Noott's century in vain

9:28am Wednesday 23rd July 2008

In a tremendous game at Trescobeas on Saturday Falmouth almost inflicted a first ECB Premier League defeat of the season on the champions St Just.

St Just only just squeezed home by two wickets, with two balls remaining in a game of almost 500 runs. Falmouth though can be proud of giving the title favourites a real run for their money and especially as the game came only three days after their Vinter Cup final drubbing.

The Falmouth innings got off to a great start through Steve Williams and Adrian Noott. The pair added 60 before Williams was bowled by Robert Clackworthy for 20. Mark George then struck twice to have dangerman Antony Angove and Duncan Ayres both caught for single figure scores.

Richard Kellow hit 20 before he became a third victim for George and when Gary Thomas accounted for Mark Johnson a promising start had slumped to 115 for 6. George Popperwell was trapped lbw by George and at 134 for 6 another run of the mill success for St Just beckoned.

Noott, having watched the wickets fall from the other end, found an ally in Larry Martin. The pair transformed the innings to see the overs out, adding 107 for the seventh wicket. Noott, having reached a deserved century, fell to the final ball for 115. Martin was undefeated on 47 and with 241 on the board Falmouth had something to defend.

Mark George took four for 54.

In a rarity this season the St Just openers failed with Neil Curnow being caught and bowled for five by Popperwell. The prize wicket of David Roberts soon followed. He was caught by Popperwell off Duncan Ayres to make it 17-2. Gary Thomas and Gavin Edwards staged a recovery but Antony Angove then put the home team in the box seat. He caught and bowled Edwards, bowled Darren Cudby and had Gareth May caught to leave the visitors rocking at 87 for 5.

The game was transformed by a sixth wicket partnership between Thomas and Mark George. They added 95 to put St Just right back into the game before Popperwell got the breakthrough to get George for 48. Thomas, though, was not finished and marshalled the tail, refusing to accept the draw as an option. Dave Neville picked up a couple of late wickets that meant when number ten Adam Barrett came to the crease 22 were still needed. This was reduced to nine off the last over, bowled by Ayres, with any one of four results still possible.

After a dot ball Thomas hit a boundary to bring up his century. A single followed and with Barrett on strike four were needed off three balls. The Kiwi ended the argument, however, by slogging to the pavilion long on boundary to end a memorable encounter. Thomas was undefeated on 103.

Angove took three for 67 with Popperwell and Neville taking two wickets each.

Falmouth face a tough assignment again on Saturday at in-form St Austell who will be looking for a league triple having won the first two encounters.

FALMOUTH

S Williams b Clackworthy 20

A Noott c Cudby b N George 115

A Angove c Roberts b M George 5

D Ayres c Cudby b M George 4

R Kellow st Cudby b M George 20

M Johnson c May b Thomas 0

G Popperwell lbw b M George 4

L Martin not out 47

Extras 26

Total (7 wkts, 55 overs) 241

Fall: 60-71-80-104-115-134-241.

Bowling: N George 4-0-30-1, A Barrett 11-2-51-0, R Clackworthy 8-1-26-1, M George 16-3-54-4, G Thomas 16-1-67-1.

ST JUST

D Roberts c Popperwell b Ayres 7

N Curnow c & b Popperwell 5

G Thomas not out 103

G Edwards c & b Angove 13

D Cudby b Angove 7

G May c Ayres b Angove 12

M George c Neville b Popperwell 48

J Hooley st Noott b Neville 12

N George lbw b Neville 6

A Barrett not out 5

Extras 23

Total (8 wkts, 54.4 overs) 242

Fall: 14-17-51-68-87-182-207-220.

Bowling: D Ayres 214.4-1-52-1, G Popperwell 12-4-47-2, D Neville 11-0-45-2, A Angove 13-1-67-3, J Udy 4-0-22-0.

St Just (18pts) beat Falmouth (9pts) by two wickets.

Falmouth's hopes of lifting the Vinter Cup for the first time since 1995 fell flat at Camborne last week, in a disappointingly one sided final. On the night St Just were at the top of their game and with their talented personnel that usually means one thing. They cruised to a nine wicket victory in a game, which in all honesty, only ever had one winner.

It was St Just's fifth successive title. Falmouth got off to a bad start losing Adrian Noott run out in the first over. In Nick George's next over Stefan Churcher nicked to 'keeper Gavin Edwards and at 7-2 it was the start Falmouth feared.

Antony Angove and Richard Kellow took the total to 29 before George claimed his second wicket, in a good spell from the pavilion end in which he only conceded 21 runs.

Falmouth had 47 on the board at the half-way mark but a flurry of wickets effectively decided the game. Mark George accounted for Duncan Ayres, who was well caught at mid off by Nick George. In the same over George Popperwell was stumped third ball. In George's next over Angove holed out for 23,to make it 58 for 6.

Rob Eccleston survived a big lbw shout but one equally as big next ball saw him depart for 0. Jon Udy played a cameo innings hitting a six in his 20 off 16 balls before being caught off the bowling of Robert Clackworthy.

Mark George had the final say to see the back of Mark Johnson and Dave Neville. Falmouth were all out for 92 with an over unused. Mark George took six for 21 from his five overs.

The St Just batsmen were soon playing their shots as 32 came off the first five overs. Neil Curnow, was in dominating form. In a nine-ball spell he hit six fours, a six, a single and had a dot ball.

With 74 on the board in ten overs Curnow and David Roberts looked set to finish the job themselves but it was not to be. Udy had Curnow smartly stumped by Noott for 42 which came off 34 balls. Roberts (34no) and Gary Thomas (10 no) played out the last rites with the winning runs coming of just 13.2 overs.

Unsurprisingly umpires Mike Collier and Rodney Fine nominated Mark George as man of the match.

For Falmouth it was the consolation of the Sid Trembath runners-up cup in a night to readily forget.

FALMOUTH

A Noott run out 0

A Angove c May b M George 23

S Churcher c Edwards b N George 1

R Kellow b N George 13

D Ayres c N George b M George 13

G Popperwell st Edwards b M George 0

J Udy c Hooley b R Clackworthy 20

R Eccleston lbw b M George 0

L Martin not out 7

M Johnson b M George 1

D Neville st G Edwards b M George 7

Extras 7

Total (all out, 19 overs) 92

Fall: 0-7-29-47-47-58-66-80-84-92.

Bowling: N George 5-0-21-2, A Barrett 5-0-24-0, M George 5-1-21-6, R Clackworthy 4-0-22-1.

ST JUST

D Roberts not out 35

N Curnow st Noott b Udy 42

G Thomas not out 10

Extras 6

Total (1 wkt, 13.2 overs) 93

Fall: 74.

Did not bat; G Edwards, D Cudby, G May, M George, N George, J Hooley, A Barrett, R Clackworthy.

Bowling: D Ayres 5-0-37-0, G Popperwell 2-0-16-0, D Neville 2-0-17-0, J Udy 2.2-0-13-1, A Angove 2-0-8-0.

St Just beat Falmouth by nine wickets.