Cricket Web Black vs Cricket Web Colts
at Pickford Reserve
Scorecard
Ball By Ball
Kev Gough and Heath Davis led Cricket Web Black to a stunning nine-wicket victory, taking them right back in the title race after Colts showed little fight with neither bat nor ball. A rain-ravaged match went into the fifth day's play.
After batting first, Cricket Web Colts charged through to lunch, having only lost Rai to a fine ball from Gough and Fitzsimmons from dragging on Gelman. After lunch, Towns and Butler charged into the bowling, and at 163 for two in the 54th over it looked as though the day would belong to Colts. However, Gough took a wicket either side of tea, and Colts never found any fight as Black exploited reverse swing to good effect. Thirty overs later, Colts were all out for 246, with only the seventh-wicket stand between Cole and Pimpkins giving more than 20 runs to the cause.
In response, Black's top order faltered, and when Blackman was yorked by Wilson the total stood at 72 for four - and it looked as though it would be a close game. However, Black's long batting order came to the rescue. First Chaulk and then Richards compiled patient half-centuries, and as if that wasn't enough, Kev Gough struck some fatal and embarrassing blows in an enterprising 66. Black led by 157 runs on first innings, and looked in some form of control against a toothless bowling attack.
During the interrupted third day, Towns and Fitzsimmons fought well, squeaking to 88 for one at stumps after having started at noon. However, the pitch had taken its toll, and Donald was able to take two wickets in the first spell of the morning - wickets then continued to topple; right after lunch Cameron Burge struck twice to bring the Colts to six down, and though Das put in a stolid 72, the target stood at a meagre 160.
Colts were unable to produce anything much with the ball, though, and when Black resumed on the fifth day at 82 for nought, it was a formality. Two dropped catches didn't help, as Smith, Ritchie and Cloete strode imperviously to the target and 22 points.
Cricket Web Colts 246 all out
Towns 64, Butler 49; Gough 4/77, Richards 2/25, Gelman 2/32, Davis 2/43
Cricket Web Black 403 all out
Richards 89, Gough 66, Chaulk 60; Thomas 4/121, Wilson 2/41
Cricket Web Colts 316 all out
Das 72, Fitzsimmons 56, Towns 50; Davis 6/94, Burge 2/18
Cricket Web Black 160 for one
Smith D 70*, Ritchie 66
Cricket Web Black won by nine wickets
Man of the Match: K. J. Gough (Cricket Web Black)
Cricket Web Blue vs Masters XI
at PDV Dome
Scorecard
Ball By Ball
A remarkable chanceless double from Rob Cribb backed up a solid bowling effort, ensuring a painless ten-wicket win for Blue on home soil. The Masters were never really in it after choosing to bat, though decent effort in the second innings prolonged the game.
The Masters never quite settled in their innings, crashing to 98 for five after a solid stand between Farhat and Benkenstein before the tail wilted against uncanny spin from Popat. With only 50 overs bowled, the Blues had done a decent effort, with the wickets spread around - indeed, it was only Demeza's 12 overs for 76 that gave the Masters a bonus point. In response, Blue batted carelessly, losing three wickets before stumps - and it easily could have been more - but they had made 111, largely due to an enterprising 49 from Stephen Young.
The second day belonged to Cribb and Bowen. The two battered the Masters bowlers after coming together at 191, with Luke Ronchi cruelly regretting shelling a simple chance off Bowen on 3; the belligerent youngster responded with a 72-ball century, eventually getting stumped for 122 after taking the game away from the Masters. Cribb remained with the lower order, who contributed relatively little after Morris' 38, but it was still enough to amass 564 despite Warne's marathon effort.
With a 363-run lead in the bag, Manan Shah continued his good new ball work from the first innings, snaring both openers before lunch, and the remainder of the match seemed a formality. However, Brian Lara batted well past tea to give the Masters a sniff - but with a double strike midway through the evening session on day three, Blue could consolidate. Thomas Odoyo's unbeaten 69 only served to set a meagre target, which Blue overhauled for the loss of two wickets to Shane Bond.
Masters XI 201 all out
Lara 45, Farhat 41; Popat 3/14, Camps 2/26, Fuller 2/34, Shah 2/44
Cricket Web Blue 564 all out
Cribb 239, Bowen 122, Young S 49; Warne 5/120
Masters XI 387 all out
Lara 93, Odoyo 69*, Ronchi 64; Shah 3/57
Cricket Web Blue 29 for two
Young S 19*; Bond 2/17
Cricket Web Blue won by eight wickets
Man of the Match: R. G. E. W. S. Cribb (Cricket Web Blue)
Cricket Web Green vs Cricket Web Red
at CWBCC Stadium
Scorecard
Ball By Ball
Cricket Web Green were triumphant on the back of their first two days' work, which was a show of aggressive cricket. Despite bowling more overs than they batted, Cricket Web Green scored nearly double the Red effort, largely thanks to Jose Gonzalez' scattergun effort of 137. Even two centuries in the second innings, Red could not fight back.
After getting both openers in the first ten overs, Cricket Web Green struggled to get as much out of their change bowlers, and Gray and Kearsley eased to 71 at the break. It was to be a temporary respite, however, as Gray failed to respond to a call and was run out for 34 - Kearsley survived two drops but was eventually lbw to Mitchell, and the rest of the order folded feebly as Red whimpered to 160 for eight at tea. Grim resistance from Kennett saw him face out 96 balls while Amir and West scored the runs for a bonus point, but Red closed on 227.
In response, Green battered 23 in the four overs before stumps, then a further 83 in 12 overs before Nayak had Scott caught behind as the first victim. It brought a torrent of chances, but also a flood of runs, as Gonzalez made the most of a dropped chance on 40 to go on to a remarkable innings. Xavier Rose and Josh Forner also surprised with tailend stands, as the final three wickets contributed 135 runs and gave Green full batting points.
The third day was marred by early rain, but amid the showers Cunningham and Rose were allowed to bowl almost unchallenged, and once again came up with the openers cheaply - the first wicket stand was curtailed at 43. There were spirited stands from Gray, Dauth and Singh, as well as a dominant hundred from David Kearsley, but with the total at 261 for six Red looked ready to lay down and die.
However, Nayak was given a life on two, and went on to dominate the third day and the fourth morning. He sprinted his way to a hundred at a tad over a run a ball, and with Kennett promoted for support and decent batting from Bennett and Amir, Red posted a challenging total, and with both openers going cheaply after misjudgments, Red were in with a sniff. Thamba Mamesh played one of his finest innings in a green cap, however, rocking the Red boat with repeated strikes and ensuring that no bowler was allowed to settle. Sean Bennett's spin threatened midway through the innings, reaping three victims, but Martyn Corrin fought it aside and allowed Mamesh to complete a magnificent hundred, sealing the five-wicket win.
Cricket Web Red 227 all out
Kearsley 50; Cunningham 2/40, Forner 2/45
Cricket Web Green 456 all out
Gonzalez 137, Rose 71, Malone 53, Scott 52, Forner 33*; Kennett 4/84, Nayak 2/41
Cricket Web Red 471 all out
Nayak 129, Kearsley 104, Gray 44; Rose 5/114, Raftery 3/42
Cricket Web Green 243 for five
Mamesh 123*, Corrin 38*; Bennett 3/43
Cricket Web Green won by five wickets
Man of the Match: T. Mamesh (Cricket Web Green)