Chef de Groot Trophy: Cricket Web Black vs Cricket Web Blue
at Pickford Reserve
Scorecard
Ball By Ball
Cricket Web Black annihiliated Cricket Web Blue for their eighteenth one-day win in twenty-one attempts this season, securing the Chef de Groot Trophy for the fourth season running. A slow start was to be the Blues' undoing, though the feeling around the ground was that the hosts could have chased 500 without breaking a sweat.
The new ball spell put Blue on the back foot, with Sean Fuller falling in the third over after a short ball from Zac Gelman was dragged on. Camps and de Silva played cautiously, not allowing the Blacks any chances, but struggling to get the run rate above three an over. However, the entry of Peter Young in the 19th over changed things. A struggling Pickup was clattered for 16 runs in the 23rd over, Young had reached 20 off nine balls, and began to drag Blue to a respectable total.
It worked. A barrage of shots, coupled with rarely accurate bowling from Black, kept the run rate around five an over, with Young in particularly belligerent form as he dragged Dan Smith to the boundary for his fifth four and a 37-ball half-century. Camps stuck around for a gritty 79 before forming part of a brace with Alex Crampton, but Stephen Young steadied the ship and Rob Bowen smashed out to ensure a total of 271 for five.
It rapidly became apparent, however, that this was at least fifty runs too little. Demeza and Maina were unthreatening and horribly inaccurate, resulting in a bowling change after eight overs; by then Stedman and Chaulk had added 56, and most people imagined a repeat of Monday's slaughter. There were fours in almost every over, to the delight of the amassed crowd, with James Stedman having hit ten fours by the twentieth over. Ash Chaulk was content with not getting out, taking 64 balls for the half-ton, but the Blue bowlers were still ground into desperation. Midway through the innings, Black had scored 166, required only 106, and with all ten wickets still remaining.
The remainder of the match was a formality. Chaulk revved up with some fine strikes off Camps and Maina, Stedman added nine fours in the last 21 overs, and the final scores of 145 not out and 113 not out surprised no one. Black completed the most dominant one-day season in the history of the game, and could probably have competed well in the World Cup.
Cricket Web Blue 271 for six (50)
P Young 110, Camps 79; M Smith 3/50
Cricket Web Black 275 for nought (41.3)
Stedman 145*, Chaulk 113*
Cricket Web Black won by ten wickets
Man of the Match: J. E. Stedman (Black)