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Result - Goodwood C.C.

Sun Jun 7th Grannies lose by 4 wickets

Match report

Having travelled from far and wide, 10 Grannies' representatives assembled at Goodwood, looking to halt the run of defeats suffered on the Estate in recent years. The two captains negotiated a 40 overs a side game with no restrictions on bowlers' overs, and after losing the toss, the Grannies were inserted.

The batting line up looked potent on paper, and Mathew Gullick, Tom Gleave, Paddy Roche, Ben Yeates and the ever-young Nigel Draffan all looked good reaching double figures before making one fatal error and returning to the company of the WAGS. Gwilym Thomas proved to be the cream of the crop, making an elegant 36 before hitting a ball that missed the cut strip straight to point out of sympathy for the bowler who had developed the yips mid-over. The match manager made a slow 25 not out at number seven to nurse the Grannies to 174 all out, with the last wicket falling in the fortieth over.

Aware that the total was a meagre one, the Grannies' opening bowlers both produced fine spells to really put the home side under pressure. Jon Staniforth and Gwilym Thomas took one wicket apiece - Gwilym's resulting from a fine leaping catch by Mathew Gullick - to leave Goodwood struggling behind the run rate at 60 (ish) for 2 off 20 overs. All the Grannies fielded well to cover for the fact that we were a man down, and James Scott was particularly tigerish, so nearly executing run outs on at least three occasions.

After drinks, the match manager turned to the guile of Scottie and Martin Emmison. Martin applied the pressure, with the batsmen finding him hard to get away, and Scottie benefitted, picking up four wickets, with two more catches from Mathew Gullick, one catch from the match manager (after one drop by him as well), and a successful lbw appeal.

The game was very much in the balance going into the final ten overs, but some very good batting from Goodwood's lower order (which did include some of their best batsmen), allied with energetic and bold running between the wickets saw the home side triumph with two overs remaining.

One couldn't help think of what might have been, but everyone was delighted to learn that the match fee was a mere �3, and various long journeys home were undertaken with faces more tanned than anticipated after the morning's forecast.

Match info

Played in front of the beautiful Goodwood House, this is always a competitive game against a team that knows its wicket very well!

Location
Goodwood House,
Goodwood,
Nr. Chichester,
PO18 0PX

How to get there
Goodwood is situated just outside Chichester, only 60 miles from London, 30 miles from Brighton and Southampton.

By road From London A3
At Milford Roundabout take A286 via Haslemere and Midhurst. Before Chichester on leaving Singleton village take left turn over Downs past Goodwood Racecourse then follow brown tourist board signs for Goodwood House (approx 4 miles).

From Southampton and Brighton take A27 to Chichester
Follow brown tourist board signs to Goodwood House.

By rail There is a regular service from London Victoria to Chichester (1hour, 40 minutes), plus the coastal service from Brighton and Portsmouth. Buses or taxis are available at Chichester Station.