Round #5 Vs Bendigo
November 29 & December 6th
Sandhurst 2nds were in desperate need of a win, and whilst they lost the bowling talents of Dale Warren and Matt Hall, were bolstered by the inclusion of Mark Holland and Brock Fletcher to provide a better balance to the line up. The umpires determined the pitch was suitable for play and Trumpy had no hesitation in bowling first after winning the toss.- what is they say (tails never fails?) Craig Burn again made the perfect start drawing a false stroke to send the first ball of the day from opposing captain straight to Dutchy in the gully a feat Craig completed last year with his first ball for the club.
Alex Trump followed up with a wicket in his first over when Bryden Mcfarlane ran around from square leg and held onto the catch 2 for 1. From there, despite landing some blows physically, the Sandhurst bowlers lost their way and began to bowl too short. In tough batting conditions Bendigo’s top order dug in and pushed the score towards 100 before Elias Bowe showed his counterparts how it’s done. First he picked up Sam Brewin caught by Crouchy in slips and when he totally outfoxed Damian Wust in the same over it was 4 for 88. Traviss Russell who was applying the heat at the other end was rewarded when Travis Crouch caught Geoff Maggs to complete a stretch of 3 for 0 inside 2 overs.
Following the tea break Alex was keen to finish the innings of quickly and bought himself and Chooka back on with good reward as Bendigo was reduced to 7 for 121 after 50 overs with Chooka claiming his 2nd and 3rd wickets of the innings. From their the slow over rate and some resilient Bendigo lower order batting combined to frustrate the Dragons side as Bendigo added 104 for the final 3 wickets in 34 overs as Bendigo was finally dismissed in the 84th over for 225 with Mark Holland 1/26 and Travis Crouch 2/19 cleaning up the tail.
Given the difficult batting conditions, the Goers could be well pleased with their total, but again a new week bought new conditions and with the strongest batting line-up the Dragons had fielded all season the target was certainly attainable. Crouchy and Holland opened up, literally racing to 0 for 57 in just 12 overs to reduce the target to just 170 more runs required. Bendigo then applied the brakes and with the early introduction of spin to the attack proved Crouchy’s undoing as he was dismissed for 19. Terry’s advice of consolidation was still fresh in the ears of the batsmen when Mark Holland followed Crouchy back to the sheds the following over as Sandhurst fell to 2 for 59.
Brock Fletcher who had scored an unbeaten 69 in his previous 2nd XI hit out began positively dispatching the loose balls into and beyond the fence. The Dragons faced a further set back when Leigh Kinniburgh was questionably adjudged caught behind for 1 to have Sandhurst 3 for 71. Alex Trump then provided solid support whilst Brock Fletcher pushed the total past 100. The pair pushed on and bought the runs required below 100 runs to win approaching tea when Alex had a brain snap (in what is commonly referred to at the club as doing a Draper) and shouldered arms to a ball that nipped back and clean bowled him for a patient 12 but a valuable 67 run partnership.
Brock Fletcher and Bryden Mcfarlane then saw us through to tea at 4 for 151 from 50 overs with Fletcher unbeaten on 71. The Goers had thrown almost everything at Brock and ironically the closest he came to being dismissed in his innings to date was when Brock trusted his judgment and the bounce in Bobby’s deck in allowing the first ball of his innings to bounce narrowly over off stump. Brock was making batting look easy where others had battled against the dual spin attack Bendigo had dished up.
Brock and Bryden began sensibly after tea and when Brock launched the ball out to deep midwicket in front of the raucous Dragons supporters and players he had bought up his maiden century for the club with his 13th boundary in an innings that had also included two sixes. Unfortunately Brock’s innings finished shortly after with the total on 190 and 37 runs still required for victory. With rain not far away Sandhurst needed to push on and score the required runs before the weather could intervene but it appeared not even the rain gods would smile on Sandhurst as a near certain victory was jeopardised by some solid rain. Luckily the skies cleared up and Craig Burn pushed the score along until things took another turn when Bryden Mcfarlane was inexplicably adjudged LBW for 17, the scenario was also hindered by Craig Burn who was busted for a short run and then dismissed shortly after by a juggled catch with 6 still needed to win as the situation just tightened that little bit.
