Despite Britain's monsoon weather, the John Bright Trophy just about managed to keep afloat this week with two games played and two cancelled in Birmingham's corporate cricket tournament.
A sunny Wednesday evening at Britannic Park, Moseley, saw St Philips Chambers in title contention form with a third successive win in the tournament sponsored by Williams de Broe.
Three top-order batsmen scored unbeaten 35s for the barristers against Grimleys. Richard Nowell and Alastair Smail blitzed their way to the retirement mark and were later joined by Matthew Barnes, whose textbook knock included a classic lofted-drive six that cleared the wide mid-off boundary.
Grimleys recovered well restricting the Chambers side to 177/5 with medium-pacer James Sandry producing a remarkable 15th over wicket maiden. Inspired by opener Damian Hampton's hard-hitting 25, Grimleys rattled along at more than ten an over. But they later collapsed to 125 all out after Andrew Jackson (1-8), Tim Green (2-2) and Lance Ashworth (3-19) halted the carnage.
On Thursday in a coarse cricket classic, DTZ did well with just eight players to narrowly lose their match with Cobbetts despite conceding 48 extras.
Match highpoints provided by DTZ bowlers included Stuart Eustace claiming a key clean-bowled wicket via the masterful tactic of placing a solitary fielder on the leg-side. And wicketkeeper Tom Huddleston, who had taken a hat-trick in his previous trophy game, also grabbed the limelight coming on to bowl and claiming two wickets in two balls.
John Bright Trophy Results - Week 9
Wednesday June 27 - St Philips Chambers 177/5 in 16 overs (M Nowell 35 rtd, A Smail 35 rtd, M Barnes 35 rtd, P Taylor 2-21, J Sandry 1-8) GVA Grimley 115 in 13 overs (J Sandry 32, D Hampton 26, P Taylor 21, L Ashworth 3-19, T Green 2-2, A Jackson 1-8).
St Philips won by 52 runs
Thurs June 28 - DTZ 147/5 (J Ward 35 rtd, T Huddleston 22*, O Bretherton 2-4, C Howley 1-5) Cobbetts 148/8 in 13.3 overs (A Meiklejohn 23, J Goodman 24, T Huddleston 2-7, J Ward 2-23).
Cobbetts won by two wkts
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Derek West, development director of St Modwen Properties, together with his daughter Abby and four Midland business associates, completed their 300-mile cycle ride from London to Paris last Saturday in very good shape considering - and with some £10,000 in sponsorship to bank for the Prostate Cancer Charity.
But Derek mused: "We scaled the equivalent of Ben Nevis on the first day. Our altitude computer registered 1,300 metres of climbing on the 95 miles ride between Greenwich and Dover, and the next day we totalled another 1,100 metres in Northern France which I'd always been led to believe was flat."
Riding up hills was not all that the team faced during the four-day challenge. They had at least a dozen punctures - the last halting Abby as they rode triumphantly, cheered on by onlookers, down the Champs Elysee towards the finish underneath the Eiffel Tower. En route to Paris the team had also battled through thunder and lightning, heavy rain, floods and strong head winds as France enjoyed an English summer.
Derek and Abby were accompanied by Dominic Goold, managing director of Goold Estates, of Walsall, Craig Bales, property director of Poundland, John Mursell, investment director of Colliers CRE, and Stuart Wilson, management consultant with BT.
I'm told some of the team are still looking to reconnect their legs to their body! Anyone who would still like to contribute should go to the Just Giving page: www.justgiving.com/derekparis