ROUND 2: C.C.N.S.W. v ‘JOHNNY CASH MEMORIAL’ at MOORE PARK ROBERTSON ROAD MP7 ON SUNDAY 19 JULY 2020: REPORT BY JIM HADLEY
I lost the toss and we we’re asked to bowl which is what we intended on doing anyway. Young Tom Speiser opened with good pace and was unlucky to be top edged and snicked for early boundaries and immediately replied in his next overs with a wicket and economical deliveries. Graham Buck bowled well but the opposition batsmen who retired got lucky with a few across the line swipes. Luke Holman’s offies were terrific again, often getting the ball above the eye- line and with a regular keeper could have had a couple of stumpings to add to his tidy figures. ‘Jono’ Seifman’s line and length was near perfect and controlled the middle overs with Luke Eustace both finishing together with similar economical figures. Richard Clark took a blinder of a caught and bowled only to be denied as a bump ball.
Defending 136, the opposition opened the bowling with a handy leg spinner and Clark feathered a ball early trying to push a single to the offside. Peter Rolls dug in and hit the spinner for some early boundaries including a 6 ending up on Anzac parade, Peter kept up the needed run rate with Luke Eustace who played some fabulous cover drives till both departed in their 20s, right on the run rate needed. Tom Speiser dug in with Seifman, the latter showing his regular middle order thuggery until both unluckily found the same outfielder bringing Luke Holman to the crease. Holman immediately offered up boundaries with cut shots and leg glances off their returning main bowler and looked like he was going to see us home until falling for the LMS (double play) rule, captain didn’t fill him in on the rules. That left Jim Hadley and Graham Buck to get us home and things got tricky when Hadley failed to score off his first few opportunities and then managed to run out Buck. The opposition had now run out of a frontline bowler and Hadley was served up a few “what the doctor ordered deliveries” and then only needing 2 off the final delivery received another gift to hoist away to victory. So 2 for 2 with a bye next week.
If we can get some of our top order retiring on 50s, Rolls needs to stop going “surfing on Sunday mornings”, we can give this comp a real nudge!
The Team was: – Peter Rolls 38, Richard Clark 0, Luke Eustace 35, Tom Speiser 21, Jonathan Seifman 15, Luke Holman 12, Jim Hadley (c) and (w) 23*, Graham Buck 0
The Result was: –
‘Johnny Cash Memorial’: – 4-136 (20 0vers)
Lost to
C.C.N.S.W.: – 7-147 (20 overs) (P. Rolls 38; L.. Eustace 35)
By 1 wicket
The Bowling was: – T. Speiser 4-0-27-1; G. Buck 4-0-37-1; L. Holman 3-0-17-1; J. Seifman 4-0-17-1; L. Eustace 3-0-16-0; R. Clark 2-0-20-0
The Fielding was: –
Run outs: – Nil
Catches: – . One to J. Hadley and one to P. Rolls
Stumpings: – Nil.
Post Script on the Report
I feel compelled to add a “post script” on this most exciting of finishes.
As a batsman you always dream of hitting the winning runs… especially with a boundary.
I need to elaborate on Jim’s class as he was very modest on his efforts in his report.
We needed 20 runs off 8 balls (1.3 overs as LMS are 5 ball overs) when Jim and Bucky came to the crease (last pair) after a calamity with two batters out in a double play. The double play occurred when Tom Speiser was caught in the outfield and a rocket throw by the fielder to the bowlers end saw Luke Holman caught short trying to get back. (Footnote: Rules for LMS is that non-striker needs to get back to the bowlers end after the striker is caught.)
Remaining balls of the second last over:
3rd ball – Bucky deflects ball off his pads to fine leg for 1 run. 19 runs needed.
4th ball – Jim swings and misses.
5th ball – Jim swings and misses. End of a very tight over from a leggy that got turn and sharp bounce on the synthetic grass.
Last over from a medium pace bowler:
1st ball – Jim swings and hits ball along the ground to mid-wicket. Bucky run out at bowlers end going for 2 runs. Jim is Last Man Standing! 18 runs needed off 4 balls.
2nd ball – Jim swings and connects with ball going high to mid off and goes over head of fielder and lands just inside the boundary and rolls over it for 4 runs. 14 runs needed.
3rd ball – Jim swings and connect and ball clears mid on boundary for 6. 8 runs needed off 2 balls.
4th ball – Jim swings and connect and ball clears mid on boundary for 6. 2 runs needed off 1 ball.
5th ball – Jim swings and connect and ball clears cow corner boundary for 6. Jubilation for C.C.N.S.W. and Johnny Cash players left wondering how Jim cleared their burning ring of fire on the boundary!!!
Jim’s heroics are now etched in LMS folklore for C.C.N.S.W.!
Peter Rolls.