Stephen Lees reports.
Gunnislake lost to Newquay by three wickets in Division Five East on Saturday, as Newquay completed the double over their opponents.
Chasing 158 to win, Newquay looked strong, but Gunnislake's bowlers kept taking wickets and the away side eventually finished on 158 for 7, limping home with three wickets to spare.
Gunnislake won the toss and chose to bat on another hot, sunny day. The openers were both back in the dressing room with only 30 runs on the board.
Paul Hollow, who has missed much of the season because of work and family commitments, played as if he had never been away. He hit some lovely drives along the ground to the offside boundary, and the run rate stayed at five an over.
The other batsmen fared less well, with Newquay taking the catches on offer. When Hollow was bowled for 43, Gunnislake were in trouble at 86 for 6.
This time the usual collapse was avoided as number seven Kevin Beare led a spirited rearguard. A pulled hamstring slowed him down, but he fought on with support from Stephen Lees and Ian Dawe.
Beare finished on 30 not out in a heroic performance, as Gunnislake closed on 157 all out, three runs short of a fourth batting point. Mohammed Tahir, who swung the ball, and Nazim Ismail, who bowled seam, off-spin and leg breaks, were the pick of the Newquay bowlers with three wickets each.
Newquay's reply was aggressive and they stayed ahead of the run rate. Danny Davies made the first breakthrough for Gunnislake when a lifting ball was top-edged to keeper Nico Christian, and the batsman fell for 14.
Graham Murray, fresh from his five wickets against Launceston, then took three wickets to leave Newquay on 106 for 4. His scalps included opener Mike Anatol, bowled for 34.
Sam Millatt kept his cool at one end as the target steadily decreased. When Tahir was bowled by Dawe, excitement mounted as Gunnislake sensed an unexpected victory.
Millatt was joined by Arun Kumar. With plenty of overs to spare, their scoring rate slowed to a trickle as they took no chances. Hollow, fresh from his batting exploits, then dismissed both. Millatt offered a firm catch to silly mid-off and was out for 24.
Kumar then tried to hit the ball out of the ground, completely missed it, and lost his off-stump. By then the score had crept to 148, only ten short of victory. The remaining runs were quickly knocked off, and Gunnislake were left to rue a below par batting display.
Gunnislake are now eighth in the league. They have their final two games against the two teams below them: Luckett Seconds this Saturday (1pm) and Holsworthy Seconds on August 29.
Newquay Complete League Double Over Gunnislake