LOVE CONQUERED ALL (WELL NEARLY)
09/09/04: The OLCC's 23rd annual West Country Tour was hailed a success despite only one win from five matches.
The OLs' only victory came at Axminster on Thursday, as Dominic Beer's 67 and Simon Best's astonishing 4-102 set up a 22-run success against the Wessex Stags.
A draw had been achieved the previous day at Sherborne, as Richard Newell Price took 4-28 to restrict the hosts to 138 before the OLs came up short on 101-5.
Meanwhile, Tom Carter had twice been the architect of the OLCC's downfall, biffing a matchwinning 41no to overhaul the tourists' 155 and help Ditcheat to a two-wicket win on Monday, then hitting 29no alongside Barry Lewis' 125no as Julian Fitter's XI eased to a six-wicket victory on the final day of the tour.
Tuesday saw another defeat, despite Tom Carter top-scoring with 43 this time for the OLCC in their 208-9, as Uplyme & Lyme Regis romped to a four-wicket win.
The tour had begun with an excellent lunch hosted by Michael Leach in Ditcheat, while the first four nights were spent enjoying the excellent hospitality of Anton and Deloris at The Old Stagecoach Inn in Crewkerne.
The tour was rounded off by a delicious barbecue hosted by John Acland-Hood at Butleigh Wootton, with Tom Gillmor performing the necessary blackening of meat produce to a high standard.
On the jovial front, Peter Straw claimed the much-coveted Tour Joker award after a vintage display of buffoonery, Tom Gillmor was voted runner-up for adapting so well to his Tour persona, Josh Beer claimed the Junior Joker award for outscoring Simon Best at Uplyme and Susan Moss was named Camp Follower for doggedly following Mickey around Somerset on a bike.
John Acland-Hood's on-field misdemeanours earned him the Tortoiseless Trophy, while The Brain of Somerset Quiz was won earlier in the week by Ed Carter after a play-off.
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