Again the benefit of a deeper batting line-up was shown as Leigh McDonald blasted a ball straight down the ground and made it back to copmplete a 3rd run to secure victory for the Dragons. All that was left for Sandhurst to do was follow their skippers instructions and bat out the 85 overs. The aim was achieved with Clinton Botham able to add that little extra icing to the cake with two boundaries in compiling 16 not out. Sandhurst finished their 85 overs at 9 for 243 and 17 run victors.
Brock Fletcher was a standout choice for man of the match to make it an average of 171 for the season in the 2nds in two hits with 102 from just 163 balls.
3rd XI @ QEO
Sandhurst having being bought back to earth with their comprehensive defeat at the hands of Strathfieldsaye the previous round faced top of the table and undefeated Bendigo in a clash of 1 vs. 2. After Day 1 was abandoned without a ball being bowled, the game reverted to a 30 over one day game on the 2nd. Dean Trew most definitely lost the toss and opposing captain Trevor Hamilton most definitely decided to bat 1st.
So early in the morning there was expected to be life in the wicket and it was most definitely a handy bonus when some sharp fielding from Tim Knapman caused utter confusion between Bendigo’s openers in some calamitous running quite reminiscent of others seen around these parts as Leigh Draper threw it to the gleeful Matt Felini as Bendigo were 1 for 12.
Dale Warren was given an early opportunity with the ball and didn’t disappoint claiming wickets in successive overs to reduce Bendigo to 3 for 36 in the 13th over. Paul Stingel bowling 2nd change again shook up the opposition batsmen and was rewarded with two wickets in one over to have Bendigo battling at 5 for 65 from 20 overs. Matt Felini was again unlucky with the ball but was gifted a regulation run out to break a 34 run partnership 6th wicket stand. Keith Cloke was left to most definitely claim the 7th wicket of the innings as Bendigo was restricted to 7 for 116 a more than competitive total from 30 overs.
Sandhurst would most definitely require a good start and maybe it was the bright lights of live radio broadcasting that still had Clokey a little dazzled as he played all around his first delivery to be most definitely bowled with the total on 4 and give Sandhurst the start they most definitely did not want to have. It was the ideal start for Bendigo opening bowler Chris Kline who no doubt still had memories of his last encounter on the same ground with the Dragons and those two punishing boundaries from the then unknown Leigh McDonald to clinch a final over run chase bowled by the very same bowler on the infamous smoked out Saturday. Enter Matthew Pask, in his 1st hit for the season recovering from injury, Pasky backed himself and pushed the score along from the beginning of his innings.
Pask and Trew built a solid platform pushing the total to 49 before Trewy was caught behind for 19. Leigh Draper was slow to respond to Pasky’s call and a sharp piece of fielding had him short of his ground with the total on 70 in the 18th over. Matt Pask bought up his 50 and then pushed on to 57 from 65 balls before he clipped one to square with 85 on the board but still 6 wickets in hand. What should have been a straight forward run chase was made all the more difficult by some poor shot selection from Matt Felini and Geoff Mclean in the same over to pick out the same fielder at long on with 15 runs still required.
Dale Warren clearly felt there was more room in the air than along the ground as he attempted to loft every ball he faced, providing the punch in the partnership whilst well, Courtney Cornell did his thing at the other end and kept wickets in tact. It was the 29th over with just 7 balls to spare that Sandhurst secured the all important victory and most definitely returned the Dragons to the top of the table. This completed a trifecta of tense finishes in recent 3rd XI games between the two sides following smoked out Saturday and Dave Hunter and Travy Mitchell’s famous last ball scrambled single in seasons past. It also completed a trifecta of man of the match awards for stand out batting performances in the 3 grades as Matt Pask got the nod in the 3rd XI.
Sandhurst now face another tough challenge against Kangaroo Flat. This is the Giraffe Signing off - Most Definitely.
ROUND 5 Giraffe Report Vs Bendigo November 29 & December 6th
1st XI @ QEO
The depth of the Sandhurst senior squad was again strengthened by the inclusion of Tim Robertson and Brenton Jones into 1st XI at the expense of Brock Fletcher & Mark Holland. After rain had ruined play on the 1st morning of 3rd XI it was a race against time to get a game underway in the afternoon. Extraordinary steps were taken including industrial blowers being applied to dry the wicket in this must win game for the Dragons.
