| 2011/12 Match Reports |
C's vs SPOC away - Round 7
For the first game of the new year, the C’s took on bottom places SPOC.
Not for the first time, on Friday evening i had 9 players & had to make a number of calls to complete my XI (sort of).
After being spoilt with a magnificent pitch/outfield last game (Adelaide Uni), we were treated to more of the same at SPOC, as the pitch was hard, the outfield was lush & the surrounds very pleasant.
The weather however was foreboding, with heavy clouds overhead and rain threatening. I won the toss & decided we’d have a bowl.
Unfortunately Ben, who’s been our regular opening bowler was sick & whilst he did come & field for us for the latter part of the day, he was unable to bowl. This meant that Ollie & myself opened up. Ollie claimed a wicket early but we gave the SPOC batsmen a few balls to hit too.
Kevin replaced Ollie & started with a horror over that went for 17. I decided to persist with him however & he managed to find his range. After letting SPOC reach 3/82, we really reigned them in – with Kevin & myself claiming wickets at regular intervals the runs began to dry up. Ankur & Brad replaced Kevin & myself & they cleaned up the tail.
SPOC’s score was 130, which is a gettable total – it’s just a pity that we let the early batsmen get away. Special mention must go to the fielders, as we took everything that came to us, Whale’s catching at slip was a highlight (3 catches). Kevin claimed 3/33 & i managed 4/43 with all the other bowlers successful. I didn’t even resort to the C grades top wicket taker Mark Leoni.
This left us 35 overs to face & a realistic chance of winning the game on the first day. I opened up with Nobby & made the worst possible start – gone 1st ball. Adrian followed me in the 3rd over and when Spence was gone for 4 we were reeling at 3/15. Ollie however was hitting the ball sweetly – it was disappointing then when he smashed one to gully (gone for 14) to leave us reeling at 4/26 in the 6th over.
Whale & Brad Tosold came together then & showed calm heads – with Brad hitting the big shots & Whale rotating the strike beautifully, all of a sudden batting didn’t look quite so difficult. They put on 41 before Brad was gone for 39. Fabio went 1st ball, and Luke survived the hat-trick ball, only to depart 2nd ball... All of a sudden we were in trouble again at 7/67. Kevin steadied the ship & batted with discipline, supporting Whale for 10 overs before going for 5. It was about this point that we’d realised the SPOC opening bowler Hill had claimed every wicket & was on the verge of something special. Ankur came in with Whale & they decided to blast us back into the game, Whale finally departed for a well compiled 28, but Ankur kept going for it – his first scoring shot was a 6 & he hit 4 fours as well in an excellent 26 before being given LBW. This meant we fell 13 runs short of victory, with Hill claiming all 10 wickets & all this had happened on the first Saturday.
The 2nd week came about with the sun shining on a glorious Saturday. I said to the boys there was still plenty to play for – with the real prospect of an outright being on the cards.
Unfortunately, perhaps the pressure told as Ollie couldn’t find his range – his first over going for 20. Brad was bowling well at the other end & i brought Kevin on to replace Ollie, hoping the quicker bowlers would have some success. Unfortunately though, SPOC were completely in control.
Ben replaced Kevin, but he only managed 3 overs (still feeling the effects of his mystery illness) before the old hands came on to bowl. Myself & Whale begun to make some inroads into the SPOC batting, but by this point all we could do was restrict the scoring. In the end SPOC declared at 6/188, giving us 203 in 27 overs to win. Pick of the bowlers was the big man Whale with 4/50.
Again Adrian & i opened up & again i was out caught behind early (this time for 1). Nobby though hit the ball well, but perhaps got a little ahead of himself, being bowled going for one big shot too many for 26. Ollie didn’t last too long (out for 4), but as in the first innings Brad & Whale steadied the ship, as they put on 42 for the 4th wicket in 12 overs, (Whale quite amazingly only contributing 1). Brad however continued on his merry way, supported by Ankur. At the end ouf our 27 overs we were well short of the required runs - ending up 4/137, Brad also fell just short of 3 figures with an outstanding 91*
I have to say that this was perhaps our most disappointing loss of the season. I think both Saturdays we started off too casual & allowed our opposition to settle in before we got going. This was a chance not only for an innings win, but also an outright win & we really failed to deliver at all the important times in the match. We face Old Iggies next week & we will really need to improve if we don’t want another loss.
Saf
For the first game of the new year, the C’s took on bottom places SPOC.
Not for the first time, on Friday evening i had 9 players & had to make a number of calls to complete my XI (sort of).
After being spoilt with a magnificent pitch/outfield last game (Adelaide Uni), we were treated to more of the same at SPOC, as the pitch was hard, the outfield was lush & the surrounds very pleasant.
