1ST GRADE
Sydney Uni 211: L Robertson 67, B Trevor-Jones 37, T Cummins 25*
Bankstown 291: T Ley 4-42, H Kerr 2-38, B Joy 2-69
The students turned up knowing they needed to bat all day to win the crucial fixture. At 3-32 overnight in pursuit of 291 the game was precariously positioned. Trevor-Jones and Robertson got the students off to the perfect start negotiating the first hour of play with the total approaching 100. Unfortunately Trevor-Jones fell after the drinks break for a well compiled 37 just as the Students looked to take the ascendancy. Hayden Kerr was next man to the crease and he immediately looked to take the game on racing to 20 in as many balls. Yet again as uni began to get the scoreboard moving they lost a wicket with Kerr trapped in front. A theme that would be all to familiar over the course of the day.
Cummins and Robertson battled through a tough period to get to the lunch with the game still there for the taking (5/150). Robertson then fell straight after lunch for 67 to make the task look a little harder. A few quick wickets and the students were suddenly 7/180 still requiring a further 112 runs. Ironically Bankstown were 7/180 the week before and managed to eek out another 111 runs. Something the students would be made to rue.
The last few wickets came and went quickly as Tim Cummins was left stranded for a patient 25*. An 80 run defeat that was disappointing to say the least, but with finals qualification still well and truly in our hands, onward and upward to next week where table topping Campbelltown await.
1ST GRADE LIMITED OVERS CUP:
Sydney Uni 7-277: T Cummins 121*, D Mortimer 71, H Kerr 25
Parramatta 8-272: T Ley 3-48, D Malone 2-47
The Students made their way down the M4 knowing that one more good team performance would yield another piece of silverware to add to the cabinet. A formidable opponent in Parramatta stood between us and the limited overs trophy. 2 hotly contested games earlier in the season had both gone the way of Parramatta and so the Students were out for redemption. After winning the toss, Uni elected to bat without hesitation on a good surface knowing that runs on the board in a final were always crucial.
Hayden Kerr and James Larkin once again got us off to a promising start with some brutal stroke play. Kerr was the first man to be dismissed with the total approaching 50 in just the 6th over. Larkin and Robertson both soon followed to leave the Students in a precarious situation at 3-56. Nicky Craze and Damien Mortimer set about getting the innings back on track with a mixture of attacking shots and deft touches before Craze was also dismissed by a sharp return catch. At 4-86 Uni were desperate for a partnership in order to post a competitive total. Tim Cummins came to the crease and together with Mortimer began a monumental resurrection effort. Special mention to Mortimer who across the 3 limited overs finals made 226 runs @ 75 (including 71 in the final) to be the backbone of our finals efforts. On this occasion though the hero would be Cummins. As his body tired his ball striking improved at almost the same rate and he pushed forward to claim his maiden hundred in first grade and for the club. You would be hard pressed to find anyone more deserving of such success, Tim has added plenty to the club both on and off the effort this season and there was no better reward than his innings on Sunday. Some handy lower order runs along with Cummins' continued ability to find the boundary led to Uni posting a very formidabletotal of 278.
Defending 278 for victory Uni got off to a solid start thanks to veteran Tim Ley and new kid on the block Lawrence Neil-Smith. Together they squeezed the Parramatta opening batsmen to immediately have them on the back foot. Whilst it was Ley who grabbed the crucial opening breakthrough, Neil-Smith was in the midst of his best spell of bowling in the top grade. The young tearaway quick was menacing with his line and length in both his spells and bowled with good pace. An extremely exciting prospect for the years to come and finished with figures of 1-25 from 7 overs. At 3-88 the Parramatta innings looked to be in a similar position to Uni earlier and the students looked to capitalise on the pressure being built. However Parramatta captain Nick Bertus and Brenton Cherry began a resurrection effort of their own rotating the strike and finding the boundary each time the pressure began to mount. Both sides traded good overs and bad overs and as the partnership built it was clear this fixture was headed down to the wire.
At the commencement of the 42nd over Parra had moved to 210 and required a further 70 from 9 overs. Devlin Malone was re-introduced to the attack with immediate impact. He removed the set batsmen of Cherry for a well made 75 to claim a vital breakthrough for the students. A potentially costly missed chance followed in the following over off a tight Hayden Kerr over before Malone again made another vital breakthrough. When Uni needed wickets most they turned to young leg-spinner Devlin Malone and on both occasions he did not disappoint, a period of the game which would eventually go a long way to deciding the winner.
