BRITISH BLIND SPORT Primary Club National Knockout Cup Final 1988
By Bernard King
Article taken from “Participation” magazine Autumn 1988
Birmingham Sports v Metro
30th July 1988
A cold and windy July day was awaiting Metro Sports, 3 times winners of the Taverners Trophy, and Birmingham Sports, the second year of appearing in the National Knock-Out, making their separate ways to Barclays Sports Ground for the final of this Competition now in its fourteenth year.
We had the pleasure of the company of Mike Thomas, Secretary of the Primary Club, who had kindly accepted the request of the Sub-Committee to present the trophies, also Brian Johnston, Metro’s President, Johnny Dennis, Vice President British Blind Sport and Peter Calvert, Membership Committee, Middlesex Cricket Club.
Birmingham Sports lost the toss and were asked to bat and as you can see from the scoreboard lost 3 wickets with only 19 runs to their credit, now, A Wetherley joined B Parker and the score started to creep up and we began to think that a total over 100 could be reached but at 46 the next wicket fell and wickets kept falling with the last six batsmen not quite doubling the score and the last wicket falling with the last ball of the 25 overs.
After the tea break Metro began the task of trying to get 88 runs to win and we were all looking for the fireworks. At 3 wickets down for 13 runs and 6 wickets for 34 runs we knew we were in for a thrilling finish, the next 2 wickets fell when the score reached 64, the match could not have been more keenly fought or more exciting at this point and Metro pulled through to win for the 4th time.
I would like to thank both teams for playing this match in the most friendly and sporting manner in the difficult conditions of the day, I am sure I speak for all the spectators of the day that it was played in the true spirit of the game.
The task of choosing the men of the match was again given to the Scorer and Umpires and their decision was that Frank McFarlane should receive the totally blind award and Peter Windsor the partially sighted award.
At this point and to close this report I would like to thank a number of people. Firstly to BRITISH BLIND SPORT and the Primary Club for their support in sponsoring the event. Next to the other members of the sub-committee for their support during the past year. Also to the Umpires and Scorer, already named for their sterling work of the day.
Thank you all again and I look forward to seeing you again during 1989.
Scorecard
BRITISH BLIND SPORT Primary Club National Knockout Cup Final 1988
Metro V Birmingham Sports
Saturday 30th July 1988
at Barclays Bank Sports Ground
Umpires: Bob Mockford, Roger Pain
Scorer: Peter Whitelock
Birmingham Sports Innings
B Parker Caught S Butler Bowled N Underwood 12
R Glenny Caught D Bates Bowled D Mears 0
M Aslam Caught S Butler Bowled G Salmon 2
I Floyd Bowled D Mears 0
A Wetherley Caught D Bishop Bowled G Salmon 27
F McFarlane Caught P Longuet Bowled P Windsor 6
I Fell Bowled D Mears 0
N Spowage Caught G Salmon Bowled D Mears 0
D Sheridan Caught P Longuet Bowled N Underwood 8
A Troon not out 1
T Ahmed Run Out 10
Extras: (3B, 3LB, 14W, 10NB) 30
Total: 25 overs, All Out, 87
Birmingham Sports 12th Man: S Singh
Fall Of Wickets: 1-3, 2-13, 3-19, 4-46, 5-66, 6-67, 7-67, 8-81, 9-86, 10-87.
Bowling
Bowler-overs-maidens-runs-wickets
D Mears 5-1-11-4
D Bishop 5-0-12-0
G Salmon 5-1-26-2
P Windsor 5-0-20-1
N Underwood 5-0-12-2
Metro Innings
S Butler Bowled I Floyd 5
M Brace Caught & Bowled F Mcfarlane 1
N Underwood Bowled D Sheridan 11
D Mears Caught F Mcfarlane Bowled I Floyd 1
G Salmon LBW Bowled D Sheridan 0
P Windsor Caught A Troon Bowled D Sheridan 17
D Bishop Run Out 0
P Young Bowled M Aslam 6
D Mileman not out 4
P Longuet not out 4
Did Not Bat: N Murkin
Extras: ( 26W, 13NB) 39
Total: 22.3 overs, for 8 wickets, 88
Metro 12th Man: B Reynolds
Metro won by 2 wickets
Fall Of Wickets: 1-8, 2-10, 3-13, 4-22, 5-34, 6-34, 7-64, 8-64.
Bowling
Bowler-overs-maidens-runs-wickets
M Aslam 4-0-23-1
I Floyd 5-0-19-2
F Mcfarlane 5-0-22-1
D Sheridan 5-0-7-3
M Spowage 3.3-0-17-0