Cricket Web 1st Grade XI vs Australians
3D - Warmup Fixture - CW Bar Ground
Scorecard
Ball by Ball
The boys from Grade gave Australia a great run for their money, but by the end of the three-day fixture at CW Bar Ground, the tourists had found some of their best form. It was a typical warmup, in that the Australians looked rusty with their Test specialists getting their first game time of the tour. Phil Jaques laboured for his 1 run and then was run out- the first wicket of the match. Martin West then livened up the morning further by removing Ricky Ponting for a 2-ball duck. A procession of wickets ensued as the middle order came and went after posing promising starts.
At the top of the order Simon Katich was a shining and redeeming light. Through his knock of 106 he hardly put a foot out of place. And though he never dominated the bowling, he paced himself well and chose his moments wisely to accelerate. The Australians were still dismissed for 237, and the offbreaks of Cameron Burge proved effective to the tune of 4-19. In reply the Webbers came out with guns blazing and piled on 75 runs by the end of the 12th over. It was then that Ponting made the inspired change of bowling and summoned Michael Clarke to the crease. He took just 2 balls to impact, bowling Joshua Ritchie for a swift 40. His Black teammate merely stepped on the accelerator and crashed Clarke for two boundaries to reach 50. Again the Australia vice-captain had the last laugh, however, as Burge miscued a big hit and was caught in the deep for 54.
There was no further need for celebration on the day, and the Grade XI ended it nicely placed at 145-2. The following day saw an improved bowling performance by the Australians. But although they applied much more pressure, the pitch was true enough to allow the batsmen to settle in. All of the middle order prospered with starts, though only Dubb-Lynch pushed on to a half-century. Indeed, much of his 59 was spent with the lower order, until McGain snatched 3 wickets before the innings close at 344 all out.
The Australians trailed by 107, but with only 5 sessions left in the day they refused to sound any alarm. Jaques (0) was bowled by Davis to briefly threaten panic, and the Grade XI skipper picked up his opposite number in the final hour. But another Katich half-century helped ease fears. Then on the third morning, it was all Australians. Aside from a simple missed chance by Dubb-Lynch, there was nothing to get excited about for the Webbers. Instead Katich marched on to another hundred and Symonds looked well poised for one of his own. And after lunch, and the dismissal of Katich (124) and Clarke (21), Symonds raised his ton. Shortly after, Ponting declared and left his team 40 overs to bowl at the Grade XI batsmen. In turn the home side needed a tempting 224.
What hopes there were of a dramatic run chase were complicated by a Bollinger brace with the new ball. Burge failed to negotiate his first delivery the second time around, and Ritchie followed, caught at slip for 6. Still Dinu DeSilva arrived in free flowing form. Immediately he found his timing and thrice played scorching drives to dispatch Mitchell Johnson to the cover boundary. James Wilson (25) picked out Bollinger at deep square leg, but Heads looked a good foil to the DeSilva aggression and at the start of the final hour Grade XI required 88 to win with 7 wickets intact. Again Ponting turned to Clarke and again it paid immediate dividends. Heads hit his first ball down the throat of deep midwicket. Katich dropped DeSilva in Clarke's next over, but Johnson immediately made up for the mistake by bowling the right-hander.
With his offstump laid back, DeSilva returned to the pavilion for 86, an innings that cost 87 balls and featured 10 fours and 2 delightful sixes. With him the hopes of victory disappeared and were replaced with fears of defeat. Hutchinson left for 2 and Clarke enticed Dubb-Lynch with a bit of flight, to be caught at mid-on for 7. Only 8 overs remained for the Australians to take the final 3 wickets, and West and Cameron put their heads down as best they could to push to the close. They were likely to do so heading into the final over, which Ponting entrusted to his veteran uncapped spinner, McGain. Fielders crowded around the bat and a big legbreak dealt for West to start the over. The number ten Dunn took guard and then received a similar delivery to be caught at slip. McGain stood on a hat-trick and faced up to Davis with only 4 balls left. He may have only needed one, however, but a hearty appeal denied him a hat-trick and the Australians a victory. Instead, as Davis pushed far forward with head down, they were made to settle for a draw.
Australia 1st Innings 237 all out
Katich 106, Haddin 39, Burge 4-19, West 2-40
CW 1st Grade XI 1st Innings 344 all out
Dubb-Lynch 59, Burge 54, McGain 3-31, Clarke 3-50
Australia 2nd Innings 330 for 4 dec.
Katich 124, Symonds 111*, Davis 2-65, West 1-61
CW 1st Grade XI 2nd Innings 176 for 9
De Silva 86, Wilson 27, Clarke 2-12, McGain 2-18
Match Drawn.
Man of the Match: SM Katich (Australians)