LMS T20 (8-a-SIDE) EASTERN SYDNEY MIDWEEK DIVISION 3 ROUND 3 v ‘WHO’S THIS TEAM’ AT MP2 MOORE PARK WEST, MOORE PARK ON WEDNESDAY 11 NOVEMBER 2020: REPORT BY JIM HADLEY
CCNSW won the toss and elected to bat. Opening bat Ben Gorham scored another quick fire (50*) accompanied by Trent Nixon (29), Will Jacobs (21) and Jim Hadley (21) for a total of 6-174. In a tight hard fought defence of our total, Josh Johnston held his nerve under pressure with the ball for 1-27 off 4 overs together with Jamie Murtha’s quickly developing off-spin 0-22 off 3 overs and Hadley pitching in with 2-9 off 3 overs. (Editor’s note: including one maiden; almost unheard of in LMS T20 8-a-side cricket)
Dropped catches made the game tighter than needed with “Who’s This Team” needing 11 off the last over to win but Josh Johnson bowled a cracking final over to get CCNSW home. Now 3 for 3 we move on.
The Team was: -Ben Gorham 67*. James Murtha 9, James Bonkowski 16, Jonathan Seifman 5. Trent Nixon 29, Josh Johnston 3, William Jacobs (w) 21, Jim Hadley 21* (c)
The Result was:-
C.C.N.S.W.: – 6-174 (20 overs) ())
Defeated
Who’s This Team: – 4-167 (20 overs)
By 7 runs
The Bowling was: – J. Johnston 4-0-27-1; T. Nixon 4-0-44-0; B. Gorham 4-0-33-0, J. Hadley 3-1-9-2, J. Murtha 3-0-22-0, J. Seifman 2-0-28-0
Fielding
Stumpings: – 2 to W. Jacobs
Catches: – Nil
Run outs: – One to J. Johnston
Player Points (awarded by captain): – Three points to ; Two points to ; One point to
CITY & SUBURBAN ROUND 2 v YARRALLA AT GODDARD OVAL, CONCORD ON SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2020: REPORT BYSOREN HUGHES
A hat trick for Mike Tarrant
Seeking to avenge the loss of last week’s Jack Pace Shield game, we arrived at Goddard Oval with a game plan and, much to the shock of Yaralla, without Tom Robertson. After landing a couple of good jokes about the Yaralla Captain’s height with his wife at the newly staffed canteen, Jim won the toss and decided to bat.
We had decided to give the young blokes a bat this week. While new player James Murtha, on debut in our C&S team, gave in early, Declan Thomas starred with a cleanly hit 32, sweeping their pace bowlers off the front foot at every given opportunity. Curtis Murray got a start but fell into a trap outside off stump. George Arnold again looked promising but left early with Len Volkov for drinks. Paul Nash formed a brief partnership with Soren Hughes swinging like a rusty gate. Mick Tarrant and Jim Hadley took care of the remaining overs with a healthy and aggressive partnership, putting us in the box seat at 9-154 on a green top pitch offering a bit off the seam and a little bounce.
A bowling partnership between Soren and Mick Tarrant kicked it off and Mick lined up a hat trick off for the first ball of his next over. After an over of random nonsense from Soren, Mick had the new batsman on strike and was lining it up. With precision, Mick peeled back the stumps and landed a hat trick and figures of 4 for 18. Legendary stuff.
There seemed to be only one impediment to our victory, the big tall bloke who was striking them well. After a bit of chat and some cold drinks, Jim again threw the ball to new player Matt Leong, also on debut for our C&S team, who was bowling well before the break. It took just one ball to rouse him with a big LBW shout from the team How could umpire Brian Breakspear resist a shout like that?
After knocking them all out for 68, we retired to the canteen where we listened to Brian’s tales of the planned new C&S headquarters at Goddard Oval, with the pavilion to be fully redeveloped to include new club rooms downstairs and a function room and trophy cabinet upstairs for housing the Jack Pace Memorial Shield. It might even be ready for next year’s fixture.
