Constantine stun Gerrans with Bazball-like onslaught
The surrounding houses and gardens at Gerrans’ Churchtown Road ground were peppered with some fearsome hitting on Saturday 17 June as top-of-the-league Constantine put Gerrans’ bowling attack to the sword.
After winning the toss, Constantine elected to bat first on a magnificent surface prepared by groundsman Steve Hooper.
What followed was 45 overs of pure power hitting by Constantine as they amassed 393-7 off their 45 overs at a rate just shy of 9 runs per over.
Openers Scott Kellow and Daniel Johnson set the tone by taking 25 runs off Charlie Baker’s first over. Whilst Joseph Tilley bowled a tidy 6 over spell at the Parc-An-Dillon end, Skipper Simon Tilley chopped and changed his bowlers around at the Church end as Gerrans’ tried to engineer a breakthrough.
In the 21st over, Freddie Tilley (2-32) produced a snorter of a delivery that Kellow could only deflect onto his stumps. By that time, the openers had put on 167 runs and Kellow had amassed 127 runs off 59 balls including 9 fours and 12 sixes. Gerrans started to fight back with Tilley bagging a second wicket in his next over to clean up Joseph Vanstone (4).
Enter the burly 6’7” Graham Griffiths who executed some of the cleanest hitting not seen at Gerrans since Shane Reid hung up his boots. In a mere 35 balls Griffiths bludgeoned 103 runs including 11 fours and 8 sixes. It wasn’t that Gerrans bowlers bowled badly. Griffiths simply hit good length deliveries to (and often beyond) the boundary. Griffiths eventually holed out in the deep off the bowling of Tris Perry (3-67), with Joseph Tilley taking a well composed catch.
In between times, Charlie Baker (1-51) returned to clean bowl Johnson (45) and captain Simon Tilley (1-87) dismissed his opposite number Charlie Campbell for a well composed 65 off 52 balls.
After Tea, Gerrans took the fight back to Constantine with openers Baker and Jim Holt putting on 76 for the first wicket before Baker (21) was caught behind in the 12th over. Perry (14) played on shortly afterwards to Kellow (2-52) but not before showing the spectators his signature cover drive as he effortlessly caressed 3 balls to the boundary in quick succession. Jim Holt followed shortly afterwards for a spirited 60 runs off 72 balls that included 7 fours and 3 sixes. Jason Holt (45) and Freddie Tilley (24) then put on 67 runs to bring up Gerrans’ 200 and ensure maximum batting points before both departed in quick succession.
Iain Barbery came in at 8 and hit a cameo 31 runs off 18 balls that included 3 fours and 3 sixes before it was left to John Holt and Joseph Tilley to bat out the final few overs thus denying Constantine their final bowling point. Gerrans finished with a creditable (and often match-winning) score of 250-9 off their 45 overs.
Constantine thoroughly deserved their 19 points on the day; but if you could award points for tenacity and team spirit, Gerrans would have bagged a few more than the 8 points they took from the game.
Gerrans play away to Falmouth 3rd XI on Saturday 24th June.