The weather however was foreboding, with heavy clouds overhead and rain threatening. I won the toss & decided we’d have a bowl.
Unfortunately Ben, who’s been our regular opening bowler was sick & whilst he did come & field for us for the latter part of the day, he was unable to bowl. This meant that Ollie & myself opened up. Ollie claimed a wicket early but we gave the SPOC batsmen a few balls to hit too.
Kevin replaced Ollie & started with a horror over that went for 17. I decided to persist with him however & he managed to find his range. After letting SPOC reach 3/82, we really reigned them in – with Kevin & myself claiming wickets at regular intervals the runs began to dry up. Ankur & Brad replaced Kevin & myself & they cleaned up the tail.
SPOC’s score was 130, which is a gettable total – it’s just a pity that we let the early batsmen get away. Special mention must go to the fielders, as we took everything that came to us, Whale’s catching at slip was a highlight (3 catches). Kevin claimed 3/33 & i managed 4/43 with all the other bowlers successful. I didn’t even resort to the C grades top wicket taker Mark Leoni.
This left us 35 overs to face & a realistic chance of winning the game on the first day. I opened up with Nobby & made the worst possible start – gone 1st ball. Adrian followed me in the 3rd over and when Spence was gone for 4 we were reeling at 3/15. Ollie however was hitting the ball sweetly – it was disappointing then when he smashed one to gully (gone for 14) to leave us reeling at 4/26 in the 6th over.
Whale & Brad Tosold came together then & showed calm heads – with Brad hitting the big shots & Whale rotating the strike beautifully, all of a sudden batting didn’t look quite so difficult. They put on 41 before Brad was gone for 39. Fabio went 1st ball, and Luke survived the hat-trick ball, only to depart 2nd ball... All of a sudden we were in trouble again at 7/67. Kevin steadied the ship & batted with discipline, supporting Whale for 10 overs before going for 5. It was about this point that we’d realised the SPOC opening bowler Hill had claimed every wicket & was on the verge of something special. Ankur came in with Whale & they decided to blast us back into the game, Whale finally departed for a well compiled 28, but Ankur kept going for it – his first scoring shot was a 6 & he hit 4 fours as well in an excellent 26 before being given LBW. This meant we fell 13 runs short of victory, with Hill claiming all 10 wickets & all this had happened on the first Saturday.
The 2nd week came about with the sun shining on a glorious Saturday. I said to the boys there was still plenty to play for – with the real prospect of an outright being on the cards.
Unfortunately, perhaps the pressure told as Ollie couldn’t find his range – his first over going for 20. Brad was bowling well at the other end & i brought Kevin on to replace Ollie, hoping the quicker bowlers would have some success. Unfortunately though, SPOC were completely in control.
Ben replaced Kevin, but he only managed 3 overs (still feeling the effects of his mystery illness) before the old hands came on to bowl. Myself & Whale begun to make some inroads into the SPOC batting, but by this point all we could do was restrict the scoring. In the end SPOC declared at 6/188, giving us 203 in 27 overs to win. Pick of the bowlers was the big man Whale with 4/50.
Again Adrian & i opened up & again i was out caught behind early (this time for 1). Nobby though hit the ball well, but perhaps got a little ahead of himself, being bowled going for one big shot too many for 26. Ollie didn’t last too long (out for 4), but as in the first innings Brad & Whale steadied the ship, as they put on 42 for the 4th wicket in 12 overs, (Whale quite amazingly only contributing 1). Brad however continued on his merry way, supported by Ankur. At the end ouf our 27 overs we were well short of the required runs - ending up 4/137, Brad also fell just short of 3 figures with an outstanding 91*
I have to say that this was perhaps our most disappointing loss of the season. I think both Saturdays we started off too casual & allowed our opposition to settle in before we got going. This was a chance not only for an innings win, but also an outright win & we really failed to deliver at all the important times in the match. We face Old Iggies next week & we will really need to improve if we don’t want another loss.
Saf
C’s vs Adelaide Uni @ Park 12 - Round 6
The C’s this week took on Adelaide Uni at Park 12, both teams were on 2 wins & just out of the top 4, so this was an extremely important game. With no less than 5 of my C’s promoted to the B’s this week it was a scramble to select an 11. In the end i managed to call in a work colleague Arun Singh to ensure we had 11 players. With Josh coming in the 2nd week (using the sub rule) i decided to have a bowl after winning the toss. Bowling has been our strength all season & i banked on Josh hitting me some runs in the 2nd week.