The Team was: – James Murtha 3 , Declan Thomas (w) 32, Curtis Murray (w) 12, George Arnold 5, Len Volkov 0, Paul Nash 17, Soren Hughes 23, Matthew Leong 5, Mick Tarrant 27*, Jim Hadley 23 and Mark Henwood 0*
The Result was:-
CCNSW: – 9-154 (35 overs)
Defeated
Yaralla: 10-68 (M. Tarrant 4-18, incl. Hattrick) (23.2 overs)
By 86 runs
FoW: – 1- 8 (J. Murtha); 2- 46 (C. Murray); 3-48 (D. Thomas); 4- 52 (G. Arnold); 5-59 (L. Volkov); 6- 91 (S. Hughes); 7- 93 (P. Nash); 8-111 (M. Leong); 9- 147 (M. Tarrant); 10-154 (M. Henwood).
The Bowling was: – S. Hughes 6-1-18-1; M. Tarrant 6-2-18-4; J. Murtha 2-0-16-0; M. Leong 4-2-4-2; P. Nash 2-0-3-1; M. Henwood 2-0-5-1; G. Arnold 1.2-0-4-1
The Fielding was: –
Stumpings: One to C. Murray
Catches: One to D. Thomas (w); 2 to M. Tarrant; one to M. Leong
Run outs: Nil
Player Points (awarded by captain): – Three points to M .Tarrant; Two points to D. Thomas; One point to M. Leong
CLASSICS ROUND 2 v OLD IGNATIANS AT CAMPERDOWN OVAL, CAMPERDOWN ON SUNDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2020: REPORT BY DAVID CRAIG
A Classic Encounter
A stunning Sydney spring day with bright blue skies and a gentle breeze, a good deck, and the picturesque Camperdown Oval set the scene for an epic game of cricket yesterday. Skipper Stuart Ridge did right by us by winning the toss and batting first in the warm conditions, and two of the four Micks (Weaver and Pinter) strode confidently to the crease on the stroke of 12.15. A cautious start against one of the quickest opening bowlers in the Classics (McCleod) and one of the slowest (Frawley) saw the score advance to one run (sundries 1) before Weaves was adjudged LBW in the third over, to a ball which from our deep square leg vantage point was CLEARLY headed harmlessly down the leg side (the umpires don’t read these reports do they? If they do, I didn’t write it!)
After a few sighters, number 3 Scott Wells moved smoothly through the gears like a finely tuned sports car, unleashing an array of brutally efficient pulls and cuts complemented by sumptuous cover drives, a perennial favourite of the cricket aesthete. Despite the unfortunate loss of Mick #2 (Pinter) who holed out trying to break the shackles, the run rate was a respectable 4 per over in the 12th over when Wells retired to “the shed” witha run-a-ball 32*. Mick # 3 (McCormick) joined Peter Nielsen in the middle, and this pair moved the score on to 60 when Nielsen, who was beginning to look threatening after a couple of belligerent boundaries, unfortunately dragged one on from wide outside off stump. Two overs later the scorebook was looking a little dicey at 4-73 (17 overs) after Martin Speiser was adjudged LBW for 5. Andrew Spedding joined Mick #3 (McCormick) in an efficient half-century partnership, exploiting the fast outfield by putting away (almost) anything too short or too full. With McCormick safely “in the shed” and the Prez, Greg Brooks at the crease, Speds on 29 eyed a loosener from the opposing skipper but tragically carved the short ball straight to a fielder, 5-124 in the 27th.
