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*Official* Season XII Results and Discussion Thread
- Thread starter Mr Mxyzptlk
- Start date
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June 7
Just one point separated Cricket Web Black and Cricket Web Red battling both to overtake Cricket Web Blue and secure a spot in the final. Three teams in the race in the final first-class round of the season.
Let's go...
Day 1:
At the PDV Dome:
On a typically quick pitch and under cloudy skies, Cricket Web Black chose to bowl first at the top-seeded Cricket Web Blue. The most intense of rivalries in the Development League kicked off again, but the exchanges were dominated by CW Blue in the early going. The Blues fairly cruised to lunch on 110-0, a score powered largely by Thamba Mamesh's 62. The outfield sped up in the afternoon session and the sun came out in its glory. In such pristine conditions, the Blues rollicked onward.
Blake Donald struck an overdue opening blow for the Blacks, trapping Pete Young lbw for 59 and breaking a partnership of 170. But Mamesh continued his organized charge with a feisty Ullungura at his side. The young man was dropped thrice before day's end and increased his aggressive reach progressively to test his apparent streak of luck. Mamesh reached 100 from 150 balls, and was out for 146 to a tired pull stroke against Nick Borcich. Robert Cribb joined the batting feast, seeing Ullungura to another hundred, and CW Blue to the close of a long day on 345-2.
Cricket Web Blue 1st 345-2 (98 overs)
At the Cricket Centre:
Cricket Web Red could hardly afford error in their game against the Colts, so it was with great frustration that they met a severely weather-hampered opening day. Given the appalling conditions, the Reds decided to bowl first after rain delayed the start by more than 90 minutes. In the first 4 overs, Kennett dropped Fitzsimmons and the Colts scored 17-0, when the rains came again. Two hours were lost with the second delay, demanding an early lunch.
The players were on the field for just over an hour in the afternoon session. Dave Watt removed debutant Griffen for 14 in the time. The heavens then opened again, pouring down in a 128-minute third delay. Largely due to the forcefulness of Mørk, the umpires and players came back out for two more overs before stumps. There was excitement even in the brief period, as Mørk ranged to his left but dropped a difficult chance off Fitzsimmon's inside edge. The great batsman, playing his last game, went to stumps on 30.
Cricket Web Colts 65-1 (20 overs)
Day 2:
At the PDV Dome:
Cricket Web Black continued to drop catches, and Cricket Web Blue continued to dominate on another sunny day at the PDV Dome. Jack Ullungura (156) and Robert Cribb (64) extended their partnership to 129 for the third wicket with relative ease and the assistance of two dropped catches. A catch was finally held when Arnold clutched on to a steepling teaser following a miscued swipe by Ullungura. However, the wicket hardly livened up the contest in a morning session that saw the Blues score 110 runs.
Arnold backed up his fielding with some handy bowling in the afternoon. A decent outswinger dismissed Dinu DeSilva for 35 and opened a path for Kev Gough to return some pride to the CW Black attack. The fast bowler found the ball reverse swinging slightly, and had Cribb caught behind, then bowled Alex Crampton for a promising 17. Arnold then followed up with the wicket of Fuller, also bowled for 3. Suddenly CW Blue were 510-7, having been more authoritative at 487-3 a while earlier.
However, Liam Camps jr. attacked the CW Black composure again, scoring 51 not out and batting well the tail to guide a total of 583 all out. Only 5 overs remained when Dan Smith and Ashley Arnold came to the middle. There was a hint of aggression, but only further assurance of the quality of the pitch, and the Blacks closed on 18-0.
Cricket Web Blue 1st 583 all out (180.4 overs)
J Ullungura 156, T Mamesh 146, RGEWS Cribb 64, PE Young 59, LA Camps 51*
KJ Gough 3-122, AR Arnold 2-35
Cricket Web Black 1st 18-0 (5 overs)
At the Cricket Centre:
Clouds continued to hover over the Cricket Centre for most of the day, proving as engaging as the action on the field, as Cricket Web Colts crawled along on a sporting pitch. Simon Fitzsimmons continued his charmed existence and looked set for a hundred when he was caught behind off a Kennett screamer. Fitzsimmons walked for 88, not quite the fairytale finish. Towns played on, steadfast, and though he could not pierce the field with most of his attacking strokes, he continued with impressive patience against his frustration. Indeed, he took 158 balls to reach 50.
Chris Butler was a more fluent partner, dropped on 45 and reaching 50 from 107 balls. The third wicket stand at stumps was 101, and Towns was unbeaten on 84, with Butler on 59. The Reds walked off the field a frustrated force, battling against obstinate batsmen and fleeting time in their chase of title glory.
