By popular demand...September 14
Cricket Web Red v Cricket Web Green
at CW Oval
Scorecard
Ball By Ball
Dave Watt's triple-wicket over and a fine new ball spell saw Green crash to defeat after their fine start to the one-day opening, though Red having a low target to bat against certainly helped them pace their innings on the tricky pitch. Don Lezama and Ben Vaughan were the only Green batsmen to emerge with some respectability, having shared a stand of 89 for the fourth wicket before Lezama gave a return catch to Bennett.
Then Watt was reintroduced in the 36th over, having given up 22 with the new ball in his first spell, and the effects were brutal. Rodgie smashed to Bennett at midwicket, Vaughan followed with a limp edge to the same region, before Rose picked out Markus' stomach to go for a golden duck. Green were 136 for seven, and Marc Robbins cleaned up despite Dravid's dogged 16.
Chasing 174, Red took their time. The Markus fireworks were left to an over off Gundry - in the next he was caught by Malone, but Red were already at 85 for one after the fine start built by Bennett and Markus. Kearsley's innings will be remembered for the brutal six he smashed off a Malone no-ball, and his 28 runs were perhaps the finest on offer - yet, Bennett, Markus and Dauth all outscored him. Green's containment efforts were enough to secure a bonus point, though the match was Red from start to finish.
Cricket Web Green 173 all out (46 ovs; Vaughan 51; Watt 3/27, Robbins 3/29)
Cricket Web Red 174 for four (43.4 ovs; Bennett 48; Gundry 2/43)
Cricket Web Red won by six wickets
Points: Red 4, Green 1
Man of the Match: Dave Watt
Cricket Web Colts v Cricket Web Black
at Fardin Qayyumi CC
Scorecard
Ball By Ball
Black did it again. Two days after being bowled out to 16 for six, they slumped to 14 for five against Wright and McKern, and suddenly the slow runs from Towns and Malthus-Howell had built an impossible mountain. Earlier, Neil Pickup was the only bowler to really turn up, though it was Wilson who broke the opening stand of 81: Pickup put in consistent line-and-length bowling and was rewarded with two for 23.
Towns top scored, grinding out 64 with a single boundary, while Pitt, Hancock and McKern provided quick runs off the seamers to close out. Then Black got Wrighted: Blackman, Butler and Law vanished within four deliveries from the Colts captain, and with the scalp of Mike Wilson in his fourth over, Black had lost six wickets from 39 balls.
A recovery seemed impossible, but Colts didn't bowl better than that Black should have managed. Unfortunately, suicidal shots and a dodgy lbw shout against James Stedman left them with no wickets in hand and 20 overs to spare, their collapse epitomised by the mindless charge from Pickup to see him stumped as last man out.
Cricket Web Colts 222 for seven (50 ovs; Towns 64; Pickup 2/23, Hoy 2/41)
Cricket Web Black 124 all out (30.1 ovs; Stedman 35; Wright 4/26, McKern 2/33)
Cricket Web Colts won by 98 runs
Points: Colts 5, Black 0
Man of the Match: Kyle Wright