From this point the powerful CCNSW batting line-up hit the gas pedal, as Mick #4 (Tarrant) quickly belted half a dozen boundaries, mainly through the extra cover region, retiring at 32* after achieving the rare feat of outscoring the Prez in an enterprising partnership. With three batsmen safely banked, Garry James was never going to die wondering, and departed for a run-a-ball 2 as McCleod penetrated his offence with an off-cutter that knocked back the off-stump. Things were getting frenetic at the scorers desk as Brooks moved to a chanceless 30* (retired), and Stu Ridge landed a couple of lusty blows before falling for 13 in a classic skipper v. skipper contest. At 7-212 in the 37th, 29 had been added in just 20 balls, yet further acceleration was to come as the in-form Wells was joined by Mick # 3 (McCormick). The pair added 33 off the last 3 overs, highlighted by a flat pull-shot for six from Wells that nearly caused the scorers to retire hurt. The final tally of 7-245 looked very defendable, but the Old Ignatians had other ideas…
Mick #3 (Tarrant) took the new ball from the Australia Street end, with skipper Ridge wheeling in from the direction of Mallet Street. Pugnacious left-handed opener (Schwager) was extremely fortunate to survive a thunderous LBW appeal from the first ball, a tough decision which was to have significant implications. After a couple of tight overs, the right-handed Thomas made the mistake of backing away to try and thrash Tarrant though the covers. The delivery swung away and cut back to dislodge the off-bail, bringing to mind the FS Trueman sledge “it were wasted on thee, lad”.
A bright second wicket partnership ensued before Phelps failed to counter a snorter from Ridge, the old-fashioned “top of off stump” working its magic. 2-32 after 8 overs, and nearly 7 an over required. Enter McCleod at number 4, who blocked a couple before smoking his way to 30* off just 18 balls, including a mighty blow onto the roof of the pavilion. Meantime, Schwager had retired after a brisk 32*. Easy and Frawley set about the task with sensible determination, picking off the rare loose deliveries from James and Brooks before Frawley (23) skied one to long-on off James. David Craig wandered around like a blind man on the turps before the descending ball targeted his chest area like a guided missile and the catch was completed: 3-115 after 21 and the asking rate stubbornly sticking at a tick under 7 per over.
Mick #3 (McCormick) relieved James in the 25th over, and immediately knocked back the off-stump of Garling (20): 4-145 after 25. The Ignatians number 5, Easy, “eased” his way to 30* to become the Ignatians third man “in the shed”, as the Prez completed another 9 over spell of his tight, combative medium pace without much reward. It’s fair to say he will have bowled a lot worse for much better figures. Ignatians skipper Toal (18) dominated a partnership of 25 with Forde before bizarrely hitting his own wicket while trying to hoick Speds to backward square: 5-178 after 30, 68 off 10 overs required.
Despite having numbers 9 and 10 at the crease, the Ignatians kept the score ticking over. Tarrant and Ridge returned to bowl out the last 8 overs, with 52 required and 5 wickets in hand. The skipper knocked over Forde (23) with the second ball of his spell (that off stump was really taking a hammering on the day!). A miserly over from Mick #4 (Tarrant), who pinned Parsons (19) in front, left the score at 7-219 with a testing target of 27 from 3 overs. The recycled hitters were now coming back to join number 11 Osborne, on strike to Ridge. After carving a boundary and a 2, the Ignatians tested the fielders once too often, and a superb pickup and throw from Mick #4 (Tarrant) to Ridge saw the dangerous Schwager run out without facing a ball in his second dig.
After a tight final over from Mick #4 (Tarrant), the Old Ignatians required 13 (or 12; whatever, scorers!) off the last over. Ridge bowled Osborne (17) with the first ball, and the task proved impossible for the final pairing: CCNSW prevailed in a thriller, by four runs. Phewww!
The Result was:-
C.C.N.S.W.: – 7-245 (S. Wells 54*; M. McCormick 39*; M. Tarrant 32*; G. Brooks 30*) (40 overs)
Defeated
Old Ignatians: – 9-241 (40 overs)
By 4 runs
FoW: – 1-1 (M. Weaver); 2-20 (M. Pinter); 3-60 (P. Nielsen); 4-71 (M. Speiser); 5124 (A. Spedding); 6- 183 (G. James); 7-212 (S. Ridge)
The Bowling was: – M. Tarrant 9-0-48-2; S. Ridge 9-0-49-3; G. James 7-0-42-1; G. Brooks 9-0-52-0; M. McCormick 4-0-29-1, A. Spedding 2-0-18-1
The Fielding was: –
Stumpings:- Nil
Catches: – One to D. Craig
Run outs: – One to M. Tarrant/S. Ridge.
Player Points: – Three points to S. Wells; Two points to M. McCormick ; One point to M. Tarrant