Cricket Web Colts 1st 273-2 (110 overs)
Day 3:
At the PDV Dome:
The pitch still hard and true, Cricket Web Black batted well in the initial stages of the day. Liam Camps had to give the ball to the spin of Robert Cribb before Cricket Web Blue essayed a breakthrough. It was then that Dan Smith played around a low full toss to be bowled for 65. CW Black resumed on 107-1 after lunch, continuing in good form until Camps bowled Cloete for 26. The pacy Demeza then returned with the wicket of Armstrong - caught at gully for 1 - but Ashley Arnold batted onward to another fine century.
Again things were going along smoothly, and again Cribb displayed his golden arm. He bowled Markus for 36 off the inside edge, the ball before tea. A third wicket fell to Cribb after tea - Chaulk lbw for 12 - and CW Black looked to have come undone at Blake Donald's dismissal further on. Cribb dropped Richards when he had 1, breaking the fighting dominance of the Blues. But Collins re-established the mood in snapping up Arnold for 165. That epic knock ended, CW Blue grabbed two more wickets before the close, maintaining a lead of 220 when stumps were called. Richards was the final victim to the Blues on the day, leg-before-wicket to Fuller for 30.
Cricket Web Blue 1st 583 all out (180.4 overs)
J Ullungura 156, T Mamesh 146, RGEWS Cribb 64, PE Young 59, LA Camps 51*
KJ Gough 3-122, AR Arnold 2-35
Cricket Web Black 1st 363-9 (100.3 overs)
At the Cricket Centre:
Chris Butler unleashed two boundaries in the opening Watt over of the day, but rain interrupted immediately after, and only 3 overs were possible when an early lunch was taken. The afternoon session consisted of one over, and again the rain poured down. Almost three hours were suffered lost due the weather and tea was taken early as well. After tea Watt trapped Butler for 75 with a full delivery, and the progression of batsmen to the crease attempted to increase the aggression, but the next three wickets fell to Dwyer's flat offbreaks.
In the meantime Daniel Towns tiptoed to his hundred and closed on 132 when Wright declared. It was a sporting decision by the Colts captain, at 391-6, allowing the Reds some time to make a contest of a game so badly depreciated by the weather. CW Red started positively in the 6 overs before stumps, scoring 27-0.
Cricket Web Colts 1st 391-6 dec. (143.3 overs)
DP Towns 132*, SG Fitzsimmons 88, CR Butler 75
CR Dwyer 3-33, DJ Watt 2-95
Cricket Web Red 1st 27-0 (6 overs)
Day 4:
At the PDV Dome:
It was almost a foregone conclusion that Cricket Web Black would miss the follow-on target, but after Adam Collins wrapped the innings early in the day, Liam Camps elected instead to bat again. As they needed only to avoid defeat to secure the title, the Blues looked to bat the game out of reach of the Blacks. The security of a 215-run lead inspired confident strokeplay from Pete Young and Thamba Mamesh. They romped to lunch at 90-0 and carried on into the second session with the same effortless ease.
Mamesh consistently bludgeoned the ball over the legside, but drove straight down the ground to raise his second hundred of the game. Furthering his aggression, he slogged Pickup to Gough in the deep when he had 116. The young quickie took a good catch. The anchor innings of 63 by Young then came to an end, caught behind pushing aimlessly outside offstump. Camps promoted Sean Fuller to get some time in the middle and find some form, and he had 19 not out when the declaration came at 240-2. With him was Jack Ullungura, following on from his first innings hundred with 34 unbeaten.
CW Black then needed 456 to win with 108 overs left in the game. A quick ball from Demeza jagged away from Dan Smith and Camps gleefully pouched the catch at slip, leaving CW Black one down. They were 54-1 at stumps and need 402 from the final day's play to win the title.
Cricket Web Blue 1st 583 all out (180.4 overs)
J Ullungura 156, T Mamesh 146, RGEWS Cribb 64, PE Young 59, LA Camps 51*
KJ Gough 3-122, AR Arnold 2-35
Cricket Web Black 1st 368 all out (103.4 overs)
AR Arnold 165, DP Smith 65, I Markus 36
AAA Collins 3-46, RGEWS Cribb 3-58
Cricket Web Blue 2nd 240-2 dec. (73 overs)
T Mamesh 116, PE Young 63, J Ullungura 34*
BC Donald 1-33
Cricket Web Black 2nd 54-1 (18 overs)
At the Cricket Centre:
As Cricket Web Black struggled at the Dome, Cricket Web Red looked to address Cricket Web Colts large first innings total and investigate their options of somehow forcing a favourable result. They elected to do so by playing positively in the morning session, until that plan backfire with 3 quick wickets falling to the Colts seamers. Dobson, Sharma and Dauth were out within 11 runs of each other, and Mørk and Kearsley were made to rebuild in pressure circumstances. They handled the situation well, but any attempts to get on top of the bowling were foiled in the process.
