Wednesday 27th February
Cricket Web Green v Cricket Web Colts
CWBCC Stadium
Scorecard
Ball by Ball
A blinding ton by Shan Jasotharan powered Cricket Web Colts to a target of 351 and a brilliant 5-wicket win. Jasotharan threw caution to the wind and attacked the Cricket Web Green bowlers to pick up crucial points for the Colts at the tail end of the season. At his side in the end was Man of the Match Mike Wilson, who added to an effective bowling performance with an unbeaten 37 in an unbroken partnership of 72.
Throughout the game both teams traded blows consistently and level pegged until the thrilling finale. Andrew Garven set up his team's first innings with a stroke-filled hundred. He added 131 with Anthony Lezama (61) and the two were central to an otherwise disappointing innings. The Greens scored 245 all out, and Wilson led the Colts attack bravely with 5 wickets. The Colts responded in similar fashion, falling 3 short of CW Green's total. As in the CW Green innings, few of the batsmen established themselves at the crease. Bosco Fitzsimmons batted brilliantly for 97, falling short of a maiden hundred with a loose flash outside offstump. He was a victim of Xavier Rose, as the Green pacer went on to take 5 for 47.
With their slim lead of 3 runs, the Greens were in early strife when they lost their openers to Kyle Wright. But salvation came in the person of Nick Scott, batting through to 135 until he was snaffled in the gully. The Greens recovered to a lead of 275 at the fall of the seventh wicket, but Rose scored a crucial 35 to boost the second innings total to 347 all out.
The Colts were faced with a target of 351 and lost Jennifer Law (1) in the third over of the final innings. Cunningham dropped a return catch off Fitzsimmons on 6, and the rookie went on to score 42 from number three. The second wicket stand of 112 set up the chase, and visibly deflated the Greens. When Cunningham found Fitzsimmons' outside edge, the Greens could have returned to the game. But Cunningham dropped his second catch of the innings, letting Butler off when he had just 2. The left-hander cashed in on his opportunity with some courageous grafting. James Griffen looked set for another first-class hundred, but after cruising into the 90s he misjudged a googly and was trapped lbw for 93.
A ball later Halsey roared in appeal for the wicket of Jasotharan, but was turned down. Replays suggested that the wicketkeeper was hit in line with the stumps, and the umpiring mistake proved crucial in the context of the game. The Colts started day five on 189-3 and in the third over Jasotharan offered another chance to Cunningham, and the fast bowler dropped his third. Onto his third life, Jasotharan drew inspiration and launched Rose over point for six on his way to a 37-ball fifty. He lost Butler for 42 and Will Kerr for 5 quickly on, bringing Wilson to the crease under pressure. A split second miss by Lezama off Jasotharan was the last opening for the Greens in the game. Jasotharan continued his attack and pulled a short ball from Rose to the midwicket fence, then slogged a low full toss over the fence for six the next ball. With that six he scored his hundred off 85 balls. Bad light brought an early lunch, but there was no significant threat from the weather. Instead the Colts raced to victory after lunch with few problems on a consistent surface.
Cricket Web Green 1st Innings 245 all out
Garven 107, Lezama 61, Wilson 5-48, Hancock 1-30
Cricket Web Colts 1st Innings 242 all out
Fitzsimmons 97, Butler 61, Rose 5-47, Cunningham 2-44
Cricket Web Green 2nd Innings 347 all out
Scott 135, Rose 35, Wright 3-73, Weber 3-74
Cricket Web Colts 2nd Innings 351 for 5
Jasotharan 109*, Griffen 93, Cameron 2-56, Halsey 1-57
Cricket Web Colts won by 5 wickets.
Man of the Match: MW Wilson (Colts)
_________________________________________
Masters XI v Cricket Web Blue
Casston Reserve
Scorecard
Ball by Ball
Brave second innings batting helped Cricket Web Blue to a massive 258-run victory over the Masters XI. Man of the Match Sean Fuller played brilliantly and amassed 101, contributing healthily to a partnership of 181 with Robert Cribb for the fourth wicket. The Blues had slipped to 24-3 in their second innings, but battled back to a winning total.
Vice-captain Cribb played on after Fuller was bowled by Streak and he too raised a century. He batted for 432 balls and scored 116 runs. With Rob Bowen (87) he put on 136, and though CW Blue lost their last 6 wickets for 17 runs, they set a target of 511. Heath Streak's 6 wickets threatened the Blues, but was ultimately not enough to derail their charge. In the final innings Travis Demeza snapped up the wicket of Ed Smith for 23, lbw to a quick inswinger. But the Masters continued to cruise and looked good at 107-1. Ben Taylor then spun a legbreak past the edge of Lara's bat and Crampton went up in appeal. The umpire upheld the erroneous appeal, and the Blues crucially broke through.