With the rain holding off, the pitch was deemed playable and the toss of the coin fell our way and Kecky had little hesitation in sending Bendigo into bat. In losing the last 3 matches bowling had proven the side’s strength and playing against his old club Andrew Sheehan provided the best of starts picking up Glen Franzi in just the 5th over. Tim Robertson wasn’t to be outdone and he picked up his 1st wicket for the afternoon to have Bendigo 2 for 24 in the 12th.
Mark Keck then claimed the crucial breakthrough claiming Chris Squibb caught by Westy for his 2nd catch of the afternoon for 24. Things could have looked all the more healthy for the Dragons had they been able to hold any of a handful of chances, the biggest beneficiary was Ben Langley who was dropped on 1 and 20 and grew in confidence the more the wicket dried out. Andrew Sheehan returned to the attack shortly before tea and was rewarded in his 1st over back claiming Mark Ryan who was caught by Simon Turnbull for 16. Despite the late start Sandhurst had raced through 45 overs to have Bendigo 4 for 80 at tea. Andrew Sheehan continued on after the tea break and was successful in claiming his 3rd wicket shortly after caught behind by Joel Schneider.
Dylan Gibson who had been introduced in the 35th over of the innings was rewarded in his 12th over with Westy claiming a 3rd catch to have Bendigo 6 for 104 nearing 60 overs. Tim Robertson was introduced for a 2nd spell and along with Westy who claimed catches 4 and 5 for the innings combined to complete the innings with a devastating spell of 4 for 19 in 8 overs to wrap up the Bendigo innings for 147 in 76 overs. Tim Robertson 5/26, Andy Sheehan 3 for 31 and Dylan Gibson 1 for 48 from 21 overs the best of the bowlers.
This left Sandhurst with a testing 6 over period to face and with Simon Turnbull nursing an injury Mark Keck stepped up to open the innings with Nick Scullie. Things could not have gone worse for the Dragons, as first Kecky tickled one to the keeper in the first over 1 for 0, Garth Tamblyn in as night watchman was removed for a 4th ball duck and in the final over of the days play Joel Schneider was deceived and bowled by his nemesis Tim Edwards. Joel assures us he was ready this time.So a very solid day for the Dragons had been spoiled by a bad 6 over period.
A new day bought a new mindset and with plenty of batting to come it was high time the batsmen earned their keep. If 3 for 4 wasn’t a shaky enough start the last thing the Dragons needed was the loss of Simon Turnbull who tickled one down the leg side to the keeper in the 2nd over of the day, 4 for 4. The Goers were up and about and could sense a quick kill. Whilst Bendigo knows the threat Nick Scullie poses, his reccord score of 225 not out remains a permanent reminder of that. They may not have counted on Brenton Jones who had gained some valuable time in the middle just 6 days earlier on the same wicket with an 88 against the MCC XXIX's. The pair ticked the scoreboard over and added an invaluable 76 for the 5th wicket before Nick was trapped in front for 35. 5 for 96 at tea with both teams still a chance of victory.
Shortly after tea Brenton Jones bought up a well deserved half century and the knock couldn’t have been more timely. His 50 also coincided with the dismissal of Anthony West, 6 for 105. Andrew Sheehan batted positively and was involved in a 27 run partnership to push us within sight of victory before being dismissed for 14. 7 for 132. The experienced Tim Robertson joined Jonesy at the crease and the pair wiped off the remaining runs required drawing scores level until when Jonesy smashed a full toss on leg stump to a vacant square leg boundary victory and securing victory in the 77th over. With the pressure off, Tim Robertson gained some valuable time in the middle whilst BJ pushed on towards a maiden Sandhurst century. Brenton bought up his century with the 18th boundary of his innings and he pushed on to finish 118 not out with 21 boundaries in an unbeaten 81 run 8th wicket partnership as Sandhurst finished 7 for 213 and 66 run winners. I guess it just goes to show you can’t buy coolness in a crisis. Brenton Jones was a clear cut choice for man of the match as the only batsmen who truly mastered the pitch.
2nd XI @ Weeroona Oval
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