At tea the partnership remained intact and worth 121 runs. Mørk was then on 91, and Kearsley crossed fifty early into the final session. Poised on 99, Mørk missed a full delivery from his opposite number, lbw so close to another memorable milestone. Callum Thompson was lively in scoring 22, but when he was out at 255-5, the Reds still trailed by 136 runs. Aggression returned to the gameplan most obviously in the form of Chris Dwyer. He thumped 34 off 22 balls before he was dropped by Butler. And he marched onward to 50 from 29 balls, while Kearsley pulled a Hancock longhop to the boundary to go to 101.
Shortly before the close, there was success for the Colts with the run out of Dwyer for 57 from 34 balls. Adding some symmetry to his season, Kearsley closed the day on 102, having rediscovered some of his early season form. The Reds trailed then by 56 runs and a result for either team seemed a far stretch. And with an eye on the score at the Dome and a mind on the situation at hand, difficult decisions were left to be made by Mørk on the final day.
Cricket Web Colts 1st 391-6 dec. (143.3 overs)
DP Towns 132*, SG Fitzsimmons 88, CR Butler 75
CR Dwyer 3-33, DJ Watt 2-95
Cricket Web Red 1st 335-6 (96 overs)
Day 5:
At the PDV Dome:
In beginning their final stand to define their first-class season, Cricket Web Black started the day needing 402 runs to win with 9 wickets in hand. For Cricket Web Blue the equation was as simple as preventing a victory in order to secure the title. The tenseness of the situation may have explained the shot Arnold (32) played to get it out, but it could not forgive it. The opener slashed at a wide ball from Collins and provided Demeza with a simple catch at mid-off.
On cue, Demeza found Cloete edging to slip and had Armstrong adjudged lbw for 9, even as the ball pitched outside legstump. Two balls later, Ash Chaulk drove at a pacy outswinger and he too was caught at slip. The first half-an-hour therefore saw 4 wickets fall for CW Black - a devastating start.
At the Cricket Centre:
Rain and bad light delayed the start of play, and perhaps both could be factored into the dismissal of Manjunath Reddlapalli, as he was lbw for 1, missing a straight ball from Kyle Wright. The wicket came with the second ball of the day and no change to the overnight score. It was apparent that there would be no victory for either side in this game, so Cricket Web Red elected to play for maximum points. Sean Bennett took guard at the crease needing to support David Kearsley with an achievable target of 65 runs in 33.4 overs, but with only 3 wickets in hand.
At the PDV Dome:
Unconcerned at such an early stage by the situation at the Cricket Centre, Dan Smith watched on solemnly as his team fought for their future. Blake Donald received two let-offs against Adam Collins. First he was dropped by wicketkeeper Crampton, then a straightforward lbw decision was turned down. From that platform of luck, he and the more fluent Ian Markus began to build a partnership of recovery. Donald grew in confidence, whipping Demeza off his hips for a boundary, then further for six. But Markus reached his fifty first, driving Camps through the covers with some class. A paddle sweep brought Donald his milestone an over later, against the spin of Cribb.
The partnership reached 100 and CW Black settled in at lunch having tilted a horrific session slightly more toward balance. But with two sessions to get 5 wickets, the Blues still looked on top of the game.
At the Cricket Centre:
Somewhat surprisingly, Sean Bennett dominated the partnership for the eighth wicket. The well-set David Kearsley scored just 18 of 52 runs, as the target was brought well within reach by the time Bennett was caught by Wilson off the leading edge. Thomas took his third wicket of the innings, and the Reds then had 2 wickets in hand to score 13 runs for maximum batting points. David Kennett did his first job, seeing the team to lunch with the addition of one more run.
At the PDV Dome:
Camps persisted with spin after lunch, keeping Robert Cribb in the attack alongside the steady Collins. Two dropped catches by Crampton in the opening hour of the afternoon session seemed to deflate the Blues somewhat, but spin eventually paid off. Cribb bowled Markus for the second time in the game, and again off the inside edge. The big man walked for 73 and a partnership of 129 was crucially broken. Incredibly, Crampton dropped a third catch of the session and Fuller missed a half-chance off Richards, but the Blacks survived to fight at tea on 251-6.
At the Cricket Centre:
Kennett pushed the first ball he saw after lunch down the ground to collect 2 runs. It was his only contribution of runs for the session. Otherwise David Kearsley took control of the situation and scored 10 of the runs needed. The Reds comfortably achieved 400, but added one more run to allow Kearsley a more aesthetically pleasing 130 not out at the declaration - 401 for 8. So the Colts got another turn at the crease and Fitzsimmons set out to play his final first-class innings. He received a guard of honour and a standing ovation, as was mandated given his impressive contributions to the sport.
Partnered by a fiery rookie in Griffen, Fitzsimmons was allowed to ease into his innings, attacking as a true reflection that he is indeed still at the peak of his game. Fitzsimmons fell behind early in the race, but ultimately reached his fifty first, taking 51 balls to do so. Again the crowd stood in appreciation. One shot too many, Griffen was caught at mid-off for 49, just short of a debut half-century, breaking a partnership of 109. But crucially, Fitzsimmons was still there at tea. And with the game now certainly destined to be drawn, the crowd desired nothing less than seeing their hero chase a goodbye hundred.
