Watson denied ton by cruel luck - twice

JUST how unlucky can one batsman be? Investec Colombians skipper Dave Watson returned from his side's Carey Olsen League Division Two victory in Sark with a new top score - 99 not out.

If the agony of falling one short of a maiden ton was not bad enough, Watson's innings was spectacularly frustrating.

On 52 not out, he looked to deposit the fourth ball of Wayne Dolan's fifth over for six. A clean hit, and the ball was sailing away, looking every inch as if it would clear the ropes - only to crash into the rugby posts crossbar and cannon back into play. Local rules dictate that any shot hitting the posts counts as a five - that vital one run.

'We were sitting around before we started and joking that it would be funny to hit the posts. And I did,' said Watson.

'At the time I didn't worry too much about it because I didn't think I was likely to get to 100.

'It would have been my first century: my highest score before that was only in the mid-80s.'

But that was not the end of Watson's so-near-yet-so-far day. Facing the last ball of the innings on 99 not out, he looked for a single, only for non-striker Richard Radford to be run out.

'It wasn't my day,' said Watson.

Sark's Millennium Field has quite small boundaries - it is about the size of Delancey Park - and the posts stand just a couple of metres inside the line. Watson found the field to his liking as he hit eight fours and a six as well as his 'five'.

Colombians rattled up 211 for nine in their 35 overs, Dolan the best bowler for the home side with 3 for 29 from his seven overs.

In reply, Sark set off at a cracking pace.

Skipper Lewis Heald and Steve Taylor had already put on 33 when the latter became the first of Guy Mallet's six wickets, his 25 comprising just six scoring shots.

Barry Dewsbury came to the crease and both he and Heald moved steadily into the 40s but a rapid collapse followed and Sark finished 41 runs short.