Here are the Brunswick CC match reports for the games finishing last weekend. Enjoy!
Women's T20
A dominant batting performance secured victory for our women’s social T20 team over Sydenham Hillside/Burnside Springs with a final score of 3/192. But the match started on an unusual note when the sprinklers unexpectedly came on, soaking the ground and delaying play. And our replacement ground had a newly installed interchange bench 40 m from the wicket... but we got a game in!
SH/BS had an impressive batting performance, spearheaded by Harmony Smith with an incredible 55*. Stacey Simon (KP) took the first wicket of the game in the very first over!
Chasing down 162 we went in to bat. Stacey Simon (KP) was the star of the innings, finishing unbeaten on 39*, supported by Caitlin Simon’s steady 25*.
From the Wicks, Rhiannon Jones and Holly Luth entertained the crowd with their committed approach, swinging at every ball and running at every chance. Both of their efforts included three well-timed boundaries each. Holly Luth, showing incredible commitment, took a daring dive for a run that definitely wasn’t there! She made it safely and got the run on the board, adding a memorable moment to the game.
In the end, the team’s strong performance secured a well-deserved win, our first for the season, and capped off a match full of excitement and standout moments.
Firsts 179 V Preston 5/231
Against traditional rivals we lost the toss & were invited to bat on a wicket best described as tacky due to overnight rain. On a deck that was always going to be challenging early, we lost Coops (0) & SoS (1) to be 2/9, Stutts (32) & Hilly (18) consolidated, before Hilly went @ 3/49, Stutts who had been batting very solidly fell @ 4/65. Cobba was joined by Greg Holmes making his debut & Greg (5) fell with the score @ 5/75. At tea we were well below our KPI and a lot of work was required if we were to post a competitive score.
Cobba (45) & Nico (13) battled hard & then Shloak (31) & Dan (21) with a 54 run partnership, with Potts (0) & Ameya (3) seeing us post at least a target to chase.
After a solid & adventurous start by Preston, we were able to grab a run out through some alert fielding by Stutts 1/35, shortly followed by Dan grabbing another @ 2/44. We were in a position to apply some pressure. With the score 2/80 we were able to generate a couple of tough chances in the space of 2 overs, however we could not make the most of them. We were then given a working over by the Preston bats who passed us 2 down with our next success 3/181 then 4/181 & 5/227.
Full credit to Preston who batted very well, however we certainly had our chances to be in the game on day 2. A score of 4/80 would have seen a different complexion on the game. Our spirit throughout the day remained high & our fight to provide an effort & contest were clearly evident. Dan again led our attack superbly with 3/64 with Potts (0/45) Greg (0/22) Ameya (1/61) Shloak (0/21) & Hilly (0/13) battling away in support.
We missed key opportunities in the game, which we need to focus on going forward. Most games will be in the balance at some point & whoever can win those key moments will generally put themselves in a great position to win the game.
Seconds 138 V Preston 102
After a disappointing rainout, that led to a massive night out (welcome Greg) it was back to the home of cricket Alex G Gillon Oval to take on the club from up the road, our traditional and mortal enemies, Preston Cricket Club.
After an inspirational speech about how much we hate the XXXX, Dougie than duly lost the toss, and we were sent in. This wouldn’t have been such a big deal if we hadn’t lost our number three bat Evan to “gastro illness” an hour before the start of play. On the Brightside this did give the lower order all a bump up the order and we got to see the debut of Dr Tom Burn with the bat (more on this later). Dougie himself was a bit under the weather after a night out at an Xmas party and I’m sure he wasn’t overly happy about having to strap the pads on either.