At the PDV Dome:
One session and four wickets in hand. The requirement of 151 runs stood improbable, though still feasible. Instead the Blacks, given the situation at the Cricket Centre, needed to ensure that they took as many points as possible with a drawn result. That man Demeza had other ideas, and he caught the leading edge of Richards' bat and a crucial breakthrough. Richards walked for 19 and Demeza celebrated his 5th wicket of the innings. The first ball Borcich faced, he edged Dunn low and fast to Crampton, but the wicketkeeper again failed to hold on, admittedly a very difficult opportunity this time. Less than 3 overs passed when he was given a chance at redemption. A screamer from Demeza took the glove of Borcich, and lobbed to Crampton for a simple catch. Not taking any chances, he clutched the ball tightly to his chest, held it for 2 seconds, then tossed it up in celebration.
The expression of disappointment of Borcich's face was matched and surpassed by Blake Donald minutes after. He may have ridden his luck at times on his way to 87, but it was also a hard-fought innings, and it was ended by a cracking ball from Dunn. The ball nipped in sharply off the seam and crashed into offstump. Donald stood at the crease leaning on his bat for more than 30 seconds while the Blues celebrated their impending triumph. He eventually walked off past the non-striker Neil Pickup, and Kev Gough took his place in the middle.
He hung around bravely for almost 10 overs, but was no match for Dunn in the end, caught at fourth slip for 13. Cricket Web Black were all out for 295, meaning that a draw for Cricket Web Red would secure their place in the final.
Cricket Web Blue 1st 583 all out (180.4 overs)
J Ullungura 156, T Mamesh 146, RGEWS Cribb 64, PE Young 59, LA Camps 51*
KJ Gough 3-122, AR Arnold 2-35
Cricket Web Black 1st 368 all out (103.4 overs)
AR Arnold 165, DP Smith 65, I Markus 36
AAA Collins 3-46, RGEWS Cribb 3-58
Cricket Web Blue 2nd 240-2 dec. (73 overs)
T Mamesh 116, PE Young 63, J Ullungura 34*
BC Donald 1-33
Cricket Web Black 2nd 295 all out (95 overs)
BC Donald 87, I Markus 73, AR Arnold 32
TJ Demeza 6-111, RG Dunn 2-35
Cricket Web Blue won by 160 runs.
Man of the Match: T Mamesh
At the Cricket Centre:
News of the struggles of Cricket Web Black streamed into the CW Red dressing room. The inspiration of such did not immediately lift the players on the field, however. Instead they battled the beast of Simon Fitzsimmons, comfortably into stride. He began the third session on 55 from 58 balls and progressed to 86, then lifted Watt twice over the covers, first for six and then for four. However it was with a more orthodox flick shot that he brought up the ton, from his 128th ball. A declaration came two overs later, into the final hour of the game. Again Kyle Wright made a sporting decision, giving the Reds 11 overs to secure their final berth on batting terms.
Reports came through over the PA system that the Blacks had lost at the Dome, so it was with hearty measure that the Reds came out to the middle. Mørk in particular was in smiling form, until he edged to first slip for 3. Appropriately, Fitzsimmons took the catch - the final act of his final game. He faced the first ball and contributed to the final wicket.
Cricket Web Colts 1st 391-6 dec. (143.3 overs)
DP Towns 132*, SG Fitzsimmons 88, CR Butler 75
CR Dwyer 3-33, DJ Watt 2-95
Cricket Web Red 1st 401-8 dec. (121 overs)
DA Kearsley 130*, H Mørk 99, CR Dwyer 57, GKK Dobson 29
KS Wright 3-95, GM Thomas 3-107
Cricket Web Colts 2nd 205-1 dec. (50 overs)
SG Fitzsimmons 105*, J Griffen 49, DP Towns 42*
SA Bennett 1-15
Cricket Web Red 2nd 28-1 (11 overs)
GKK Dobson 18*
GM Thomas 1-3
Match drawn.
Man of the Match: SG Fitzsimmons
Scorecards:
Cricket Web Black v Cricket Web Blue, PDV Dome
Ball by Ball
Cricket Web Red v Cricket Web Colts, Fardin Qayyumi CC
Ball by Ball
Just one point separated Cricket Web Black and Cricket Web Red battling both to overtake Cricket Web Blue and secure a spot in the final. Three teams in the race in the final first-class round of the season.
Let's go...
Day 1:
At the PDV Dome:
On a typically quick pitch and under cloudy skies, Cricket Web Black chose to bowl first at the top-seeded Cricket Web Blue. The most intense of rivalries in the Development League kicked off again, but the exchanges were dominated by CW Blue in the early going. The Blues fairly cruised to lunch on 110-0, a score powered largely by Thamba Mamesh's 62. The outfield sped up in the afternoon session and the sun came out in its glory. In such pristine conditions, the Blues rollicked onward.