At the start of the game we had a few boys running late – this meant we kicked off with 8 players and myself & late inclusion Kevin Nguyen opened the bowling. To Uni’s credit, their openers were resolute & patient and it took an incredible 1 handed catch from Chris Luz-Raymond to break the partnership, Hemant & Robin (bowling off spin) then replaced Kevin & i. Robin caused the batsmen plenty of problems with his turn & bounce & was duly rewarded with a wicket. Late in the session i also brought Whale on for a bowl & he also made things difficult for the Uni batsmen. At tea, we’d hustled through 40 overs & they were 3/62. After the break i continued with Robin & Whale and i had decided to bring Robin from the other end – i told Whale he had 1 more over. This seemed to gee the big fella up – a wicket & another chance ensued and in the end Whale bowled unchanged for the entire session. At the other end the mediums all had a go – with Kevin & Ankur chiming in for wickets but we couldn’t quite bowl them out, as uni made 9/192. Whale was the pick of the bowlers with 4/51 (19 overs), whilst Kevin & Ankur both claimed 2, but i thought the bowling was pretty good all-round.
The second Saturday greeted us with buckets of rain before play started, but the pitch was absolutely rock hard. I opened up with Luz’ and we were both pretty watchful. Chris was eventually out in the 10th over at mid off, as he didn’t quite get a hold of a lofted drive. Nobby came & went & then i was dismissed just after the drinks break leaving us in a bit of strife at 3/28. Robin & Josh were at the crease though & they both hit some glorious drives to have the score board ticking over nicely. Robin however finally made an error in judgement, bowled leaving one out for 18 & when Ben & Spence were both dismissed by the leggie we were in strife at 6/73 at tea. Again though we fought back – as Whale & Josh saw us pass 100, as they ticked over the singles regularly with good placement. Josh unfortunately fell for 26 just as he was hitting his straps & Ankur and Kevin didn’t last long. Whale was the last man dismissed for 17 – leaving us 60+ runs short of the target and Hemant stranded. For some reason Uni wanted another bat & with Luz taking the gloves, 6 bowlers were used, including Josh and Robin bowling pace. The only success however was Benny claiming a consolation wicket as we lost another winnable game. Not for the first time i’ll say, next game is a ‘must win’ as we take on the winless SPOC. Hopefully all the boys will be available & we all work on our batting!
The C’s this week took on Adelaide Uni at Park 12, both teams were on 2 wins & just out of the top 4, so this was an extremely important game. With no less than 5 of my C’s promoted to the B’s this week it was a scramble to select an 11. In the end i managed to call in a work colleague Arun Singh to ensure we had 11 players. With Josh coming in the 2nd week (using the sub rule) i decided to have a bowl after winning the toss. Bowling has been our strength all season & i banked on Josh hitting me some runs in the 2nd week.
At the start of the game we had a few boys running late – this meant we kicked off with 8 players and myself & late inclusion Kevin Nguyen opened the bowling. To Uni’s credit, their openers were resolute & patient and it took an incredible 1 handed catch from Chris Luz-Raymond to break the partnership, Hemant & Robin (bowling off spin) then replaced Kevin & i. Robin caused the batsmen plenty of problems with his turn & bounce & was duly rewarded with a wicket. Late in the session i also brought Whale on for a bowl & he also made things difficult for the Uni batsmen. At tea, we’d hustled through 40 overs & they were 3/62. After the break i continued with Robin & Whale and i had decided to bring Robin from the other end – i told Whale he had 1 more over. This seemed to gee the big fella up – a wicket & another chance ensued and in the end Whale bowled unchanged for the entire session. At the other end the mediums all had a go – with Kevin & Ankur chiming in for wickets but we couldn’t quite bowl them out, as uni made 9/192. Whale was the pick of the bowlers with 4/51 (19 overs), whilst Kevin & Ankur both claimed 2, but i thought the bowling was pretty good all-round.
The second Saturday greeted us with buckets of rain before play started, but the pitch was absolutely rock hard. I opened up with Luz’ and we were both pretty watchful. Chris was eventually out in the 10th over at mid off, as he didn’t quite get a hold of a lofted drive. Nobby came & went & then i was dismissed just after the drinks break leaving us in a bit of strife at 3/28. Robin & Josh were at the crease though & they both hit some glorious drives to have the score board ticking over nicely. Robin however finally made an error in judgement, bowled leaving one out for 18 & when Ben & Spence were both dismissed by the leggie we were in strife at 6/73 at tea. Again though we fought back – as Whale & Josh saw us pass 100, as they ticked over the singles regularly with good placement. Josh unfortunately fell for 26 just as he was hitting his straps & Ankur and Kevin didn’t last long. Whale was the last man dismissed for 17 – leaving us 60+ runs short of the target and Hemant stranded. For some reason Uni wanted another bat & with Luz taking the gloves, 6 bowlers were used, including Josh and Robin bowling pace. The only success however was Benny claiming a consolation wicket as we lost another winnable game. Not for the first time i’ll say, next game is a ‘must win’ as we take on the winless SPOC. Hopefully all the boys will be available & we all work on our batting!
