Rovers drops help Mavs to victory and Meades to a ton

RANDY PADDLE MAVERICKS beat C&W Rovers by one wicket in a last-ball thriller in the Carey Olsen GCA Championship on Saturday. The new grass square at Port Soif, which was unpredictable last week as Rovers struggled in their defeat by Total Cobo, was a million miles away as nearly 500 runs were scored on it between the two bottom- placed teams in the league.

Rovers batted first and, thanks to 97 from captain Stuart Bisson, put on 244 for four.

Aussie Justin Meades was the hero for Mavs as he smashed 128.

But when he was out with the score on 224 and with five overs left, the match was finely balanced. It was finally tipped in the visitors' favour on the last ball.

'It was an absolutely terrific game,' said Mavericks captain James Falla.

'But I suppose as a bottom-of-the-table clash, it shows the paucity of our attacks. Batsmen just helped themselves all day.

'The game had everything, really. Personally, I was so pleased with the way we stuck to it in the field.

'At 160 for nought and for them then to get 244, Rovers scored less than a run a ball for the last 10 overs. That had a lot to do with Ben McVey. He did a great job.'

Rovers' opening batsmen Bisson and Quinten Hubbard batted sensibly to get their team off to wonderful start to put on 162 before Hubbard went for 59 in the 32nd over. Jonny Orme caught the 29-year-old off McVey's leg spin.

The match had been held up for 15 minutes when Mavs' keeper Micky Fooks was taken to hospital when a ball hit him flush on the bridge of his nose.

With Tim Duke and Aaron Scoones both failing with the bat, Jody Bisson joined his younger brother and with some good running between the wickets, picked up the pace again for the home side.

But disaster struck for the junior Bisson when, three runs shy of a maiden century, he was stumped by replacement keeper Paul Wakeford off McVey. The 15-year-old bowled with great control and looks a player for the future.

In reply, Mavs got off to a flyer as Vince Kenny played some expansive shots before Matt Hallett caught him off a slow delivery from Richard Headington for 18.

That brought the in-form Meades to the crease.

He quickly tore into the Rovers attack, but his cause was helped by the fielders who dropped him five times during his innings.

He struck up a good partnership with Paul Cone before he went for 21 caught and bowled by Scoones.

Wakeford and Falla hardly troubled the scorers, but burly left-hander Paul Finn complemented Meades well with a quick 19.

When Finn went, another good partnership was formed between Meades and Martin Baxter as they took Mavs from 157 to 224.

During this, Meades' ton came off 86 balls and he looked set to carry his team home before he was well run out by Scoones going for a quick single. With Lee Gallienne at the crease with Baxter and with Rovers still failing to hold onto their chances as the batsmen continued to chance their arms, the match looked to be going the visitors' way until Baxter was out lbw to Headington.

In came Orme who was bowled by Stuart Bisson first ball and Rovers sensed they could take the honours as Mavs needed 12 to win off 18 balls with just two wickets left.

The next two overs cost nine as they now needed three to win off the last to be bowled by Stuart Bisson.

Bowling at McVey, the first ball was a dot and the second was a scrambled bye as keeper Gordon Irish spilled the ball.

With the field in tight to stop any singles, Gallienne went to hit over the top but the ball ballooned up to Jody Bisson at cover. But it was dropped, allowing the batsmen to scamper a run.

With the scores tied, McVey missed the next ball and hit the fifth back to the skipper who ran out Gallienne.

This brought Fooks back from hospital to the middle for the last ball that was a rank leg side delivery that hit McVey to speed down to fine leg for the victory.

'Dropped catches lost us the game,' said Stuart Bisson. 'It was a game we should have won. Meades batted really well but we gave a good player too many chances and you can't afford to do that.'