The event once again brought out the best from 22 dedicated, superfit sportspersons from across the industry. A change in format for this year meant that the usual round-robin tournament gave way to a 35 over each way match between two teams; representatives from PLASA/Clarion Events, under captain Mark Saunders of Clarion, took on the very best that the Lighting/Sound industry had to offer, under the captaincy of Lightfactor’s Paul DeVille.
The Lighting/Sound team got off to a convincing start, until their star all-rounder Charles Ward (DJ Magazine) was bowled by Clarion’s Stephen Ingram for a disappointing 6. From then on, with the exception of a few strong batting performances from the likes of Todd Stoneham (Le Maitre), the wickets fell steadily. PLASA’s Shane ‘Slogger’ McGreevy, poached from his rightful team by DeVille to play for the Lighting/Sound team, appeared to throw his wicket convincingly after scoring just 6 runs, and the Lighting/Sound team went on to find themselves all out for 147.
Clarion and PLASA went into bat with high expectations of a win, but with the exception of Clarion’s James Brooks-Ward and Mark Saunders, the batting performance was undistinguished. In the event, Saunders’ 51 (declared) was the highest batting total of the day and helped bring PLASA/Clarion just three runs short of the opposition. One good stroke away from victory and with one wicket and five overs remaining, this was the most nail-biting finish in the four years of the competition.
But then disaster struck - and the game was all over for PLASA/Clarion, still on 144. Although the precise reasons are unclear, one theory is that PLASA’s Matthew Griffiths, ‘umpiring’ at the pub end of the green, caught a whiff on the breeze of the post-match barbecue and, trying to trace the source of the aroma, licked his finger and held it aloft just as the ball clattered off the pad of Stephen Ingram, thereby awarding only the second LBW decision of the day and bringing dinner forward by a good 20 minutes. Others, less convincingly, have claimed that it was simply LBW.
While the PLASA/Clarion team graciously played down suggestions of a fix, Paul DeVille was delighted to collect the winner’s trophy on behalf of the Lighting/Sound team for the first time in four years. Man of the Match awards went to Clarion’s Mark Saunders for his captain’s innings, and to Hayden Labs’ own Miles Brooke for being an all-round top bloke.
All in all, this was another excellent and enjoyable day. Thanks are due to all who took part, both players and supporters, and especially to Hayden Laboratories for their sponsorship and organization of the event. Look out for next year’s fixture and make a date for a great day’s cricket.
Lee Baldock
