LMS T20 (8-a-SIDE) EASTERN SYDNEY MIDWEEK DIVISION 2 ROUND 5 v ‘THE BATS’ AT MP 5 ROBERTSON ROAD, MOORE PARK ON WEDNESDAY 1 DECEMBER 2021: REPORT BY JIM HADLEY
We won the toss and batted. Ben Gorham and Jamie Murtha put on an opening stand of 60 before Murtha departed for 21. Gorham soon followed for 45 leaving Toby Forbes and Scott Williams at the crease. Williams was quickly to 19 before playing through a slower ball to be bowled. Jonathan Seifman was out soon after for 0 and David Craig joined Forbes to put on a further 20 odd before Forbes departed for 31. Jim Hadley lasted 2 balls leaving Craig to soldier on his own due to Mick Tarrant’s non arrival. Craig had managed 36* when our 20 overs were up and we now had a respectable total of 170.
Good early overs from Gorham and Forbes kept us on top with Ben only going for 13 off his 4 overs. But no breakthrough till Craig and Seifman got key wickets and backed up by decent closing overs by Murtha we got a hard fought win a man down by one run, the Bats reaching 4-169.
The Team was: – Ben Gorham 45, James Murtha 21 , Toby Forbes 31, Jonathan Seifman 0, Scott Williams 19 (w) , David Craig 36* , Jim Hadley (c) 6
The Result was:-
CCNSW: – 6-170 (20 overs) (B. Gorham 45)
Defeated
The Bats: – 4-169 (20 overs)
By one run
The Bowling was: – D. Craig 4-0-51-1; J. Seifman 4-0-25-2; T. Forbes 4-0-27-0; B. Gorham 4-0-13-0; J. Hadley 2-0-20-0; J. Murtha 2-0-22-1.
The Fielding was:-
Stumpings: – Nil
Catches: – One catch to J. Hadley and one to S. Williams
Run outs: – Nil
Player points (awarded by captain): – 3 points to D. Craig; 2 points to B. Gorham; 1 point to J. Seifman
CITY & SUBURBAN ROUND 3 v KNOX OLD BOYS AT CAMPERDOWN OVAL, CAMPERDOWN ON SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER 2021: REPORT BY JIM HADLEY
We won the toss and bowled but lost our keeper Declan Thomas in the second over to a dislocated shoulder and remained a player down for the rest of the game. Avinash Bhandari and Soren Hughes opened the bowling with “Big Sooz’ keeping things tight at one end but without a breakthrough. At the other end ‘Avi’ was producing the spell of the season with an eight over demolition of Knox’s top order. Had he had a decent keeper his “3 for” could easily have been five wickets. Ian Robertson and Ed Robertson both bowled with good pace and purpose on limited preparation, backed up by the reliable seam of Brett James and a tidy spell of offies from Ezekiel Hughes, Knox struggled to 8-153.
We started with the bat well, Tom Robertson square driving the first ball for an enormous 6 followed by further audacious boundaries till his captain was reluctantly forced to give him out lbw. Dan Turner looked comfortable and stylish till losing the tracking of a delivery and yorking himself. Harry Bridge and Brett James steadied the ship staying on the required run rate till both exiting nearing 30s. Avi Bhandari scored freely till he half hit a drive to mid off. ‘Big Sooz’ took a relaxed swing to Knox’s spinner not seeing the man placed at cow corner and would surely go a lot harder given the same ball again. Ed Robertson, Ian Robertson and Zeke Hughes couldn’t clear the infield with lofted shots and we finished a disappointing 13 short on 140, when needing 14 off the last ten balls.
We have led our three games this year for nearly the entire game only to come up short. Our top five in the order are just not following through on encouraging starts. Once we get a consistent 11 on the field, watch out whoever plays us from here.