Ley and Kerr were tasked with wrapping up the game and with Parramatta requiring 29 off 24 with skipper Nick Bertus still at the crease it was anyone's game. The 47th over delivered by Ley would prove to be a pivotal over as he dismissed Bertus thanks to a diving effort in the outfield by Mortimer. Perhaps his best grab of the season and we could not have asked for it at a better time. As the last over approached Kerr was tasked with defending 15 for a Uni victory for the ages. He delivered perfectly to show yet again his ability to rise in the big situations. Uni edging out Parramatta to claim a 5 run win and the limited overs cup for the second time.
Special mention to the uni army who sung and drank their hearts out all day to no doubt help the boys over the line.
2ND GRADE
Sydney Uni 275: J Larkin 95, J Crowley 65*, M Powys 36
Bankstown 3-277
The dippy 2’s boys returned to the Bankstown kennel for Day 2 of the Round 14 fixture seeking to defend a modest 275 to guarantee a semi finals appearance. We were lucky to be fielding the full quota as we learnt that the previous day, Dugald got it all wrong on a Holloway style ‘hard days work’. Contracted by Jum Larkin Enterprises, Screech leapt at the chance to earn some cheap dollars as he heeded the call from his skipper to deliver meat trays to a Newcastle restaurant; a breezy 2hr trip up the F3. Screech correctly collected the meat as instructed from the warehouse in Western Sydney at 7.30am, but it was all downhill from there or uphill as it turned out; ‘uphill’ over the Blue Mountains to Lithgow. Despite achieving 99.plenty in the Year 12 HSC, Dugald obviously didn’t study geography or common sense, as he phoned his skipper and (former) employer at 10.30am to admit he was actually in Lithgow, not Newcastle, and that he was now 3.5hrs adrift from the intended destination. Back on track, the meat was eventually delivered just before the close of business. Screech limped back to Sydney after dark and presented sheepishly to his teammates the following morning; head down, tail between the legs and resigned to donating yesterday’s income to the team kitty.
The old boys resumed their customary winning ways in the Nash arena with a gritty 1-0 victory over a disgruntled young side. The brothers Holloway were again dour and disappointing. A cool finish from the salad brother Shaw secured the Cricketer’s Arms Pale Ales for the good guys.
Onto the main event …. 10 wickets was the task at hand and one that would require patience and discipline. Resuming at 0/28, the doggies openers continued their brisk start, as Leten chanced his arm with anything full, favouring the cover and midwicket regions. Dibbly Dobson, Wingnut and Screech bowled with strong intent but both left-handed openers capitalised on any width provided. Two-plates Kierath entered the attack and had Leten (53) caught at cow corner to collect our first wicket after a century opening stand.
Shortly after lunch, Jack Holloway succumbed to his old man back after his first week of employment sharpening pencils at Macquarie Bank. This is despite repeated claims he would thrive in the full time work and cricket combo. Vince ‘Stoinis’ Umbers was kind enough to offer his services in the field of which we were very appreciative.
Despite the loss of their first wicket, the doggies continued to accumulate as the no. 3 Middleton gambled with lofted drives over the off side ring whilst the remaining opener Dignam remained defiant at the other end. Disciplined bowling from Ryan ‘No. 1 Chest’ Danne and Birdsh*t with a straight field and up and down wicket stemmed the flow of runs following the lunch break. They were well supported by some short-pitched aggression from Screech. The dogs safely navigated this period but shortly thereafter Middleton (80) fell to a leg spinning slower ball from Danno by spooning a catch to the hairy-beaned wombat at point.
The skipper channelled his inner Mo Matthews as he fronted the bowling crease himself prior to the tea interval. Some very handy off breaks were produced that challenged the no. 4 left handed Dedes. A few overs (and some quiet words from behind the stumps) later, Dedes (8) was handsomely caught and bowled by Jum who made great ground to snare the catch in his right mit just above the square.
Another generous Bankstown tea spread was well received but the outlook was grim at 3/246 with Dignam sweating bullets on 99 not out. Dignam squirted another through the 3rd man region to bring up a gritty 3 figures shortly after resumption. The remaining runs were promptly achieved thereafter to secure a comprehensive 6 points for the Dogs, followed by an equally comprehensive ‘well played Champion’ to your scribe as hands were shook. This result leaves the students with a sudden death playoff against the 7th placed Ghosts for a spot in the 6.
