Barrow Gurney saw the cricket season to a close on Sunday with an enjoyable event at Hobbs Lane, hosted by Premil Fernando. Premil brought together a team of players from his old school to play a Barrow Gurney XI in a friendly T20 game, before an afternoon of fun and a chance to sample some wonderful Sri Lankan-style food.
Barrow, captained by Ed Holdaway, decided to bat first after the morning rain had passed away to enable the game to be played in breezy but fine conditions. Premil, himself, proved a handful with the ball, finding some bounce and unintentionally hitting several batters in areas where they would rather not have been hit!
After the initial onslaught Jonny Sykes and Ed Holdaway treated the spectators to some stylish and effortless shots, clearing the boundaries several times before they both retired on 34, Guy Fisher continued in similar vein and also retired on 30 but the later overs saw Premil’s XI bring the scoring rate under control and the total of 169 in 20 overs was perhaps only about par on a quick scoring ground.
In reply the bowling attack of Barrow started with the youthful enthusiasm of Isaac Todman (2/10) and Leo Brace (1/16) who both bowled with good control. The introduction of the left-arm “spin” of 72-year-old Rod Reeves proved a mystery to all including the batsmen who (unsure how far to hit the ball) quite often missed innocuous deliveries! Adam Brace (2/18) and Oscar Livesey (2/25) bowled well as the visitor’s resistance was led by the eponymous host, Premil, who made 46 in fine style before gloving to Bernie Forge behind the stumps. The Invitational XI’s innings came to a close at 127, as Mark Fisher’s experimental off-spin took 2/10 off his one over.
The teams and spectators were then treated to Sri Lankan curries with various trimmings as the sun set on the 2019 cricket season.
There was time for some Karaoke and outdoor snooker whilst the families enjoyed the last hours of sunshine at the beautiful Barrow Gurney ground.
What an enjoyable event to finish off an enjoyable season. We have welcomed new players; we have seen many of our younger players develop and improve and we have enjoyed many happy times on and off the field during the season. We have seen many improvements to the facilities on the ground and in the pavilion and we can look forward to 2020 as Barrow Gurney Cricket Club continues to grow and develop, encouraging players of all abilities and expanding the number of its social members and supporters.
It may seem like a long winter, but before you know it we will be practicing for the new season!