The Team was: – Tom Robertson 17, Dan Turner 2, Harry Bridge 28, Brett James 28 Avinash Bhandari 17 , Soren Hughes 1, Ed Robertson 14, Jim Hadley (c) 19*, Ezekiel Hughes 1 , Ian Robertson 2, Declan Thomas dnb injured
The Result was: –
Knox Old Boys: – 8-153 (35 overs) ( )
Defeated
C.C.N.S.W.: – all out 140 (33.4 overs)
By 13 runs.
FoW: – 1-18 (T. Robertson); 2-25 (D. Turner); 3-73 (B. James); 4-95 (H. Bridge); 5-101 (S. Hughes); 6-101 (A. Bhandari); 7-127 (E. Robertson); 8-135 (E. Hughes); 9-140 (I. Robertson)
The Bowling was: – A. Bhandari 8-0-37-3; Soren Hughes 5-0-29-0; Ed Robertson 7-2-15-1; Ian Robertson 6-0-21-1; B. James 5-0-21-1; Ezekiel Hughes 4-0-28-2
The Fielding was: –
Stumpings: – Nil
Catches: – One to T. Robertson
Run Outs: – Nil
Player points (awarded by captain): – 3 points to A. Bhandari; 2 points to B. James; one point to H. Bridge
CLASSICS OVER 50s ROUND 3 v BURWOOD AT CAMPERDOWN OVAL, CAMPERDOWN ON SUNDAY 5 DECEMBER 2021 : REPORT BY DAVID BENSON
GREY SKIES OVER CAMPERDOWN
Come hell or high water and lets face it, there’s been plenty of that lately, twenty two cricket starved individuals were resolute in their determination to get things under way, despite the threatening clouds.
The uncovering of the wicket revealed a dilemma. Deck good albeit with a pizza sized wet spot mid track? And one end acceptable from a bowling run up perspective but the other end looking like a play pen for pigs. Solution to this, 80 overs from one end. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Having lost the toss and sent into bat, a short change room optic from our abbreviated skipper, Mike Pinter and Ian Allmey strode purposely to the soddened square. Bowling from the hospital end and credit to the opening pair of Rouse and Degura, revealed a couple of thing early. Firstly the pitch was playing true, hats off to ground staff, although playing off the front foot rather than back, is always suggested. Secondly our own rain maker Allmey was looking a little frustrated by the good length bowling of the Burwood openers. Positive note, his bat swinging was drying out the wicket.
Allmey’s frustration was over in the second ball of the seven over, as he uncharacteristically feathered one through to the keeper. One for 13 off seven overs. In strode Paul Nash full of purpose and resolve, to join Pinter. A quick midwicket glove punch, recap on objectives and on with proceedings. After a cautious start, Nash opened the shoulders and accessed the shorter offside boundary, retiring on 30* off 39 deliveries. One in the bank.
Where is Punter I hear you ask? Well solid and anchoring at this stage. Captain my Captain now in the fold and looking to push and a great partnership unfolds between Pinter and Scott Wells. Two great runners between wickets is reflected in an increased run rate until Punter retires with a well complied 30*. Bank looking healthy.
New recruit and big bonus it must be said, Richie de Silva walks to the crease. Starting well with some classic stroke play, De Silva is undone by a peach of a delivery and with castle rattled, departs after scoring 8. Two for 117 of 24.
Enter Ed Cross, again another fine signing in the off season; this guy is a no nonsense cricket. Together with Wells they continue to push forward and in doing so, lower the heads of the opposition. Wells retires on 31* and bank at this stage, deposit box full. Out walks Martin Speiser to join Cross. Not for long, Cross retires on 33* (21 balls faced, best on ground). Bank is bursting at the preferable seams.
Two for 157 after 30 Overs. (Hats off to tweaker David Craig for an immaculate scorebook, to which this scribe refers. In partnership with Smith, who knows what these guys could do).
Back to the cricket.
David Benson and Speiser at the crease. Having complied a solid 16, Speiser is undone by the crafty (want to hit this bloke to Marrickville), Nation from Burwood. Three for 186 from 34.