See you all next week.
Saf
LOF’s vs Glenunga – Round 9
With the great Michael Lardner unavailable again this week, one of the other captains stepped into the breach again. Not sure if Lards or Tony is the captain of this team...Anyway after slightly damp morning morning Tone won the toss and invited Glenunga to have a bat. Really didn't make any difference as the pitch played well all day, just another day at this beautiful and well prepared ground.
Tone opened up with Mars and Snooze and the boys bowled really tightly, not a single run conceeded until the last ball of the 4th over. Mars was the first to strike, 1/0 in the 3rd over. Then a couple of good partnerships got their innings on track and the score was 1/78 before we rolled through a few wickets and kept them down to 8/144 off their 40 overs. Pick of the bowlers was easily Mario taking 3/19 from his 9 (and a catch). Everyone else bowled reasonably well with the other figures being Snooza 2/22 (with 2 maidens, Ritchie would have given his best dulcet tones to those figures), Stevo 1/33, Tone 1/37 and Fish 1/29. Shame we didn't catch too well today with an easy chance or two going down.
When it was our turn to bat Primey and Fish opened up and we were soon 1/7, 2/18, 3/39. During this time Riggles came in at 3 and looked the goods right from the first ball he faced. and while others struggled and fought it out, he made batting look easy. Riggles played some classic Riggles pull shots bringing back memories of a couple of premiership he starred in in the first half of last decade and, aside from Stevo at the end (16* off not many), was the only one make it to double figures. He finished with 80* and we cantered home on his back making 6/145 off 35 overs.
Good win today by the boys and hopefully for this team it looks like Riggles has been recruited to the LOFs for the rest of the season, ensuring a generally competitive batting side for the rest of the season.
Snooze
Saf
LOF’s vs Glenunga – Round 9
With the great Michael Lardner unavailable again this week, one of the other captains stepped into the breach again. Not sure if Lards or Tony is the captain of this team...Anyway after slightly damp morning morning Tone won the toss and invited Glenunga to have a bat. Really didn't make any difference as the pitch played well all day, just another day at this beautiful and well prepared ground.
Tone opened up with Mars and Snooze and the boys bowled really tightly, not a single run conceeded until the last ball of the 4th over. Mars was the first to strike, 1/0 in the 3rd over. Then a couple of good partnerships got their innings on track and the score was 1/78 before we rolled through a few wickets and kept them down to 8/144 off their 40 overs. Pick of the bowlers was easily Mario taking 3/19 from his 9 (and a catch). Everyone else bowled reasonably well with the other figures being Snooza 2/22 (with 2 maidens, Ritchie would have given his best dulcet tones to those figures), Stevo 1/33, Tone 1/37 and Fish 1/29. Shame we didn't catch too well today with an easy chance or two going down.
When it was our turn to bat Primey and Fish opened up and we were soon 1/7, 2/18, 3/39. During this time Riggles came in at 3 and looked the goods right from the first ball he faced. and while others struggled and fought it out, he made batting look easy. Riggles played some classic Riggles pull shots bringing back memories of a couple of premiership he starred in in the first half of last decade and, aside from Stevo at the end (16* off not many), was the only one make it to double figures. He finished with 80* and we cantered home on his back making 6/145 off 35 overs.
Good win today by the boys and hopefully for this team it looks like Riggles has been recruited to the LOFs for the rest of the season, ensuring a generally competitive batting side for the rest of the season.
Snooze
C’s vs Brighton away – Round 5
Opened
with Abushek and James. Both started bowling quite well, with the line
and length we were looking for. After 4 overs, 0/10. With the
boundary on one side of the ground in short, was very important to bowl
off-side from Abushek's end. Guy started to try to play some shots
against Abushek in the 5th over, but got greedy and Abushek went straight
through him - 1/20. There were no more runs coming then, as Abushek and
James continued to bowl well, both trading wickets. 2/20 (bowled Francis), 3/21
(LBW Abushek), 4/21 (bowled Francis), 5/27 (bowled Abushek), 6/28 (caught
McPharlin bowled Abushek). Changed James over to Hemant at some point
about here, to save James for some later overs if needed. Abushek
continued to bowl tightly, with Hemant doing OK from the other end, and taking
a wicket to make it 7/47 after 16. Swapped Abushek out at this point for
the Whale, and he struck on his first ball (bowled, 8/47). 8/48 at
drinks. Whale bowled very tightly from the end where it was needed,
bowling through his full 9 overs at 1/7. I had Glen bowling spin at the
other end, he did really well with 1/9 off 5. We were (relatively)
struggling to take that 10th wicket, changed Glen for James to try to make a
difference. I didn't realise Mark's overs were up so quickly, and threw
Fabian on (at the end I shouldn't have bowled spin) in a hurry, and he went for
13 off that over because of my mistake. Was about to change Fabian to other end
and get Abushek to bowl his last over, when James finally took the last
wicket. Their 10th wicket partnership was 32. Good bowling and
fielding all round, no notable dropped catches, a brilliant catch in gully by
Ankur, and a sharp chance taken at short mid on by Fabian.
