Pirates of the St Lawrence: Under 35s versus Over 35s
Saturday 12 September 2009

The Under 35s dealt a pasting to their elders in a Pirates intra-club run bonanza on Saturday. All the pre-match talk was of the strength and experience of the Over 35s’ batting line-up, as they joked about follow-ons. On paper, they looked a formidable unit. But youth has a funny way of springing surprises.

The Under 35s certainly looked hungrier, out practising on the field an hour before the last of the geriatrics rocked up. Darren Bullivant looked in a sorry state from the night before, and indeed chundered in the hayfield over the boundary. Rich Horne was forced to take over the reins.

Batting first, the Geriatrics began building solidly, with opener Granville and number three Brander punishing anything short or wide. At 79 for 2, captain Bell rang the bowling changes, and the Geriatrics collapsed to 84 for 5. Debutant Omar Hyat was the pick of the bowlers, finding considerable pace after shedding the wicketkeeping pads.

Rich Horne came in at number 7 and flayed the attack. Coming off the back of his maiden fifty at Dartmouth, he struck 48 not out, including 16 off the last over, taking the Elders to 140 for 7 in their 20 overs.

A run rate of seven an over looked a stiff task, but the Under 35s had even greater goals in their sight. After losing Hyat early doors to a dubiously high lbw call, Angus Bell and Thiery Milot teased the Geriatrics with their running between the wickets, before unleashing Hell.

Bell struck 17 fours in a 60-ball hundred, his career first, crashing the ball to all parts. At one point there were five fielders on the leg side fence, but even this illegal ploy couldn’t stop the ball flying over the ropes.

At the other end, Thiery Milot, working his power paddle, became the first French Canadian in history to score a half century, at quicker than a run a ball, striking 8 fours. It signalled an astonishing rise by the clothes vendor, in only his second season of cricket. Together, the pair amassed 135, a record Pirates partnership, before Milot was bowled by the wily off spin of Roy Middleton.

Gorgeous George Robertson batted selflessly, handing the strike to Bell to help him reach his landmark. He brought up his hundred with a slog sweep over mid wicket off the second last ball of the innings. Bell was then out of the final ball, brilliantly caught by Greg Brander deep in the covers. The Under 35s finished with a whopping 48-run lead.

The Spring Chickens looked determined to tighten the noose back in the field, maintaining a disciplined line and length. It was an odd second innings reply by the Geriatrics, who, despite wickets in hand throughout, struggled to hit the ball off the square. They relied heavily on 29 extras and some late innings fireworks from Bullivant to get anything near five an over. At the end of 20, they closed on 102 for 4, setting the Juniors 55 to win.

Despite losing Hugue St-Jean lbw to Greg Brander first Ball, and Manas Gupta for another duck, caught and bowled by debutant Jeff Benoit, the Under 35s never looked in any danger. A jumbled batting line up saw them comfortably home and more. George Robertson notched his personal best for the Pirates, striking a fluent 31, including 6 fours, before falling to 6-year-old Alfie Savage.

Pirates of the St Lawrence: Under 35s versus Over 35s
Saturday 12 September 2009
The Candy Fields, Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Match type: Two innings of twenty overs per side
Weather conditions: Glow-ri-ous
Result: Under 35s won by 6 wickets (and 42 runs)

Over 35s 1st Innings

Andrew Granville lbw St-Jean 27 (4×4)
Darren Bullivant ct Cunha (sub) b Milot 7 (1×4)
Greg Brander ct Schmidt b Omar 33 (4×4, 1×6)
Farooq Syed ct Bell b St-Jean 6 (1×4)
Robert Savage lbw Bell 1
Clarence Cunha b Omar 1
Richard Horne (c/wk) not out 48 (7×4)
Jeff Benoit b Robertson 0
Julie Gauthier not out 1
Roy Middleton DNB
Erfan Chowdhury DNB

Extras 16 (Byes 4, Leg Byes 2, No Balls 1, Wides 9)
Total 140 for 7 in 20 overs

FoW (1-22, 2-56, 3-79, 4-83, 84-5, 103-6, 113-7)