The innings was then entirely flipped on its head by a fine bowling partnership between Manan Shah and Sean Fuller. Fuller used reverse swing to his advantage, bowling a spell of 12 overs separated by lunch and taking the wickets of Damien Martyn (15) and Dale Benkenstein (4). Shah chipped in with the wicket of Geraint Jones (58), and then combined with Demeza to collapse the innings to 186-7. Inzamam-ul-Haq was the lone hope of the Masters, and he batted until the end, when he was lbw to Taylor for 67. The Masters XI surrendered for 252 and heavy defeat.
The game was set up, weighted toward CW Blue in the first innings. Stephen Young held the innings together with 103 after CW Blue batted first. Heath Streak, Boyd Rankin and Shane Warne shared 9 wickets, and Taylor was made to play importantly with 34 at the end of the innings. A score of 274 looked modest on a good pitch, but the Blue bowlers fired back superbly and shot their hosts out for 122. Demeza took 4 wickets and unsettled the middle order, but a lasting impression was left by Adam Collins. Bowling at no more than medium pace, the left-armer counted Benkenstein (16), Warne (0) and Henderson (0) in a hat-trick and hurried the end. He finished with 4 wickets of his own, and CW Blue led by 152 runs.
For a while the Blues threatened to throw away even so healthy a lead. But determination in the middle order kept them on top and set up a highly impressive victory.
Cricket Web Blue 1st Innings 274 all out
Young S. 103, Young P.E. 34, Warne 3-51, Rankin 3-62
Masters XI 1st Innings 122 all out
Lara 33, Martyn 23, Collins 4-24, Demeza 4-47
Cricket Web Blue 2nd Innings 358 all out
Cribb 116, Fuller 101, Streak 6-84, Henderson 2-50
Masters XI 2nd Innings 252 all out
Inzamam-ul-Haq 67, Jones 58, Fuller 2-28, Shah 2-35
Cricket Web Blue won by 258 runs.
Man of the Match: SE Fuller (Blue)
_________________________________________
Cricket Web Red v Cricket Web Black
CW Oval
Scorecard
Ball by Ball
It was another day at the office as Cricket Web Black thrashed Cricket Web Red by 9 wickets to keep their title hopes on track. Dan Smith scored 181 to set up a match-winning total of 435-4 declared.
CW Red managed only 208 in their first innings after they chose to bat first. Nick Borcich took 4 for 50, while Aseem Sharma (60) was the only batsman to pass fifty. Chris Dwyer (42) and Gaurav Nayak (39) threatened briefly with cameo knocks, and the Blacks surged to the front with some disciplined bowling. Though Dave Watt unsettled the visitors somewhat with a tail-end 22, he went on to struggle with the ball. Through his 34 overs he went wicketless for 108 runs. His new ball partner David Kennett threatened early on with the wicket of Ashley Arnold, caught at second slip for 2. The next ball he delivered a quick bouncer to Andrew Cloete and the ensuing hook shot saw the ball fly to fine leg. Watt gleefully claimed the catch and left the Blacks reeling on 6-2.
It was but false warning for the Reds, however. Smith combined beautifully with the in-form Alex Blackman in a partnership of 175. Blackman stroked 12 boundaries and looked totally at ease at the crease, but when he had 96 he chipped a catch back to Sean Bennett. He was replaced by Gerard Armstrong and the two continued to deflate the CW Red bowling attack. They added 254 for the fourth wicket, and Smith brought up his ton off 244 balls. He advanced seamlessly to 150 with the first ball of day three and looked in good shape for a second double hundred of the season.
At the other end Armstrong was in even better form. He paddled Clapham behind square for his 100th run, having faced 210 balls. When Smith was finally out, lbw to part-timer David Kearsley, he called the innings to a close. The Blacks led by 227 and quickly removed Mork for a second duck in the game. Borcich followed up with the wicket of Sharma, caught at slip for the 7 and the Reds were in trouble at 16-2. In the middle of the innings Neil Pickup struck rare second innings form. Pickup took 5 wickets and the Black spinners stuck to their tasks even as CW Red recovered promisingly in the middle order. Dwyer picked up from his start in the first innings and advanced past 50 and to a memorable hundred.
He was out softly, nicking an attempted cut shot to Chaulk behind the stumps, but offered respectability to CW Red with his 108. The Reds stretched into the lead by 61 runs when they were all out for 288. Needing 62, CW Black wasted no time in racing to victory. Arnold hit 6 boundaries in a quickfire 39, but was bowled by Kennett just short of the target.
Cricket Web Red 1st Innings 208 all out
Sharma 60, Dwyer 42, Borcich 4-50, Patrick 2-41
Cricket Web Black 1st Innings 435 for 4 dec.
Smith 181, Armstrong 115*, Kennett 2-79, Kearsley 1-29
Cricket Web Red 2nd Innings 288 all out
Dwyer 108, Dauth 47, Pickup 5-63, Richards 2-30
Cricket Web Black 2nd Innings 62 for 1
Arnold 39, Smith 12*, Kennett 1-33
Cricket Web Black won by 9 wickets.
Man of the Match: DP Smith (Black)