Opened up the batting with Glen and Kempy. Glen tried to play a shot too early (1st over), and bowled out. I followed soon after, 2/11. Then Fabian and Whale. All four of us bowled, and 4/20 after 9. Not a good start, and the bowling was straight up and down. Interestingly, Goodwood only had 2 medium pace, the rest were all slow bowlers. Nothing to say much about middle order either, all single figures most of the way down, with Kempy the only one doing the right thing and holding up his end. He did really well where we really needed it. 5/29, 6/29, 7/48 (partnership with Dan McPharlin, Kempy started going for some runs here as the wickets were running out), 8/59, then Kempy was out caught at 9/61. We were in a spot of bother, but James and Hemant stuck their heads down and did the job really well, passing the runs without looking too shaky. Ended up with a 27 run 10th wicket partnership. Funny game.
The Spence
Opened up the batting with Glen and Kempy. Glen tried to play a shot too early (1st over), and bowled out. I followed soon after, 2/11. Then Fabian and Whale. All four of us bowled, and 4/20 after 9. Not a good start, and the bowling was straight up and down. Interestingly, Goodwood only had 2 medium pace, the rest were all slow bowlers. Nothing to say much about middle order either, all single figures most of the way down, with Kempy the only one doing the right thing and holding up his end. He did really well where we really needed it. 5/29, 6/29, 7/48 (partnership with Dan McPharlin, Kempy started going for some runs here as the wickets were running out), 8/59, then Kempy was out caught at 9/61. We were in a spot of bother, but James and Hemant stuck their heads down and did the job really well, passing the runs without looking too shaky. Ended up with a 27 run 10th wicket partnership. Funny game.
The Spence
LOF’s vs Golden Grove home (Harris oval)– Round 6
Undeafeated so far this year, the LOF's took on Golden Grove at home.
Tony "The Grey Wizard" Fiore making his official debut as captian for the 2011/12 season won the toss and decided we would bowl first on a cool and overcast day.
Matty Grimshaw opened the bowling and was generally the pick of the bowlers for the day, bowling his alloted 9 overs straight and finishing with 1/17. Not so good from the other end, Mars was late, resulting in Snooza having a bowl with his new bionic arm proving to be not so bionic and many wides ensued. Mars finally arrived and things got better. Our catching was good for the day, with Ric plucking a one hander on the stretch while sprinting (unluckiest batsman ever) and a couple of notable brotherly Caught and bowled instances (bowled little Tonks, caught big Tonks, or was it the other way around, we couldn't tell). However, the ground fielding wasn't good, and they got 7/205 from their alloted 40 overs. Other notable bowling stats were Luke "big, little brother" Tonkin 3/32 from 7 and Mario also bolwed well taking 2/48 from 9.
So we set out chasing 205. First ball 4, second ball out (now thats what I call a cameo innings from Simmo). Following this there was 5-6 overs of edgy batting from Yassis and Snooza, but they got away with it (somehow no chances, dunno how) and then Yassis began to make Golden Grove pay, regularly smashing boundaries, while Snooza looked solid but unexciting at the other end. We were 1/96 at drinks so all was looking good. Got to about 1/120 and Yass slipped turning for a two, rupturing many a tendon/knee ligament and had to retire for a well made 61 (hopefully will be OK for next week), bringing Mario to the crease with Snooza. Unfortunately Mario (2) didn't last long, however he is now claiming a 100+ partnership with Dan for the record books, I don't think so Mars. Primey (10), making an inspired return for the club was next, and he was on a mission to bring the back/late-cut back into fashion, but departed after only 3 of them. After this, Tone (31) deemed it safe for a player of his class to enter the fray and put on 65 with Dan, before being unluckily bowled middle stump, to bring us to within 7 runs when he departed. But wait there's more. Ric came in next, got hit a couple of times in the chest/side area before the bowler put it in Ric's half of the pitch and a typically cavalier slash was caught by a fielder I'd deem to be at least his equal, now that was unlucky. Big little brother Tonks came in for a one ball red ink innings before Snooza (76*) finish it with a couple of boundaries.