Blake Donald struck an overdue opening blow for the Blacks, trapping Pete Young lbw for 59 and breaking a partnership of 170. But Mamesh continued his organized charge with a feisty Ullungura at his side. The young man was dropped thrice before day's end and increased his aggressive reach progressively to test his apparent streak of luck. Mamesh reached 100 from 150 balls, and was out for 146 to a tired pull stroke against Nick Borcich. Robert Cribb joined the batting feast, seeing Ullungura to another hundred, and CW Blue to the close of a long day on 345-2.
Cricket Web Blue 1st 345-2 (98 overs)
At the Cricket Centre:
Cricket Web Red could hardly afford error in their game against the Colts, so it was with great frustration that they met a severely weather-hampered opening day. Given the appalling conditions, the Reds decided to bowl first after rain delayed the start by more than 90 minutes. In the first 4 overs, Kennett dropped Fitzsimmons and the Colts scored 17-0, when the rains came again. Two hours were lost with the second delay, demanding an early lunch.
The players were on the field for just over an hour in the afternoon session. Dave Watt removed debutant Griffen for 14 in the time. The heavens then opened again, pouring down in a 128-minute third delay. Largely due to the forcefulness of Mørk, the umpires and players came back out for two more overs before stumps. There was excitement even in the brief period, as Mørk ranged to his left but dropped a difficult chance off Fitzsimmon's inside edge. The great batsman, playing his last game, went to stumps on 30.
Cricket Web Colts 65-1 (20 overs)
Day 2:
At the PDV Dome:
Cricket Web Black continued to drop catches, and Cricket Web Blue continued to dominate on another sunny day at the PDV Dome. Jack Ullungura (156) and Robert Cribb (64) extended their partnership to 129 for the third wicket with relative ease and the assistance of two dropped catches. A catch was finally held when Arnold clutched on to a steepling teaser following a miscued swipe by Ullungura. However, the wicket hardly livened up the contest in a morning session that saw the Blues score 110 runs.
Arnold backed up his fielding with some handy bowling in the afternoon. A decent outswinger dismissed Dinu DeSilva for 35 and opened a path for Kev Gough to return some pride to the CW Black attack. The fast bowler found the ball reverse swinging slightly, and had Cribb caught behind, then bowled Alex Crampton for a promising 17. Arnold then followed up with the wicket of Fuller, also bowled for 3. Suddenly CW Blue were 510-7, having been more authoritative at 487-3 a while earlier.
However, Liam Camps jr. attacked the CW Black composure again, scoring 51 not out and batting well the tail to guide a total of 583 all out. Only 5 overs remained when Dan Smith and Ashley Arnold came to the middle. There was a hint of aggression, but only further assurance of the quality of the pitch, and the Blacks closed on 18-0.
Cricket Web Blue 1st 583 all out (180.4 overs)
J Ullungura 156, T Mamesh 146, RGEWS Cribb 64, PE Young 59, LA Camps 51*
KJ Gough 3-122, AR Arnold 2-35
Cricket Web Black 1st 18-0 (5 overs)
At the Cricket Centre:
Clouds continued to hover over the Cricket Centre for most of the day, proving as engaging as the action on the field, as Cricket Web Colts crawled along on a sporting pitch. Simon Fitzsimmons continued his charmed existence and looked set for a hundred when he was caught behind off a Kennett screamer. Fitzsimmons walked for 88, not quite the fairytale finish. Towns played on, steadfast, and though he could not pierce the field with most of his attacking strokes, he continued with impressive patience against his frustration. Indeed, he took 158 balls to reach 50.
Chris Butler was a more fluent partner, dropped on 45 and reaching 50 from 107 balls. The third wicket stand at stumps was 101, and Towns was unbeaten on 84, with Butler on 59. The Reds walked off the field a frustrated force, battling against obstinate batsmen and fleeting time in their chase of title glory.
Cricket Web Colts 1st 273-2 (110 overs)
Day 3:
At the PDV Dome:
The pitch still hard and true, Cricket Web Black batted well in the initial stages of the day. Liam Camps had to give the ball to the spin of Robert Cribb before Cricket Web Blue essayed a breakthrough. It was then that Dan Smith played around a low full toss to be bowled for 65. CW Black resumed on 107-1 after lunch, continuing in good form until Camps bowled Cloete for 26. The pacy Demeza then returned with the wicket of Armstrong - caught at gully for 1 - but Ashley Arnold batted onward to another fine century.
