Cricket Web Black vs Cricket Web Blue
at the SCG
A fantastic battle between Black and Blue at the SCG went right down the wire, as the depth of the Black batting finally shone through. An unbeaten 34-run stand for the 8th wicket ultimately did the job, as the Blacks celebrated 5D victory for the first time this season.
Coming back from a deficit of 157 runs on first innings, Neil Pickup and Callum Thompson empowered their team with the ball to set up a chase of 326 for victory. The effort, in turn, inspired the Black batsmen to stand up and be counted. Chris Butler was huge in gritting through a difficult period, falling just short of a well-deserved hundred.
Simon Jones and David Kearsley contributed well, but when the latter was dismissed, the score was 152/4. Blue still in control, Mike Wilson finally found his form. Playing an innings far more reminiscent of his rookie season than this one, Wilson seized the initiative for Black with attacking strokeplay. An even 100 for the 5th wicket, and the Blacks were right back in the hunt.
It was then that Collins made the game interesting once more. Butler and Wilson were dismissed within 12 runs of each other, and the squeeze was on. When Patrick had Thomspon caught in the gully at 292/7, Blue seemed very much in with a chance, knowing that with one more wicket, they'd be bowling at Broadbent then Pickup.
Alas, the powers that be in this beautiful game deemed it the turn of the Blacks to show the resistance and determination that made them such a force in the past.
Cricket Web Blue 1st Innings 297 all out
Cricket Web Black 1st Innings 140 all out
Cricket Web Blue 2nd Innings 168 all out
Cricket Web Black 2nd Innings 326 for 7
Cricket Web Black won by 3 wkts.
Man of the Match: C.P. Thompson