Generally a much easier win than you would have thought at change of innings (2 overs to spare, many quality wickets in hand), the LOF boys remain undeafeated and taking on Modbury next week, who are yet to win a game. But you just don't know who will be in the other team on any given day in this grade...
Snooze
C’s vs Brighton away – Round 4.
The C’s this week faced Brighton away & fresh from an excellent win last week, the confidence was high.
Unfortunately we had a few late withdrawals & the B’s poached a couple of our boys, meaning Adrian Kemp, Michael Lardner & Mark Leoni all came into the side late.
There had been plenty of rain on the Friday & i wasn’t sure to bat or bowl, but Brighton won the toss & decided to have a bat.
Ben Robinson & new player Hemant Sharma opened up & both bowled well, but without luck, they were followed up by Lards & James, who managed to put the squeeze on Brighton and the wickets started to tumble. James bowled 10 overs 1/14, whilst Lards managed 9 overs 1/10.
At the tea break, honours were pretty even with Brighton at 4/86 after 41 overs. Although Whale lamented the lack of scones at the break, there must’ve been something special in the tea, as we claimed 6/9 after the break to have Brighton all out for 96. Whale chipped in with 2/8 off 5 overs, Ankur again did well with 2/21 whilst Ben was the pick of the bowlers with 3/12 from 11.4 overs with 6 maidens.
This gave us a bit of time to bat & with Riggles leaving early i just wanted the boys to not lose any wickets by the close. In the end though, after a solid start we slumped to 4/28, still 68 behind.
The 2nd Saturday looked much like the first, with overcast conditions i just wanted us to occupy the crease. Unfortunately the cricket gods were not smiling on us though, and after the first over we were 6/28 with Spence & Riggles both gone. In the end, only some defiant blows from Ankur snuck us past 50. 64 all out was a disappointing loss. There were still 45 overs left in the day though & Brighton set out to give us a target. They went to 9/103 off 26 overs – giving us a target of 134 off 17. The bowlers all did well – Lards finished with 3/28, Whale managed 2/36 & I claimed 2/15 (We also had 2 run outs).
I thought we’d have a try to go for the runs but in the end we only managed 1/77 (Lards 54* & Riggles 15*). Perhaps Brighton batted 2-3 more overs than we would have liked.
The positives to take out of the game were our bowling all round, but our batting is still letting us down. We have Goodwood next week who are yet to register a win, so it’s a massive game for us.
Undeafeated so far this year, the LOF's took on Golden Grove at home.
Tony "The Grey Wizard" Fiore making his official debut as captian for the 2011/12 season won the toss and decided we would bowl first on a cool and overcast day.
Matty Grimshaw opened the bowling and was generally the pick of the bowlers for the day, bowling his alloted 9 overs straight and finishing with 1/17. Not so good from the other end, Mars was late, resulting in Snooza having a bowl with his new bionic arm proving to be not so bionic and many wides ensued. Mars finally arrived and things got better. Our catching was good for the day, with Ric plucking a one hander on the stretch while sprinting (unluckiest batsman ever) and a couple of notable brotherly Caught and bowled instances (bowled little Tonks, caught big Tonks, or was it the other way around, we couldn't tell). However, the ground fielding wasn't good, and they got 7/205 from their alloted 40 overs. Other notable bowling stats were Luke "big, little brother" Tonkin 3/32 from 7 and Mario also bolwed well taking 2/48 from 9.
So we set out chasing 205. First ball 4, second ball out (now thats what I call a cameo innings from Simmo). Following this there was 5-6 overs of edgy batting from Yassis and Snooza, but they got away with it (somehow no chances, dunno how) and then Yassis began to make Golden Grove pay, regularly smashing boundaries, while Snooza looked solid but unexciting at the other end. We were 1/96 at drinks so all was looking good. Got to about 1/120 and Yass slipped turning for a two, rupturing many a tendon/knee ligament and had to retire for a well made 61 (hopefully will be OK for next week), bringing Mario to the crease with Snooza. Unfortunately Mario (2) didn't last long, however he is now claiming a 100+ partnership with Dan for the record books, I don't think so Mars. Primey (10), making an inspired return for the club was next, and he was on a mission to bring the back/late-cut back into fashion, but departed after only 3 of them. After this, Tone (31) deemed it safe for a player of his class to enter the fray and put on 65 with Dan, before being unluckily bowled middle stump, to bring us to within 7 runs when he departed. But wait there's more. Ric came in next, got hit a couple of times in the chest/side area before the bowler put it in Ric's half of the pitch and a typically cavalier slash was caught by a fielder I'd deem to be at least his equal, now that was unlucky. Big little brother Tonks came in for a one ball red ink innings before Snooza (76*) finish it with a couple of boundaries.
