Charity Round 7
Five-Day Showcase
Batting XI vs Bowling XI
at CW Oval
The Highlights of the Highlights:
Off with a bobble
The game kicked off in the most dramatic fashion. Kyle Wright bowled a juicy half-volley on middle stump, but somehow Pete Young managed to scoop a leading edge low to the right of the bowler. Wright went for it one-handed and juggled it thrice before hanging on.
Pace in d place
Shortly before day one lunch Greg Thomas and Travis Demeza paired up to let loose at the batsmen. Rob Dauth and Chris Butler were made to face up to 95mph at both ends, albeit on several lines and lengths.
Captain Who?
Nick Borcich ended his Cricket Web Black captain's stint at the crease at 3 balls. Dan Smith drove loosely at the second ball he saw from Borcich and was caught well by Mike Wilson in the gully. Borcich gave him a proper sending off, physically ushering him to the edge of the boundary.
A towering boundary
Enjoying his moment at the top of the order, Dave Richards chipped down the track at Rob Dauth and played an almighty slog. The ball disappeared into the sky and two fielders, including Dauth, ran down the ground in search of the catch. The ball eluded them both, bounced twice and crossed the rope for four. Richards raised his bat in celebration of a hundred.
Lucky, lucky
Smith was in the action again as he struck Richards on the pad with a clever slower ball yorker, but the umpire ruled it to be not out. Replays showed it to be plumb. But there was more frustration to come when Young floored the simplest chance of the game, and Richards survived against his captain once more.
Nervous 190s...
James Stedman made up for his first innings failure by taking the biggest wicket of the Bowling XI innings, finding a bottom edge of Richards' bat and then the stumps. But by then Richards had scored 16 fours and 4 sixes, out for 190.
Naughty, naughty
Not one, not two, but three top class batsmen perished to the same shot to start the Batting XI second innings. Mamesh hooked at a Wright bouncer first up and was caught well at backward square leg, then Rob Dauth and Andrew Cloete fell in the same way. Cloete was the most embarrassed though, as his dismissal came against a 77mph delivery from Adam Collins.
Blundering Colts
Pete Young offered two chances in his second innings. One to Kyle Wright on 56 and the other to Greg Thomas on 117. It's hard to tell which was easier and ironically both misses came off Black bowlers - Pickup and Borcich. Young went on to score 153 and keep his team in the game.
What a squeal!
If there was any question as to the importance of Butler's wicket the second time around, Thomas answered it emphatically after his breakthrough. The fast bowler removed his Colts team-mate for a stubborn 108 and broke a partnership of 237 for the fourth wicket. When Corrin clung on to the ball at short extra cover, Thomas let out an ear-shattering squeal, reminiscent of very raw bacon.
"Get In!"
The unmistakable exclamation of Rob Malone jr. after he removed Dave Richards for 0 to start the final innings of the game. It was a huge wicket and he knew it, albeit gained with a rank long hop.
Stedman's Swing
On day five Young tossed the ball to James Stedman when he observed the ball darting about. Stedman used it beautifully, as well as the low bounce, and picked up 3 wickets in his spell, going on to take 5 in the innings.
A glorious ton
Amidst the carnage of the fifth morning Mike Wilson continued his one-man show from the top spot. He raised his hundred from 93 balls and looked on course for much more when he holed out to Mamesh in the deep, providing Smith with his second wicket of the match.
Fetch that one
It was set up perfectly. After Smith failed twice with the bat he arrived at the bowling crease sledging from the hip, particularly at the arrival of fast bowler Nath Patrick. Smith almost bowled him first ball, but he dug out a yorker and scampered a single. Two balls later Patrick deposited a short ball into the stands over midwicket, holding his pose for the cameras and mumbling, "Fetch, boy".
Scorecard
Ball by Ball