barrow, the Firsts missed a good chance for a podium position after a promising season. Both the 2nds and Sunday XI lost heavily.
On Saturday Barrow Gurney First XI finished agonisingly 13 runs short of a victory which would have seen them finish third in Bristol & District Division 5. At Coombe Dingle, Barrow shot out the hosts, Bristol University Staff, for only 128. The home skipper Ed Morgan scoring a quick half century, before Ed Holdaway took 5 for 27 in a devastating spell of bowling. Backed up by Frank Forge (2/36) and Paul Gard (2/9), it seemed that the bowling attack had put the visitors in pole position.
Barrow, though, found the University Staff bowling equally hard to get away and made extremely slow progress towards the low total. Nevertheless at 50-1, Barrow were not in any trouble until a couple of quick wickets fell. Jonny Sykes (25) then took the attack to the bowling hitting two sixes but when he fell on 88 the lower order crumbled to 116 all out. It was a sad end to a promising season for Barrow’s young team who at least have the satisfaction of an overall winning record.
There was little consolation for Barrow 2s who finished bottom of Division 13 after being comprehensively outplayed by Chilcompton 2nds at Hobbs Lane. Facing a mammoth total of 283 in 35 overs, Barrow were left with little to do than to deny the visitors the points they needed to finish top of the division by themselves. Mark Gracey made a good 55 before a 50 partnership between Adam Brace and Mark Forge saw Barrow finish on 192-4, one of their better totals of the season.
On Sunday there was great joy for Guy Fisher who passed 1,000 runs for Barrow in all cricket this season. Guy made 60 out of Barrow’s 144 in reply to another high score from Harptree Villages (263-4) built around a powerful 124 not out from Harry Stride.