Generally a much easier win than you would have thought at change of innings (2 overs to spare, many quality wickets in hand), the LOF boys remain undeafeated and taking on Modbury next week, who are yet to win a game. But you just don't know who will be in the other team on any given day in this grade...
Snooze
C’s vs Brighton away – Round 4.
The C’s this week faced Brighton away & fresh from an excellent win last week, the confidence was high.
Unfortunately we had a few late withdrawals & the B’s poached a couple of our boys, meaning Adrian Kemp, Michael Lardner & Mark Leoni all came into the side late.
There had been plenty of rain on the Friday & i wasn’t sure to bat or bowl, but Brighton won the toss & decided to have a bat.
Ben Robinson & new player Hemant Sharma opened up & both bowled well, but without luck, they were followed up by Lards & James, who managed to put the squeeze on Brighton and the wickets started to tumble. James bowled 10 overs 1/14, whilst Lards managed 9 overs 1/10.
At the tea break, honours were pretty even with Brighton at 4/86 after 41 overs. Although Whale lamented the lack of scones at the break, there must’ve been something special in the tea, as we claimed 6/9 after the break to have Brighton all out for 96. Whale chipped in with 2/8 off 5 overs, Ankur again did well with 2/21 whilst Ben was the pick of the bowlers with 3/12 from 11.4 overs with 6 maidens.
This gave us a bit of time to bat & with Riggles leaving early i just wanted the boys to not lose any wickets by the close. In the end though, after a solid start we slumped to 4/28, still 68 behind.
The 2nd Saturday looked much like the first, with overcast conditions i just wanted us to occupy the crease. Unfortunately the cricket gods were not smiling on us though, and after the first over we were 6/28 with Spence & Riggles both gone. In the end, only some defiant blows from Ankur snuck us past 50. 64 all out was a disappointing loss. There were still 45 overs left in the day though & Brighton set out to give us a target. They went to 9/103 off 26 overs – giving us a target of 134 off 17. The bowlers all did well – Lards finished with 3/28, Whale managed 2/36 & I claimed 2/15 (We also had 2 run outs).
I thought we’d have a try to go for the runs but in the end we only managed 1/77 (Lards 54* & Riggles 15*). Perhaps Brighton batted 2-3 more overs than we would have liked.
The positives to take out of the game were our bowling all round, but our batting is still letting us down. We have Goodwood next week who are yet to register a win, so it’s a massive game for us.
Saf
C1 Unley vs Golden Grove @ Home – Round 3
After the disappointment of our loss last round, the boys faced Golden Grove at home for round 3, on what was the hottest day of the year so far (33 degrees). We welcomed the return of Alex Matushik (as a batsman) to our side & i had to recruit Jason Nichol (in SA from NZ for the week) to play also, as we had a couple of late withdrals.
I won the toss for the 2nd time this season and decided to have a bat, as the pitch felt rock hard.
I asked the boys to bat the full 40 overs this week and Stuey & Toosh opened up. Stu was undone by a ball that kept low and when Jonty went for 7 soon after in similar fashion, we could tell batting would not be easy. Spence came to the crease and batted with real intent, lacing 5 boundaries before being dismissed for 22 and James went at the drinks break leaving us 4/72 with 20 overs to go. All this time Toosh had been batting patiently & was on 25 at the time.
After the break, the heat got to Alex & he actually vomited 4 times. Although the other team told him to go off & have a rest, Toosh was having none of it & he brought up his 50 in the 28th over. At the other end, all the batsmen made a few & came and went, while Toosh was really hitting his straps. In the end though he was run out for a fine 83 & we batted out our 40 overs getting to 9/159.
We opened up with Ben Robinson and new player Abhishek Chauhan. Ben was immediately on the money & bowled an excellent line & length with just a touch of outswing. Abhishek struggled with his line a little & bowled a few wides, but interspersed them with some absolute gems generating good pace & outswing. Ben made the early breakthroughs dismissing the opener & number 3 both cheaply & he bowled out his 9 overs claiming 2/21. I came on after Abhishek & then James followed Ben as the wickets started to tumble. We applied steady pressure & the catching was excellent. Although we put down 5 chances, only 1 of these was relatively straightforward, whilst Jason, Ankur and Jonty all took excellent sharp chances. James finished with 3/27, i claimed 3/24 & Ankur chimed in with 2/14. The only bowler not to take a wicket was Abhishek who ended up with 0/24 but beat the bat numerous times.
In the end, we rolled Golden Grove for 110 for a 49 run win that should give the boys a lot of confidence. All 11 came back to the club to celebrate the win, which really shows how much the win meant to the boys.
A fantastic team effort & man of the match was Alex Matushik who really set the win up. Well done boys.
