HORSES FACE THEIR HIGHEST FENCE YET

IT WILL BE "Sully" in the gully at Sully on Sunday. At least one Findon player, Paul O'Sullivan, their all-rounder and close fielder, feels a sense of destiny in his club's biggest test yet in two consecutive Village Cup semi-final reaching seasons. But Findon will be without opening bowler and wicket-taker James Iago.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Aug 2004, 14:04 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 01:01 BST

The RAF serviceman is tied into three weeks' preparation for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which would seem likely to prevent his appearing at Lord's should Findon reach the final.

Iago's batting has been lamentable in the previous two rounds but his batsman replacement Andrew Vicarstaff, the Bath University student who made a fifty against Clymping in the Sussex final, does not bowl. This presents captain Nigel Waller with a problem with the new ball and how to balance the attack. Steve Waller, 6ft 5in, looks certain to open the bowling with his brother.

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Sully Centurions will be the strongest side they have ever faced in the NVC. They are a Sussex League Premier Division-quality side on the brink of becoming the first team ever to retain the South East Wales Premier League title. They also hold the Cup contested annually by the South East champions with the South West, and they are in the final of the Welsh Cup, to be played at Sophia Gardens.

They have Glamorganshire 2nd XI and Wales Minor Counties players, this is Sully Centurions' 50th anniversary season and they are on a mission to mark it with the Village Cup in a glorious treble '” having gone out in the first round last season. They have achieved seven division promotions in 10 seasons.

To ensure they do not fall foul of the eligibility rules, they have ensured none of their star players has been available for more than the one County 2nd XI or Wales XI match during this season and last. And that none have been paid to play. See the ckub chairman's quotes on the left.

Allocated Glamorgan CCC professional, bowler Andrew Davies is Sully's only Saturday 1st XI player ineligible for Sunday.

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With Iago, Findon have possibly the best bowling in the competition but without him they face quite probably the most formidable batting side.

Stars include journeyman brothers Jamie and Ryan Sylvester, nephews of chairman David, who open together. Ryan made three straight hundreds in May and is devastating if he stays in, although is short of a big score lately. He once hit England paceman Devon Malcolm three times out of the St Helen's ground for Swansea.

Ryan, 27, is Sully's groundsman. Jamie, 29, manages the Glamorgan CCC club shop, is Sully's only spinner (off), and has played twice for St Fagins at Lord's in previous NVC Finals. Moody Lloyd Smith, ex-Glamorgan, bats No 4. Key other batsman are Mike Newbold, wicketkeeper Roger Clitheroe, man-for-a-crisis Dave Eskins, and 15-year-old Michael Shay, ex-St Fagins and soon-to-be Millfield School.

Both teams play this Saturday, Sully at home to Penarth, Findon at home to Arundel. In the feebly unreactive absence of any Sussex Invitation League initiative to postpone the game to give their club the best chance of success and flying the league flag at Lord's, Arundel have agreed to an hour-early start at 1pm '” to allow Findon an earlier departure for a journey that must therefore include an overnight stop on route.

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The Ground (Burnham Avenue): Yet another kind of cricketing heaven; wider lateral boundaries than the straight-hitting ones. Only the beach separates the boundary behind the bowler at the south end and the Bristol Channel.

See The Herald for more reaction from Findon's quarter-final success at Linton Park.