Doug didn’t have them strapped on long as we were quickly in a bit of a hole as the young fast bowling line-up of Preston teared a hole in the top order worse than my five-year-old pair of lucky undies. Doug was bowled by a kid with four first names, Johnny departed for a duck, Ollie lbw for 7, Hot Rocks (9) tried to take the attack to the bowlers but feathered one through to the keeper and Joshy (0) edged one early, leaving Brunswick 5/25. PHolly (28) and Zaino (10) did their best to steady the ship and with handy lower order contributions from dink and flick Thomas Baker (19), Hallsy (22) with a couple of massive hoicks down the ground, Giblett (not you) and the man of the hour Dr Tom Burn (15*) replete with a couple of beautiful lofted cover drives that surely has cemented him a position in the batting line-up for the foreseeable future. We managed to crawl to 138 all done, off just a tick under 60 overs and probably 40 short of par on what was an ok batting wicket.
This did however give the boys 9 overs to bowl at the Preston top order. The Preston openers managed to polish off 20 runs without loss, to inch within 120 of our overall score at the end of play day 1. But don’t worry, cricket is a funny game.
Day two started off with a bang with Hallsy and Dr Burn (1/14) striking early and removing both openers early and bowling tight lines to really staunch the run rate. Joshy (2/17) came on first change and picked up a couple early. Evan took a sharp catch to dismiss everyone’s best mate Ryley Bamford off Ollie (1/17) and quickly Preston (and Ryley) were melting down having lost 5 for 20 odd and were a long way from 139. Through a couple of old hands Preston steadied the ship but when Doug took a running diving catch off Halls (not in the slips) and Gibo (1/25) was handed a dubious LBW, the resistance of the Preston batters much like the French Army at Dunkirk was kaput. Hallsy breezed through the Juniors in the tail to finish with a deserved Michelle, bowling a monstrous 18 overs with 12 maidens (5/14). Preston had lost 10/70 to end up nearly 40 short of our 138. What a comeback! And weren’t the boys happy, the Skippers and umpires all agreed it was too hot and the game was done by lunch (just don’t tell Mick Moore). The song was sung with gusto and beers were drunk in enjoyment ahead of the Non-Denominational holiday festive party later that night.
The boys in Black, with three straight wins set off for the bountiful lands of Bayswater next week in what will surely be a ripsnorter of T20 game to finish the year with a bang.
Until then, stay tuned!
Thirds 187 V Kew184
Fourths 8/257 V Kew 93 & 69
A dominant performance by the 4ths, winning outright by an innings and 95 runs.
Day 1
Kew won the toss and batted. A great effort by all the bowlers to restrict Kew to all out 93 from 55 overs. Pick of the bowlers were Evan Nolte with 4-12 from 13 overs, and Rahul Ratwatte with 3-20 from 18 overs straight.
We had 26 overs to bat till stumps on day 1. Haddy Butt (39no) and Tim Lancaster (29no) batted intelligently, scoring fairly freely without taking too many risks to guide us to 2-94 at stumps to secure first innings points on day 1.
Day 2
The message from the skipper was to play our shots, and get a decent lead within 15 overs. Lanco and Dave McKay left fairly quickly, and Haddy continued to play to the game plan and went 4,1,1,4,6 in almost as many balls to depart for 55. At 5-114 when Jordan came to the crease it looked like the plan might not come off, but he struck the ball beautifully from ball 1 - scoring at will.
Rumours of a declaration begun to sweep Holbrook Reserve as Jordie entered the 80's. After someone unhelpfully shouts 'JT you're on 87 and Bman wants to declare', Jordie goes even harder, whacks the ball in the air to a fielder on the freeway boundary, into the hands and dropped over the rope for 6 - useful. Jordie eventually gets to the milestone as the declaration is called. 100no, 49 balls, 15 fours and 4 sixes. Incredible innings.
Umpire Moore sets a minimum 51 overs to bowl at Kew to secure the outright, which seems more than adequate as Lanco points out that two of their batters haven't turned up. This turns out to be accurate as we run through Kew in quick time with Dave McKay 5/27, including a brilliant caught and bowled, Haddie Butt 2-8. Off to a Xmas party to attend earlier than planned.
Saturday c 113 v Emerald Hill 170
Saturday D 8/268 v South Yarra 9/269
Sunday B 109 v Power House 7/110
Sunday D 162 v Monash Uni 114