After the disappointment of our loss last round, the boys faced Golden Grove at home for round 3, on what was the hottest day of the year so far (33 degrees). We welcomed the return of Alex Matushik (as a batsman) to our side & i had to recruit Jason Nichol (in SA from NZ for the week) to play also, as we had a couple of late withdrals.
I won the toss for the 2nd time this season and decided to have a bat, as the pitch felt rock hard.
I asked the boys to bat the full 40 overs this week and Stuey & Toosh opened up. Stu was undone by a ball that kept low and when Jonty went for 7 soon after in similar fashion, we could tell batting would not be easy. Spence came to the crease and batted with real intent, lacing 5 boundaries before being dismissed for 22 and James went at the drinks break leaving us 4/72 with 20 overs to go. All this time Toosh had been batting patiently & was on 25 at the time.
After the break, the heat got to Alex & he actually vomited 4 times. Although the other team told him to go off & have a rest, Toosh was having none of it & he brought up his 50 in the 28th over. At the other end, all the batsmen made a few & came and went, while Toosh was really hitting his straps. In the end though he was run out for a fine 83 & we batted out our 40 overs getting to 9/159.
We opened up with Ben Robinson and new player Abhishek Chauhan. Ben was immediately on the money & bowled an excellent line & length with just a touch of outswing. Abhishek struggled with his line a little & bowled a few wides, but interspersed them with some absolute gems generating good pace & outswing. Ben made the early breakthroughs dismissing the opener & number 3 both cheaply & he bowled out his 9 overs claiming 2/21. I came on after Abhishek & then James followed Ben as the wickets started to tumble. We applied steady pressure & the catching was excellent. Although we put down 5 chances, only 1 of these was relatively straightforward, whilst Jason, Ankur and Jonty all took excellent sharp chances. James finished with 3/27, i claimed 3/24 & Ankur chimed in with 2/14. The only bowler not to take a wicket was Abhishek who ended up with 0/24 but beat the bat numerous times.
In the end, we rolled Golden Grove for 110 for a 49 run win that should give the boys a lot of confidence. All 11 came back to the club to celebrate the win, which really shows how much the win meant to the boys.
A fantastic team effort & man of the match was Alex Matushik who really set the win up. Well done boys.
Saf
C1 Unley vs Grange @ Home – Round 2
An under-manned C’s side took on Grange at home & after all the rain we’d had on Friday & even Saturday morning we were pleasantly surprised to see the pitch looking great.
The pitch turned out to be an absolute belter & Grange were pretty resolute early, but James, Ben and then Ankur all got early breakthroughs as we had them 3/84 & were bowling & fielding well. In the middle of the first session however our concentration broke – we dropped the Grange number 4 3 times before he’d reached 30 & we were made to pay dearly, as he began an onslaught (combining with the big hitting number 7) that broke us. In the end, Grange put on a monumental score of 450, with the number 4 making 150.
The 2nd Saturday was a lovely day. I asked the boys to just bat out the day, but we weren’t able to do that, being rolled for a meagre 58 in just 32.4 overs, Only Stu Edwards (25) and Ankur Suri (11) made double figures. Not surprisingly we were sent in again with 36 overs to survive. Unfortunately we didn’t fare much better as the pressure may have gotten to a few of the boys. Again only 2 players made double figures in what was a disappointing loss, as we were dismissed in the 36th over.
As far as losses go, to lose by an innings and 317 runs has to be one of the biggest ones Unley has ever had & the boys will really want to bounce back from a day like this.
Saf
An under-manned C’s side took on Grange at home & after all the rain we’d had on Friday & even Saturday morning we were pleasantly surprised to see the pitch looking great.
The pitch turned out to be an absolute belter & Grange were pretty resolute early, but James, Ben and then Ankur all got early breakthroughs as we had them 3/84 & were bowling & fielding well. In the middle of the first session however our concentration broke – we dropped the Grange number 4 3 times before he’d reached 30 & we were made to pay dearly, as he began an onslaught (combining with the big hitting number 7) that broke us. In the end, Grange put on a monumental score of 450, with the number 4 making 150.
The 2nd Saturday was a lovely day. I asked the boys to just bat out the day, but we weren’t able to do that, being rolled for a meagre 58 in just 32.4 overs, Only Stu Edwards (25) and Ankur Suri (11) made double figures. Not surprisingly we were sent in again with 36 overs to survive. Unfortunately we didn’t fare much better as the pressure may have gotten to a few of the boys. Again only 2 players made double figures in what was a disappointing loss, as we were dismissed in the 36th over.
As far as losses go, to lose by an innings and 317 runs has to be one of the biggest ones Unley has ever had & the boys will really want to bounce back from a day like this.
Saf
| Archives |
