First XI @ Weeroona Oval
The fixturing Geniuses at BDCA Headquarters were at their imaginative best in fixturing Sandhurst against Eaglehawk for a second straight game. Following on from a confidence boosting win in Round 2 the First Eleven were looking to continue the momentum gained from the season to date. Unfortunately their were disruptions to the side, with Tim Robertson and Matt Pask who both played key parts in the Round 2 win both unavailable. Sandhurst called up Alex Trump and Boom recruit “Mahendra Singh Kirk,”. Unfortunately neither his international clearance nor flight arrived in time for game time and it was lucky Sandhurst stalwart Mark Keck was on hand to take his spot.
Sandhurst won the toss, Jonesy’s third win in a row and elected to bat. Nick Scullie was joined by his third different opening partner for the season Travis Crouch. Unfortunately Crouchy’s stay at the crease was all to brief picking out square leg with just two on the board. Anthony West then joined Nick at the crease, and it became fairly apparent that this would be a day for batsmen to fill their boots. West and Scullie progressed at close to 4 an over until just after the drinks break when Westy missed an opportunity for a big score falling for 37 and bringing to an end a 99 run partnership.
Nick had looked flawless in his innings, and after surpassing 50, pushed on towards three figures. Mark Holland came and went without score and then skipper Brenton Jones joined Scullie at the crease and added a valuable 60 for the 4th wicket in 12 overs before he was bowled for 22. This bought Mark Keck to the crease, the man stepped back into the swing of things without missing a beat. Clipping the first ball he faced to the fence for four, he and Nick pushed the scoring rate along towards five an over.
As impressive as Kecky was, the innings was controlled by one person, Nick Scullie carried his bat through the entire innings and bought up a well deserved century which included 19 fours and one six in an unbeaten knock of 112 from 132 balls as Sandhurst posted 6 for 218 from 45 overs.
Sandhurst had a large total to defend, but lacking a couple of front line bowlers would still need to bowl well and take their chances to complete the victory. Things got off to a bright start when Quinton Bentley who had new ball duties claimed Matt Fitt LBW in the 2nd over of the innings. Andrew Sheehan who had done the job with the ball for the Dragons to date steaming ion for the first ball of his second over and came crashing to earth with what turned out to be a major groin injury ruling him out for the remainder of the game.
Now the heat was really on the Dragons bowling attack, down on manpower but with runs on the board Quinton Bentley again turned things the Dragons way claiming Bourne LBW with just 23 on the board.
Sandhurst toiled away striving for wickets but could not buy one. Jones threw the ball to Trump, Keck, Gibson Crouch and himself as a seventh bowling option looking for a key wicket, whilst they all bowled solidly, they were unable to break the third wicket stand of Walker and Smith who took the game away from the Dragons with a 181 run partnership and taking Eaglehawk to the brink of victory.
Mark Keck finally broke the partnership cruelly ending Sam Walker’s innings on 99. Keck claimed a second consolation wicket to finish with very impressive figures of 2 for 25 from 9 overs. Quinton Bentley was the other successful bowler finishing with 2 for 45 from 9 overs. Eaglehawk claiming victory by 6 wickets in the 41st over.
Match Summary: Sandhurst 6/218 (N Scullie 112, A West 37) lost To Eaglehawk 4/222 (M Keck 2/25, Q Bentley 2/45)
Man Of The Match: Nick Scullie 112 not out.
Key: Dropped catches and a lack of bowling depth hurt Sandhurst badly in the end.
Second XI @ Canterbury Park Eaglehawk
Sandhurst Second XI had their 3rd captain in three games, when Simon Turnbull was placed in charge, his team had three changes from Round 2 with Traviss Russell, Leigh Draper and Joe Hartney who was making his senior debut for the club into the side. They replaced Scott Mills (unavailable), Alex Trump (First XI) and Tim Mcglone (Under 17s Rotation Policy.)
Eaglehawk were also fielding a side unrecognisable from the side that won last years second eleven premiership and coming just six days after the club’s last encounter, both sides were keen for another crack at each other. Ex-Dragon Tim Williams won the toss and elected to bat as the Eaglehawk openers were joined on their way out to the middle by umpires Bennett & Brown in their resplendent bright orange. (At least we know the umpire match fees are being put to good use.?)