Again things were going along smoothly, and again Cribb displayed his golden arm. He bowled Markus for 36 off the inside edge, the ball before tea. A third wicket fell to Cribb after tea - Chaulk lbw for 12 - and CW Black looked to have come undone at Blake Donald's dismissal further on. Cribb dropped Richards when he had 1, breaking the fighting dominance of the Blues. But Collins re-established the mood in snapping up Arnold for 165. That epic knock ended, CW Blue grabbed two more wickets before the close, maintaining a lead of 220 when stumps were called. Richards was the final victim to the Blues on the day, leg-before-wicket to Fuller for 30.
Cricket Web Blue 1st 583 all out (180.4 overs)
J Ullungura 156, T Mamesh 146, RGEWS Cribb 64, PE Young 59, LA Camps 51*
KJ Gough 3-122, AR Arnold 2-35
Cricket Web Black 1st 363-9 (100.3 overs)
At the Cricket Centre:
Chris Butler unleashed two boundaries in the opening Watt over of the day, but rain interrupted immediately after, and only 3 overs were possible when an early lunch was taken. The afternoon session consisted of one over, and again the rain poured down. Almost three hours were suffered lost due the weather and tea was taken early as well. After tea Watt trapped Butler for 75 with a full delivery, and the progression of batsmen to the crease attempted to increase the aggression, but the next three wickets fell to Dwyer's flat offbreaks.
In the meantime Daniel Towns tiptoed to his hundred and closed on 132 when Wright declared. It was a sporting decision by the Colts captain, at 391-6, allowing the Reds some time to make a contest of a game so badly depreciated by the weather. CW Red started positively in the 6 overs before stumps, scoring 27-0.
Cricket Web Colts 1st 391-6 dec. (143.3 overs)
DP Towns 132*, SG Fitzsimmons 88, CR Butler 75
CR Dwyer 3-33, DJ Watt 2-95
Cricket Web Red 1st 27-0 (6 overs)
Day 4:
At the PDV Dome:
It was almost a foregone conclusion that Cricket Web Black would miss the follow-on target, but after Adam Collins wrapped the innings early in the day, Liam Camps elected instead to bat again. As they needed only to avoid defeat to secure the title, the Blues looked to bat the game out of reach of the Blacks. The security of a 215-run lead inspired confident strokeplay from Pete Young and Thamba Mamesh. They romped to lunch at 90-0 and carried on into the second session with the same effortless ease.
Mamesh consistently bludgeoned the ball over the legside, but drove straight down the ground to raise his second hundred of the game. Furthering his aggression, he slogged Pickup to Gough in the deep when he had 116. The young quickie took a good catch. The anchor innings of 63 by Young then came to an end, caught behind pushing aimlessly outside offstump. Camps promoted Sean Fuller to get some time in the middle and find some form, and he had 19 not out when the declaration came at 240-2. With him was Jack Ullungura, following on from his first innings hundred with 34 unbeaten.
CW Black then needed 456 to win with 108 overs left in the game. A quick ball from Demeza jagged away from Dan Smith and Camps gleefully pouched the catch at slip, leaving CW Black one down. They were 54-1 at stumps and need 402 from the final day's play to win the title.
Cricket Web Blue 1st 583 all out (180.4 overs)
J Ullungura 156, T Mamesh 146, RGEWS Cribb 64, PE Young 59, LA Camps 51*
KJ Gough 3-122, AR Arnold 2-35
Cricket Web Black 1st 368 all out (103.4 overs)
AR Arnold 165, DP Smith 65, I Markus 36
AAA Collins 3-46, RGEWS Cribb 3-58
Cricket Web Blue 2nd 240-2 dec. (73 overs)
T Mamesh 116, PE Young 63, J Ullungura 34*
BC Donald 1-33
Cricket Web Black 2nd 54-1 (18 overs)
At the Cricket Centre:
As Cricket Web Black struggled at the Dome, Cricket Web Red looked to address Cricket Web Colts large first innings total and investigate their options of somehow forcing a favourable result. They elected to do so by playing positively in the morning session, until that plan backfire with 3 quick wickets falling to the Colts seamers. Dobson, Sharma and Dauth were out within 11 runs of each other, and Mørk and Kearsley were made to rebuild in pressure circumstances. They handled the situation well, but any attempts to get on top of the bowling were foiled in the process.
At tea the partnership remained intact and worth 121 runs. Mørk was then on 91, and Kearsley crossed fifty early into the final session. Poised on 99, Mørk missed a full delivery from his opposite number, lbw so close to another memorable milestone. Callum Thompson was lively in scoring 22, but when he was out at 255-5, the Reds still trailed by 136 runs. Aggression returned to the gameplan most obviously in the form of Chris Dwyer. He thumped 34 off 22 balls before he was dropped by Butler. And he marched onward to 50 from 29 balls, while Kearsley pulled a Hancock longhop to the boundary to go to 101.
Shortly before the close, there was success for the Colts with the run out of Dwyer for 57 from 34 balls. Adding some symmetry to his season, Kearsley closed the day on 102, having rediscovered some of his early season form. The Reds trailed then by 56 runs and a result for either team seemed a far stretch. And with an eye on the score at the Dome and a mind on the situation at hand, difficult decisions were left to be made by Mørk on the final day.