With a target of 240 / 250 in mind, it was all systems go. Benson, Mike Tarrant, Greg Brooks and Anthony Bachelard are given licence to open the shoulders and combined, provide a fitting end to a team effort of 4 for 237 off 40. To be honest the 237 was worth 270, given that accessing the shorter off side boundary was difficult due the bowling accuracy of Burwood and the onside almost unreachable due to the pitch position and prevailing wind.
Covid had its say in innings change as with everything else. Gone I fear are the days of CCNSW providing from the canteen shelf a mid-innings, well deserved break, where we come together as cricketers. So a short innings break, a quick warm up and CCNSW take the field full of confidence after posting an imposing score.
Things didn’t start well for the Burwood openers. Chasing runs from the get-go, a comical run out had the visitors on the back foot at one for 4 off the first over. New recruit Bachelard opened the bowling with spearhead Mike Tarrant and was starting to probe the top of off until popping his hamstring in his second over. Bad for ‘Bach’.
Playing 12 is always a good thing, particularly at this level of cricket. So Bach is replaced by the scribe and order restored.
Degura and Robinson looked to build the run chase after the early setback and started to accumulate.
It took a sharp piece of fielding from Cross and bail removal by Nash to find Robinson short on the second and back in the pavilion. Interesting that as one run was completed of the two, Degura had reached 30* and was also on his way back to the pavilion. 2 for 58 after 14 with one in the bank.
It’s a strange thing bowling from one end. It removes the much needed change of over mid-wicket interactions between team mates, that keeps focus on the task at hand and the legs moving.
Nash and Brooks now rolled them over as first changes. Bowling tight lines, as to be expected, the pair combined to take three wickets in the next ten overs. 5 for 91 after 25 and any flicker of Burwood hope extinguished. The bowling was of course well supported by fielding throughout by the usual suspects but notably, Allmey running the boundary, Speiser with a blooded finger and even the “Pres’, Greg Brooks picking up a couple of grass stains.
In the end Burwood managed to bat out the allotted 40 overs, much to the frustration of David Craig who bowled a luckless spell but in combination with Speiser picked up their 6th. Cross came on for a couple before picking up a calf strain and Wells shortly afterwards executed a freakish stumping off the medium-fast Mike Tarrant. You won’t see that in the scorebook every season.
A wicket by the scribe off the last ball of the day, had the CCNSW boys pick up two from two to begin the season. Realistically we should have rolled Burwood earlier but to be honest, begin back on the paddock was the true reward and as they say in the Classics “Cricket was the winner on the day”.
The Team was (playing 12): – Ian Allmey 3; Mike Pinter 30*, Paul Nash 30*, Scott Wells (c) & (w) 31*,Richie De Silva 8, Ed Cross 33*, Martin Speiser 16, David Benson 30*, Mike Tarrant 27*, Greg Brooks 1, Anthony Bachelard 0*, David Craig dnb
The Result was: –
C.C.N.S.W.:- 4-237 (40 overs) (E. Cross 33*)
Defeated
Burwood: – 8-163 (40 overs)
By 74 runs
FoW: – 1- 10 (I. Allmey); 2-114 (R. De Silva); 3-185 (M. Speiser); 4-226 (G. Brooks).
The Bowling was; – M. Tarrant 8-0-37-1; A. Bachelard 1.2-0-9-0; G. Brooks 5-1-19-2; E. Cross 2.2-0-8-0; D. Craig 9-0-30-0; M. Speiser 3-0-25-1; D. Benson 1.4-0-9-1; P. Nash 9-0-25-1
The Fielding was: –
Stumpings: – One to S. Wells
Catches: – One to D. Craig
Run outs: 2; – – One to D. Craig and one to M. Pinter
Player points (awarded by umpire): – 3 points to P. Nash; 2 points to E. Cross; one point to M. Pinter