Elias Bowe was again given the opportunity with the new ball following on from his fine form against the same opponents in Round 2 and joined Justin Hancock in searching for the early break through. It was Elias who got the initial break bowling opener Ash Trigger for 14 with the total on 34 in the tenth over. There was little life in the Canterbury Oval track and things appeared to be far more free scoring than the earlier encounter.
Tom Wilson continued his wicket taking form, claiming a wicket in his first over and when Traviss Russell was finally rewarded for some tight bowling in his fifth over right on drinks with Eaglehawk 3 for 84 off 22.Tony McQueen was a dangerous inclusion for Eaglehawk and batting at three paced the innings before he was part of a middle order collapse that Sandhurst regain a foot hold in the match. First to fall in the spell of 3 for 3 in nine balls was Phil Kerr LBW to the searing pace of Craig Burn, as if that wasn’t hard enough to witness, seeing “Chooka” claim a simple caught and bowled to remove Paul Murley who had been the match winner in third XI earlier that day with his next ball placing Craig on a hat-trick was larceny. When Joe Hartney followed up with his first senior wicket for the Dragons removing Tony Mcqueen Eaglehawk was 6 for 142 with ten overs remaining.
Unfortunately for the Dragons, as had happened in Round two, an Eaglehawk batsmen got away from the Dragons bowling attack and with an unbeaten 68 from 45 balls turned an average 180-190 total into a difficult 229 runs required from 45 overs for the Dragons. Traviss Russell was the only bowler able to bowl economically with 1/19 from 9, Elias Bowe was unlucky after a fine first spell to finish with 2 for 48 from 9, Joe Hartney showed promise with 1/35 from 5, while the less said about Craig Burn’s 2/26 the better.
Will Horan was thrust into the role of opening batsman with Simon Turnbull, after a promising start both batsmen threw their wickets away with reckless shots with the score planted on 27. Jayden Saunders followed one run later leaving Craig Burn and Leigh Draper to regroup and re-energize the innings. Things were never going to be dull with these two at the crease and the pair batted as well as they have in some time against an Eaglehawk attack that let it’s foot off the gas and offered up more than a couple of “help yourselves”.
Still if Sandhurst had seen off the new ball and the best of Eaglehawks bowlers then anything was possible. Burn and Draper pushed the total along to 95 in the 21st over before he picked out Tim Williams in the infield for 33 from 29 balls. Justin Hancock then joined Draper at the crease and with Draper in full flight an error between wickets led to Drapers demise run out for a very well made 40.
A quick succession of wickets fell leaving Sandhurst 8 for 137 with 12 overs remaining when Joe Hartney joined Elias Bowe at the crease. The young kids, both members of the sides Under 17s side provided the rest of Sandhurst B Grade a lesson in rotating the strike with loud calls and positive running between the wickets. Unfortunately there would be no miracle for Sandhurst dismissed in the 40th over for 167. The middle order were the pick of the batsmen with Draper (40), Burn (33) and Hancock 26 providing the largest contributions.
Man of The Match: There was no clear cut decision, but coming in with such limited preparation, and showing control unmatched by any of the other bowlers Traviss Russell’s 1/19 from 9 in his first hit out of the year saw him get the nod
The Key: Sandhurst were again second best in many areas, extras conceded, retaining wickets in hand and batting out the overs to name a few but again it was one key knock from Eaglehawk’s number seven which just as in Round 2 had Sandhurst chasing more than they would have been expecting.
Special Mention to our Under 17s who have started off the season with back to back victories in a fine team display they restricted Eaglehawk to 6/111 and despite some nervous moments got the points with 7 for 114 in reply.
Goat Of The Round - Now to the paragraph that 99% of the club can’t wait to read each round and the unfortunate recipient dreads from the moment they are found displaying goat like behaviour. Our Round three nomination was always likely to make an appearance on this page at some stage but Pete Schneider got himself nominated early in the season for leaving his own son off the scorecard registering him as 0 not out instead of 1 not out on the BDCA website and nearly costing his son another unwanted “Cricket Trip” Fine.