Cricket Web Colts 1st 391-6 dec. (143.3 overs)
DP Towns 132*, SG Fitzsimmons 88, CR Butler 75
CR Dwyer 3-33, DJ Watt 2-95
Cricket Web Red 1st 335-6 (96 overs)
Day 5:
At the PDV Dome:
In beginning their final stand to define their first-class season, Cricket Web Black started the day needing 402 runs to win with 9 wickets in hand. For Cricket Web Blue the equation was as simple as preventing a victory in order to secure the title. The tenseness of the situation may have explained the shot Arnold (32) played to get it out, but it could not forgive it. The opener slashed at a wide ball from Collins and provided Demeza with a simple catch at mid-off.
On cue, Demeza found Cloete edging to slip and had Armstrong adjudged lbw for 9, even as the ball pitched outside legstump. Two balls later, Ash Chaulk drove at a pacy outswinger and he too was caught at slip. The first half-an-hour therefore saw 4 wickets fall for CW Black - a devastating start.
At the Cricket Centre:
Rain and bad light delayed the start of play, and perhaps both could be factored into the dismissal of Manjunath Reddlapalli, as he was lbw for 1, missing a straight ball from Kyle Wright. The wicket came with the second ball of the day and no change to the overnight score. It was apparent that there would be no victory for either side in this game, so Cricket Web Red elected to play for maximum points. Sean Bennett took guard at the crease needing to support David Kearsley with an achievable target of 65 runs in 33.4 overs, but with only 3 wickets in hand.
At the PDV Dome:
Unconcerned at such an early stage by the situation at the Cricket Centre, Dan Smith watched on solemnly as his team fought for their future. Blake Donald received two let-offs against Adam Collins. First he was dropped by wicketkeeper Crampton, then a straightforward lbw decision was turned down. From that platform of luck, he and the more fluent Ian Markus began to build a partnership of recovery. Donald grew in confidence, whipping Demeza off his hips for a boundary, then further for six. But Markus reached his fifty first, driving Camps through the covers with some class. A paddle sweep brought Donald his milestone an over later, against the spin of Cribb.
The partnership reached 100 and CW Black settled in at lunch having tilted a horrific session slightly more toward balance. But with two sessions to get 5 wickets, the Blues still looked on top of the game.
At the Cricket Centre:
Somewhat surprisingly, Sean Bennett dominated the partnership for the eighth wicket. The well-set David Kearsley scored just 18 of 52 runs, as the target was brought well within reach by the time Bennett was caught by Wilson off the leading edge. Thomas took his third wicket of the innings, and the Reds then had 2 wickets in hand to score 13 runs for maximum batting points. David Kennett did his first job, seeing the team to lunch with the addition of one more run.
At the PDV Dome:
Camps persisted with spin after lunch, keeping Robert Cribb in the attack alongside the steady Collins. Two dropped catches by Crampton in the opening hour of the afternoon session seemed to deflate the Blues somewhat, but spin eventually paid off. Cribb bowled Markus for the second time in the game, and again off the inside edge. The big man walked for 73 and a partnership of 129 was crucially broken. Incredibly, Crampton dropped a third catch of the session and Fuller missed a half-chance off Richards, but the Blacks survived to fight at tea on 251-6.
At the Cricket Centre:
Kennett pushed the first ball he saw after lunch down the ground to collect 2 runs. It was his only contribution of runs for the session. Otherwise David Kearsley took control of the situation and scored 10 of the runs needed. The Reds comfortably achieved 400, but added one more run to allow Kearsley a more aesthetically pleasing 130 not out at the declaration - 401 for 8. So the Colts got another turn at the crease and Fitzsimmons set out to play his final first-class innings. He received a guard of honour and a standing ovation, as was mandated given his impressive contributions to the sport.
Partnered by a fiery rookie in Griffen, Fitzsimmons was allowed to ease into his innings, attacking as a true reflection that he is indeed still at the peak of his game. Fitzsimmons fell behind early in the race, but ultimately reached his fifty first, taking 51 balls to do so. Again the crowd stood in appreciation. One shot too many, Griffen was caught at mid-off for 49, just short of a debut half-century, breaking a partnership of 109. But crucially, Fitzsimmons was still there at tea. And with the game now certainly destined to be drawn, the crowd desired nothing less than seeing their hero chase a goodbye hundred.
