Sydney University’s Ed Cowan and Will Somerville were outstanding in City’s victory over Country in the annual Ivor Ewin Trophy match at Blacktown on Sunday.
Cowan, who is once again a Blues contracted player after six seasons in Tasmania, reminded the selectors of his quality with a crisp innings of 51 with nine 4s from only 45 deliveries, racing to his half century inside the first 13 overs of the match and providing the platform for a City total of seven for 269. Country reached four for 153 in its response, but could not break the shackles imposed by off-spinner Somerville, whose 4-37 was the best return by any bowler on the day. He turned the game by removing both Nick Larkin and Bankstown’s Philip Wells in his fourth over. City won the match by 42 runs after Country ended its 50 overs on 9-227.
There were six University players in action on the day, with all-rounder Tim Ley playing alongside Cowan and Somerville for City and sending down five tidy overs. Ryan Carters (35) and Nick Larkin (25) batted brightly for Country before they each fell to Somerville, and 18 year old leg-spinner Jonte Pattison (2-48 from ten overs) was the most successful of the Country bowlers, dismissing City opener Daniel Solway (breaking his stand of 86 with Cowan) and international all-rounder Moises Henriques. Somerville and Pattison (who also held two sharp catches) will have given the State selectors plenty to think about, especially as both of the Blues’ leading spinners (Nathan Lyon and Stephen O’Keefe) will be on national duty in Bangladesh when the Matador BBQs one day tournament gets underway in Sydney in the first week of October.