St Aulaye win 2006 Siddalls Cup

St Aulaye win 2006 Siddalls Cup

St Aulaye Cricket won the Siddalls Cup for the second time yesterday (27 August), beating Noé-Gascogne in a closely contested final at Eymet by 15 runs.

Winning the toss and batting, SAC scored 170 for 5 in 35 overs, then restricted Noé to 155 for 9. Batsmen on both sides struggled to reach the boundary over a slow, grassy outfield: there were only 12 fours in the match.

Man of the match: Richard Cox of St Aulaye, top scorer with 36 and two wickets in his six overs.

SAC's previous success was in 1998, the first year of the Siddalls Cup. Philip Pearce was the only player to represent SAC in both finals.

Other facts and figures:
* Adrian Raynor of St Aulaye (7 overs for 7 runs with 1 wicket) bowled 3 of the 5 maidens in the match.
* Seven players (four from St Aulaye, three from Noé) scored between 23 and 36 runs.
* St Aulaye scored 46 of their runs in boundaries, Noé only 20 (two 4s and two 6s).
* St Aulaye bowled no fewer than 19 wides/no balls, conceding 24 runs from them; Noé bowled 10 wides/no balls, conceding 15 runs.
* Noé conceded 8 runs in byes, St Aulaye just 1.
* St Aulaye had two 50 partnerships (Raynor and Eric Tilling, 50 for the first wicket; Cox and captain Tim Williams 52 for the fifth); Noé's best was 48 for the fourth wicket between Arun and Peter Curzons.

After the match two St Aulaye players received Siddalls awards: Adrian Raynor (league bowler of the season) and Jonathan Houghton, who captained the France under 17 XI (most improved young French player).--

Report by Wynford Hicks 28/8/06