Finals are coming
Under the new, revised draw, there are now four rounds remaining, one of which is a two-day game in First Grade. Three bonus points and an outright would give a team 31 points, so as a matter of mathematical possibility, just about every side could make the finals. Probability, unfortunately, is a little harsher, and suggests that only five sides outside the top six have much of a chance. The top four is all but certain to be some combination of Northern District (76), Mosman (76), Randwick-Petersham (67) and Manly (61). Four wins would give 11th placed Easts 60 points (assuming no bonus points), which would make it possible for them to overhaul St George (currently on 50) or Sydney (44) if either side implodes But St George has a reasonably easy run home (but for a match against Northern District in the last round). Sydney, whose form has been inconsistent and who has a harder draw, will do well to hold on to sixth spot.
The Students are still in the hunt
First Grade cricket returned to two-day games last weekend – well, in most places, anyway. Several games lost day one to rain, and only a handful of balls were bowled at Bankstown Oval, where the home side faced Sydney University in a battle to see who could keep their finals hopes alive for the season. University’s batting has been fragile in recent weeks, and didn’t seem to have improved at the start of day two when the first three wickets fell for 30 runs in the face of some hostile bowling by Liam Marshall. The innings was rebuilt by Charles Litchfield, who batted positively and maturely to post his first half-century in the top grade, in company with Damien Mortimer. Mortimer has looked in good touch for the last few weeks and, relishing the chance to bat for a longer time, he compiled a very polished 86. Litchfield and Mortimer laid the platform for captain Tim Cummins, who batted freely to reach his fourth First Grade hundred from only 120 deliveries, whacking six 6s in the process. Cummins timed his declaration nicely, asking Bankstown to chase 292 in 67 overs on an increasingly easy pitch. For about half an hour (while University tested a theory that Nick Carruthers was vulnerable to short balls outside off stump), Bankstown was ahead of the required rate; but Ryan McElduff (a vastly improved off-spinner this season) then removed Carruthers and Zeeshan Ahmed with successive deliveries. The Bankstown innings after that was oddly schizophrenic – sometimes it looked as though they were chasing, but then someone would sedately block out a maiden. Daniel Solway anchored the innings, and played very well, but seldom tried to take on the attack. With twenty overs remaining, Bankstown needed 120 runs with five wickets in hand, but Declan Malone removed Tyler Van Luin and Dugald Holloway then settled the issue by grabbing three wickets in a single, remarkable over. Daniel Burns dug in with Solway, and came close to saving the game, but with 19 balls left in the day he tickled a catch to Tim Cummins (his fifth, completing a rather tidy day’s work). The Students are now in the territory where they need to win most of their games and hope that other results go their way, but they’re still alive.
Cam Hawkins is in good nick
Camden Hawkins has had a slightly unusual journey in the game. Born in New Zealand, he attracted attention as a student at Trinity Grammar, and played Green Shield for Sydney University. He then shifted to Mosman, where he was quickly promoted to First Grade, and then decided to return to New Zealand in an attempt to break into first-class cricket. He had some success, passing fifty five times in 14 first-class games for Otago, with a top score of 90, but returned to Sydney this season and joined up with Randwick-Petersham. It’s taken a while for him to readjust, but in the last two weeks he has played vital innings in low-scoring games. First there was his 52 in the Little Bash grand final; then, last weekend, he held together RP’s innings with a patient, unbeaten 72 against University of NSW. The Bees managed only 133 against a highly efficient seam attack led by Adam Semple and Daya Singh, but looked to be in the contest when Randwick-Petersham lost five wickets quickly after a solid opening stand. Hawkins ensured that there would be no further alarms, batting for more than three hours to guide RPs to the points. Perhaps the most impressive thing about it was his ability to follow a 41-ball fifty in a T20 game with a patient, sheet-anchor role in the two-day game.
Sam Skelly had a day out
Perhaps the most critical moment of the match between Easts and Fairfield-Liverpool came mid-way through the first day, when Sam Robson fell for an excellent 73. As we’ve already established, Easts have never won a match in which both Robson brothers have scored hundreds, and Angus was already well on the way to a dominant 146 not out. For the good of the side, there was only one thing Sam could do. Easts declared overnight on 3 for 335, Will Simpson having played nicely for 80 not out, and then Sam Skelly took control. He had Awad Naqvi caught behind from a delivery the batsman appeared to be trying to leave; Jaydyn Simmons also seemed to be trying to leave a ball with tennis-ball bounce that looped from the face of the bat to Angus Robson at slip. Skelly then trapped Arjun Nair on the crease, had Luke Ohrynowsky caught behind second ball, bowled Yuvraj Singh and induced Jarrad Burke to slice a catch to point. At that stage, Skelly had the first six wickets to fall, but Will Simpson spoiled his party by grabbing the next wicket, and Skelly ended up with 6-37. He bowled an impressive line, hit the seam, and found life in the pitch that had eluded Fairfield’s attack. Routed for only 68, Fairfield did well to stave off an outright defeat. Incidentally, has anyone else noticed how Easts’ keeper Max Glen stands upright fidgeting with his gloves until the instant before the bowler releases the ball? Once you’ve seen it, it’s incredibly distracting.
Gladys went west this week
As always, Round 13 featured some high-quality collapsing around the grades, with the Fairfield-Liverpool and Gordon sides, in particular, displaying their ability to lose wickets in big, ugly clumps. But no-one did it quite as well as Penrith’s Fourth Grade. Batting first at Cook Park, Matthew Halse and Leo Astill got their side away to a rattling start, punching past fifty inside the first ten overs. Mosman’s bowlers were rattled and lost their line, bowling one wide after another. At 1 for 77, Penrith looked to be in complete control. But experienced spinner Nitin Gandhi bowled Astill and then utterly strangled the middle order. Penrith’s last nine wickets crashed for only 30, with Gandhi snaring 6-21. After the openers, no batsman passed seven. This was Classic Gladys: a position of absolute strength, followed by unmitigated disaster.