3RD GRADE
Sydney Uni 2-107: B Dilley 38*, A Cowan 29, L Bedford 29
Bankstown 105 & 1-102: J Lawson 4-14, J Toyer 4-27, AJ Grant 2-14
The Units returned to fortress Camperdown in order to attempt to secure a rare 10 points after doing the business the week before. Lamentably this wasn’t to be, more on that later.
Nash was once again played at an extremely high standard, and Old put on a clinic to remind the youth who the big dogs really are. Your scribe secured the win with an unconventional chest goal, which was counted as 2 points (i.e. a soccer goal) rather than just the 1 for a throwing goal or a deflection. Debate still rages, happy to hear thoughts, but in a 3-nil victory it didn’t amount to anything that would have changed the result.
The pitch was pretty good but still looked like it would offer a bit of assistance for the bowlers. The cricket wasn’t all that exciting however, and Bankstown were more focussed in defending their wickets rather than trying to make a 2-innings game. As a result, hands were shaken at tea and a first innings win was all we could garner. Everyone bowler pretty well, Toyerbald the pick after winding back the clock with some fast swing bowling.
We then retired to the No1 surrounds and then the Nags, for a very enjoyable afternoon and evening. This carried on to a glorious day on Sunday, where once again 3s boys led the Army and 1s dominated on the field.
Next week it is a trip down the M5 to Campbelltown to take on the ghosts, and we will be looking for maximum points in order to secure a home final.
Sorry to disappoint followers of my published works but this week’s report is fairly succinct given that nothing really happened at our game on Saturday, and the events of Sunday from the hill are not suitable for publication in this forum.
4TH GRADE
Sydney Uni 275: H Storey 163, R Browne 32, A Bell 26
Bankstown 277: V Umbers 3-31, J Robertson 3-36
Fourth grade returned to Jensen Park on 0/22 requiring a further 255 runs for victory. The students would have conditions on their side as the outfield was quick and the warm temperature made it difficult for the bowlers.
Nash commenced and the rivalry between the nuffies and the Julios continued. A goal to the nuffies took them to a lead of 2-0 and it looked like they had it all but won after there were several team arguments in the Julio side. However, they fought back first levelling the score and then Browne scoring a 50/50 goal in last play for victory. Heated debate occurred if the ball actually did pass inside the goals and as final decision maker Peek had no clear view of the goal and an honesty system was implemented and Browne claimed that “if the nuffies goal was in that was in” the goal was awarded handing the Julios the win. Later in the warm up the guilt of knowing the ball didn’t actually go in got to browney and hence confessed it wasn’t actually a goal. The goal was reversed and the nuffies claimed the win having drawn 2-2 without the extra man.
The cricket commenced and Umbers and Storey left off where it began the week prior ticking over the scoreboard comfortably before Umbers was dismissed for a well made 25. To more of his delight he was met with a message from second grade, they needed a sub fielder and being the only dismissed batter he was required to fill in. Meanwhile Bell continued where umbers left off, ticking the scoreboard over at a comfortable rate. The score moved onto 103 before Bell was dismissed for 26.
A mid order collapse saw Mortimer, Frost and Robertson come and go and the positive 1-103 suddenly became 5-110. The drama didn’t faze Storey who started to play more freely and pushed his score past 50. Now with Browne joining Storey at the crease the students needed to rebuild. Browne provided a stable end as Storey’s striking becoming cleaner and cleaner. Their partnership ended on the score of 231, a partnership of 121 which Storey contributed about 80 runs of. In doing so he brought up his maiden 100 for the club and a well-earned reward for his efforts at training.
The tail continued to block out overs while Storey continued his business scoring freely brining up his 150, just needing a willing partner to back him up at the other end. The score ticked closer, 7-231 and then 8-247 before storey was dismissed for an incredible 163! He faced 245 balls including 122 runs scored off boundaries (20 x 4’s and 7 x 6’s).
With the score now 9-268, the students needed 10 runs to win with 1 wicket in hand. Rinka and Canagasingham were at the crease and solid in defence. No team was willing to give an inch. An unfortunate mix up led to a run out 3 runs shy of what would have been a remarkable run chase led by an amazing innings, where regardless of the outcome would go down as one of the best Fourth Grade has ever seen.