At the PDV Dome:
One session and four wickets in hand. The requirement of 151 runs stood improbable, though still feasible. Instead the Blacks, given the situation at the Cricket Centre, needed to ensure that they took as many points as possible with a drawn result. That man Demeza had other ideas, and he caught the leading edge of Richards' bat and a crucial breakthrough. Richards walked for 19 and Demeza celebrated his 5th wicket of the innings. The first ball Borcich faced, he edged Dunn low and fast to Crampton, but the wicketkeeper again failed to hold on, admittedly a very difficult opportunity this time. Less than 3 overs passed when he was given a chance at redemption. A screamer from Demeza took the glove of Borcich, and lobbed to Crampton for a simple catch. Not taking any chances, he clutched the ball tightly to his chest, held it for 2 seconds, then tossed it up in celebration.
The expression of disappointment of Borcich's face was matched and surpassed by Blake Donald minutes after. He may have ridden his luck at times on his way to 87, but it was also a hard-fought innings, and it was ended by a cracking ball from Dunn. The ball nipped in sharply off the seam and crashed into offstump. Donald stood at the crease leaning on his bat for more than 30 seconds while the Blues celebrated their impending triumph. He eventually walked off past the non-striker Neil Pickup, and Kev Gough took his place in the middle.
He hung around bravely for almost 10 overs, but was no match for Dunn in the end, caught at fourth slip for 13. Cricket Web Black were all out for 295, meaning that a draw for Cricket Web Red would secure their place in the final.
Cricket Web Blue 1st 583 all out (180.4 overs)
J Ullungura 156, T Mamesh 146, RGEWS Cribb 64, PE Young 59, LA Camps 51*
KJ Gough 3-122, AR Arnold 2-35
Cricket Web Black 1st 368 all out (103.4 overs)
AR Arnold 165, DP Smith 65, I Markus 36
AAA Collins 3-46, RGEWS Cribb 3-58
Cricket Web Blue 2nd 240-2 dec. (73 overs)
T Mamesh 116, PE Young 63, J Ullungura 34*
BC Donald 1-33
Cricket Web Black 2nd 295 all out (95 overs)
BC Donald 87, I Markus 73, AR Arnold 32
TJ Demeza 6-111, RG Dunn 2-35
Cricket Web Blue won by 160 runs.
Man of the Match: T Mamesh
At the Cricket Centre:
News of the struggles of Cricket Web Black streamed into the CW Red dressing room. The inspiration of such did not immediately lift the players on the field, however. Instead they battled the beast of Simon Fitzsimmons, comfortably into stride. He began the third session on 55 from 58 balls and progressed to 86, then lifted Watt twice over the covers, first for six and then for four. However it was with a more orthodox flick shot that he brought up the ton, from his 128th ball. A declaration came two overs later, into the final hour of the game. Again Kyle Wright made a sporting decision, giving the Reds 11 overs to secure their final berth on batting terms.
Reports came through over the PA system that the Blacks had lost at the Dome, so it was with hearty measure that the Reds came out to the middle. Mørk in particular was in smiling form, until he edged to first slip for 3. Appropriately, Fitzsimmons took the catch - the final act of his final game. He faced the first ball and contributed to the final wicket.
Cricket Web Colts 1st 391-6 dec. (143.3 overs)
DP Towns 132*, SG Fitzsimmons 88, CR Butler 75
CR Dwyer 3-33, DJ Watt 2-95
Cricket Web Red 1st 401-8 dec. (121 overs)
DA Kearsley 130*, H Mørk 99, CR Dwyer 57, GKK Dobson 29
KS Wright 3-95, GM Thomas 3-107
Cricket Web Colts 2nd 205-1 dec. (50 overs)
SG Fitzsimmons 105*, J Griffen 49, DP Towns 42*
SA Bennett 1-15
Cricket Web Red 2nd 28-1 (11 overs)
GKK Dobson 18*
GM Thomas 1-3
Match drawn.
Man of the Match: SG Fitzsimmons
Scorecards:
Cricket Web Black v Cricket Web Blue, PDV Dome
Ball by Ball
Cricket Web Red v Cricket Web Colts, Fardin Qayyumi CC
Ball by Ball
Last edited:
Turbinator
Cricketer Of The Year
Damn we have rain in this too 
.
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Turbinator
Cricketer Of The Year
Haha, exactly my thoughts.
Mr Mxyzptlk
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You'll wait till after my dinner to get day two, and possibly three.
I love that everyone probably opened this thread thinking that this post hailed day two.
I love that everyone probably opened this thread thinking that this post hailed day two.
Magrat Garlick
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Judging by the efforts yesterday, about 15 hours.
Get some coffee.
Edit: Love the fact that this post may have prevented people opening this thread thinking Liam's post heralded day two.
Mr Mxyzptlk
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Turbinator
Cricketer Of The Year
I get dinner done and over with in 2 min. As they say, you shouldn't have a big dinner, instead a big breakfast. Anyways, start on it Liam, NOW! 
Mr Mxyzptlk
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Magrat Garlick
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Myoink. No bonus points unless steds starts to fire it up. 
Turbinator
Cricketer Of The Year
****
NZTailender
I can't believe I ate the whole thing
Colts grinding it out. Simon's final match kind of Waugh-esque in his score...