Bowling

Tom Schmidt 3 overs, 0 wickets, 14 runs
Thiery Milot 3 overs, 1 wicket, 10 runs
Tom Wisden 2 overs, 0 wickets, 17 runs
Hugue St-Jean 3 overs, 2 wickets, 17 runs
Manas Gupta 1 over, 0 wickets, 16 runs
Omar Hyat 3 overs, 2 wickets, 14 runs
Angus Bell 3 overs, 1 wicket, 26 runs
George Robertson 1 over, 1 wicket, 5 runs
Mark Sanders 1 over, 0 wickets, 11 runs

Under 35s 1st Innings

Omar Hyat (wk) lbw Brander 2
Angus Bell (c) ct Brander b R Savage 103 (61 balls, 17×4)
Thiery Milot b Middleton 57 (54 balls, 8×4)
George Robertson not out 8 (1×4)
Mark Sanders DNB
Tom Schmidt DNB
Hugue St-Jean (wk) DNB
Dominique Lemoine DNB
Manas Gupta DNB
Tom Wisden DNB

Extras 18 (Byes 0, Leg Byes 1, No Balls 2, Wides 15)
Total 188 for 3 in 20 overs

FoW (1-5, 2-140, 3-188)

Bowling

Greg Brander 4 overs, 1 wicket, 31 runs
Farooq Syed 3 overs, 0 wickets, 23 runs
Darren Bullivant 3 overs, 0 wickets, 31 runs
Andrew Granville 4 overs, 0 wickets, 23 runs
Robert Savage 3 overs, 1 wicket, 39 runs
Roy Middleton 1 over, 1 wicket, 9 runs
Erfan Chowdhury 1 over, 0 wickets, 13 runs
Clarence Cunha 1 over, 0 wickets, 18 runs

Over 35s 2nd Innings

Farooq Syed b Gupta 6 (1×4)
Andrew Granville ct Omar b Robertson 13 ((2×4)
Roy Middleton st St-Jean b Bell 14 (2×4)
Darren Bullivant st St-Jean b Bell 22 (4×4)
Clarence Cunha not out 14 (2×4)
Erfan Chowdhury not out 4 (1×4)
Greg Brander DNB
Julie Gauthier DNB
Richard Horne (c/wk) DNB
Jeff Benoit DNB
Robert Savage DNB

Extras 29 (Byes 4, Leg Byes 7, No Balls 3, Wides 15)
Total 102 for 4 in 20 overs

FoW (1-11, 2-29, 3-76, 4-98)

Bowling

Tom Wisden 1 over, 0 wickets, 8 runs
George Robertson 4 overs, 1 maiden, 1 wicket, 7 runs
Manas Gupta 2 overs, 1 maiden, 1 wicket, 6 runs
Tom Schmidt 3 overs, 0 wickets, 18 runs
Thiery Milot 2 overs, 0 wickets, 10 runs
Mark Sanders 2 overs, 0 wickets, 11 runs
Hugue St-Jean 1 over, 0 wickets, 13 runs
Angus Bell 3 overs, 2 wickets, 12 runs
Omar Hyat 1 over, 0 wickets, 2 runs
Domique Lemoine 1 over, 0 wickets, 8 runs

Under 35s 2nd Innings

Mark Sanders ct Horne b Gauthier 15 (1×4)
Hugue St-Jean (wk) lbw Brander 0
Hugue St-Jean ct Horne b Chowdhury 9 (1×4)
Tom Schmidt b Chowdhury 7 (1×4)
Domique Lemoine ct Gupta (sub) b R Savage 12
Manas Gupta c&b Benoit 0
Tom Wisden b Bullivant 4 (1×4)
George Robertson ct Horne b A Savage 31 (6×4)
Thiery Milot not out 4
Omar (wk) DNB
Angus Bell (c) DNB

Extras 14 (Byes 2, Leg Byes 0, No balls 1, Wides 11)
Total 96 for 8 in 19 overs

FoW (1-1, 2-30, 3-32, 4-39, 5-41, 6-60, 7-68, 8-96)

Bowling

Greg Brander 2 overs, 1 wicket, 11 runs
Farooq Syed 2 overs, 0 wickets, 4 runs
Julie Gauthier 4 overs, 1 wicket, 29 runs
Erfan Chowdhury 2 overs, 2 wickets, 15 runs
Jeff Benoit 3 overs, 1 wicket, 24 runs
Robert Savage 2 overs, 1 wicket, 3 runs
Darren Bullivant 2 overs, 1 wicket, 10 runs
Sam Granville 1 over, 0 wickets, 4 runs
Alfred Savage 1 over, 1 wicket, 4 runs