Fourth Grade now sits 1 point out of the top 6 in 7th position with the remaining game against the 18th placed Campbelltown-Camden.
5TH GRADE
Sydney Uni 159 & 146: E Jamieson 40 & 35, A Wilkinson 27*
Bankstown 3-181 & 3-41: M Miles 2-61 & 2-19
METRO CUP
Sydney Uni 114: G Cade 25*
UNSW Black 231: A Kirubanandan 5-67, S Canagasingham 3-75
Day 2 vs UNSW at David Phillips saw ideal English conditions for playing cricket.
Cool cloudy and once more very strong cross winds keeping things interesting.
A delayed start due to the home sheds being locked. No one told security there was a Sunday match at the ground apparently!
The home team began at 1-52 as we faced the dreaded 120 over day due to last weeks early finish due to rain. Due to another Nash ankle roll we are minus a fielder and essentially a vital batsman when the big fella Muhammed Ghumman went down.
We knew they were going to be more aggressive this week but this would also give us the chance to frustrate the bastmen if we continued to bowl tight and field like last week.
Shehan Canagasingham (24-8-3-75) and Ashwin "marathon man" Kirubanandan (28.4-10-5-67) took up the attack for a good chunk of pre lunch play and bowled very well.
This is Ashwin's first 5 wicket haul for the club and is a much deserved reward for his hard work and dedication to playing and training this season. 28 overs bowled at full pace and never missed a beat with his line and length. Outstanding job mate!
Max Shanahan bowled as a change bowler and was ever reliable. 14-4-1-37.
Alex Powy's air and ground fielding was again very strong at gully and square with 3 catches.
After keeping the UNSW top order restricted we saw the captain Tan come out at number 7 and play freely not afraid to take on the deep fielders with his signature lofted drives. Fortunately the brains trust had a plan and Tan went to the well one too many times to the well holing out to young gun Sanjay Anandarajah at long off.
With UNSW at 9-154 we were feeling positive as went into the lunch break, although some rule confusion on the part of the umpire saw us not able to continue play for 30 mins before an allocated break with the opposition 9 down.
After the break things went pear shaped with number 9 Anthony Melnyk coming out and swinging hard at everything and not looking like getting out.
I don't believe our standards or intensity dropped it's just one of those things where one guy chances his arm and it all comes off...
A 77 wicket final stand and we finally dismiss Melnyk (bowled by Ashwin) for 78 off 40 odd balls but the damage is done. UNSW 231 off 74.4 overs.
Then a further body blow as batting star Alex Powy's goes day with a severe migraine and is unable to take any further part in the day. We all hope you are feeling better today mate!
New makeshift opening pair Rahman and Anandarajah went out and played well with some good intent. 0-26 off 5 overs and we are cruising along risk free.
With the early introduction of spin and a change of end for the opening bowler things tightened up and a string of maidens followed.
Rahman falls after working hard and getting a start for 15, caught behind off the spinner. Max Veltro comes out and plays freely but is caught for a brisk 14. Sanjay battled hard but was eventually dismissed for 7.
The opportunity of joining us for the past couple of games has been a good experience for the young player going into next season's grade and Greenies campaigns
Ashwin also made a brisk 14 before missing one and being fired out LBW. 3 wickets fall with the score on 65 and momentum has clearly swung back in favour of the Bees.
Shanahan LBW for 8 and things are becomming problematic for a successful chase.
Big Mo bravely comes out on 1 leg with a runner and bombs a six and four in successive balls before being bowled for 11.
Bryan Handunneththi came out and once more showed a level head and calmness that you can't teach scoring 3 before knicking off to the keeper, but not after offering great resistance to the UNSW leg spinner Sharma who ended with figures of 7-59.
Bryan is another that will benefit greatly from his taste of Greenies and grade this season and with an off season in the gym will be raring to go for a big year in season 18/19.
Shez "original captain" Canagasingham is dismissed caught behind last wicket with a ball that was so far from hitting anything that should have almost been a wide. Sums up some of the wacky things that happened on the day unfortunately.
Cade left up the other end not out for a patient and well crafted 25.
Thanks to all the guys that doubled up this round especially Shez and Wilko who once again showed the type of clubmen they are.
Examination of the ladder after the weekends results sees us having to win next week in the final round with a bonus point and for Mosman to beat Warringah for us to scrape into the finals...
