Cricket Web Blue vs Cricket Web Green
at the CWBCC Stadium
Hard-fought cricket to the very end. Cricket Web Blue finished atop the 5D Standings, after completing a tense 16-run victory over Green. The game was full of momentum swings, and ended when Cameron was caught at slip to leave Bryce Cunningham stranded on 79.
Liam Camps won the toss and chose to bat first in good conditions. Fitzsimmons slammed the first Hoy delivery to the cover boundary, but was bowled between bat and pad a ball later. Sean Fuller and Peter Young batted well, but Blue fell for 226, as Weber took 4.
The Greens lost Lezama early, and Patrick bowled superbly throughout, and he, Collins and Fuller shared 9 wickets. Runs from Malone, Garven and Bharat put the match even, before Xavier Rose and Nathan Hoy pushed to a firm advantage for Green. The favourites took a lead of 102 on first innings, and the Blues were in a familiar position of rearguard play.
For two teams who fought tooth an nail all season long, the game was far from over. Fitzsimmons and Young responded with another century opening stand, then Cloete, Fuller and Jellett formed a solid middle order. Garnishing a quality fightback, Collins participated in a partnership of 54 with Camps, and Demeza contributed his second highest score of the season - 367 all out.
A target of 266 and game on. Demeza dismissed Sajith early, and when Malone and Goff were out, it was 67/3. A period of intense play followed, as captain Garven and Lezama looked to be playing Green into command. Garven swung Patrick over midwicket for six, but was run out spectacularly by Cribb a ball later.
When Patrick found Bharat's edge a couple of balls into her innings, the game took new life. The score read 122/5 and it was anyone's game. The talisman of Green cricket, Bryce Cunningham took guard and surveyed the field. He added 63 runs with the ever-solid Lezama, then Collins struck. A mistimed drive caught at midoff, and it was up to the lower order to see the game through.
The target whittled down to 61. Collins skipped in to Weber, and bowled him with a ball that kept low. Staring at the pitch in discontent, Weber slowly walked off. For the second time in the match, a big effort was required from Xavier Rose. Once again, he promised to provide. A glorious cover drive was his only boundary, but he led a partnership of 26 with Cunningham.
Just when things looked to have the way of Green once more, Patrick intervened. With beautiful symmetry, the man who made an emotional return with a 5-for at the start of the season, did it for Blue again. Nath Patrick - the leader of the Blue attack - dismissed Rose and Hoy in quick succession, and 35 runs needed with 3 wickets in hand quickly turned to 29 with 1.
Cunningham smashed 10 off Patrick's following over, but crucially failed to hold the strike, leaving Cameron to face Demeza. In the crowd, the fans finished off whatever fingernails remained, and witnessed Young drop his 4th catch of the innings, flooring Cameron off the 3rd ball of the over. Always one for the dramatic, Demeza needed just one more ball... EDGED... caught by Sean Fuller - the man whose inspirational leadership held the Blues together throughout the season.
Cue Queen.
Cricket Web Blue 1st Innings 226 all out
Cricket Web Green 1st Innings 328 all out
Cricket Web Blue 2nd Innings 367 all out
Cricket Web Green 2nd Innings 249 all out
Cricket Web Blue won by 16 runs.
Man of the Match: SE Fuller
Cricket Web Colts vs Cricket Web Black
at the Bellerive Oval
A dead match between the bottom two teams in the league, but it was not short of milestones. Whilst Alex Blackman fell 2 short of 1000 runs for the season, rookie Jasotharan reached the mark. Malthus-Howell scored a maiden First Class ton, and Mamesh fell just short of the Season 8 scoring title.
At the end of it all, Black won by 175 runs. Though the Colts fought back to restrict Black to 276 from 199/3, then went on to score 242 from 38/4, the second innings saw the effort fall to pieces. Black slumped to 103/6 in their second innings, but Blackman's quality shone through in pressing on to 278 all out.
Set a target of 313, the Colts never got close. The wickets were shared around nicely, and Neil Pickup appropriately sealed the deal with the final two scalps. He first dismissed his opposite number, then trapped Thomas in front with a slider.
Cue the offseason.
Cricket Web Black 1st Innings 276 all out
Cricket Web Colts 1st Innings 242 all out
Cricket Web Black 2nd Innings 278 all out
Cricket Web Colts 2nd Innings 137 all out
Cricket Web Black won by 175 runs.
Men of the Match: AJ Blackman and CP Thompson