Welcome to another edition of the Weekend Wrap, proudly brought to you by our friends at New Balance | Belgravia Apparel. Visit them at www.belgraviaapparel.com for all your community club and business apparel needs.
Saturday fixtures
Men’s 1st Grade:
Tahs skipper Foster won the toss at Manly Oval & elected to bat first as Brewster & Beadle made another positive start. O.Davies (45 off 29) was on song early with some typically brutal hitting, while the skipper himself (30) also made a strong start. But it was the composure & class of Joseph (100no) that formed the backbone of the Tahs innings with a superb unbeaten hundred at nearly a run a ball. 60+ run partnerships with Foster & N.Hole, combined with important lower order contributions from M.Kapoor & Dhillon, as Joseph brought up his hundred in the final over to propel the Tahs to 7/289. With the ball, Evans struck twice early, before a couple of strong partnerships had the Hawks in the game at 2/78 & 3/128. But the Tahs clawed back control through the middle as wickets to Foster, Davies & Kapoor steadied things. Before Dhillon continued his strong form finishing with 4fa as the Tahs restricted Hawkesbury to all out 205 in reply.
Men’s 2nd Grade:
A long trip to Bensons Lane was in order for M2s, as skipper Trewartha won the toss & elected to bowl. The Hawks made a steady start to be 30 without loss before Kaye picked up the opening breakthrough. Wickets to Lawson, Searle & Vumbaca falling in regularity shortly after to have the home side 4/99. A decent 5th wicket partnership made the Tahs work, but when Cooper broke that stand, the remaining wickets fell at regular intervals. Vumbaca with another while Lawson finished with 3fa to restrict Hawkesbury to 9/198. The chase started shakily with the loss of an early wicket, but the experience of the skipper (33) & Daly (24) steadied the ship to have the Tahs in a good position. A couple of quick wickets shifted the momentum, with O’Sullivan (26*) & Vumbaca (23*) tasked with rebuilding. The two did so superbly, sticking with the DLS required rate as a storm rolled in. Lightning & rain striking with the Tahs just a few runs ahead, but that was enough for an important bounce back victory!
Men’s 3rd Grade:
Back home at Grahams, the Tahs were batting first after skipper Webber won the toss. The loss of an early wicket consolidated by Melchiore (44) & Coyte (46) who both batted with good intent, combining for a 74 run partnership to have the Tahs in a strong position at 1/100. Middle order starts from the skipper (18) & Dinan (24) had built a solid platform at 4/161, but a collapse ensued as the Tahs slumped to 8/172 quickly. But a superb lower order effort from Pryke (37* off 30) lifted the score beyond 200, crucial partnerships with Walker & Wigney propelling the Tahs to 220. With the ball, the Tahs were pretty much clinical as Walker tore through the Hawks top order in a proper spell of fast bowling at the stumps. The relentlessness continued as Pryke, Wigney, Kerr & Cumming chipped in with wickets, but it was Walker’s day making it two 5fas in as many weeks for the big quick. Hawks all out 89, BP win for the Tahs.
Men’s 4th Grade:
Unfortunately the M4s boys had to make the trek out to Bensons Lane, just for the match to have been abandoned due to a flooded wicket. Frustrating morning.
Men’s 5th Grade:
Bowling first after losing the toss at Mike Pawley Oval, an Overhoff run out commenced the Tahs onslaught after a reasonably steady start from the Hawks. From that point on, wickets fell regularly as Kelley went on the charge with 3fa in quick succession, to go with another run out to Overhoff. The Tahs continued on a roll as H.Matheson & J.Brewster chimed in with 2fa each, before a Matheson run out ended the innings on 77. The run chase was a relatively smooth sailing task as Nasser hit a few boundaries to kick things off, before little contributions across the top order got the Tahs home. Overhoff (22) with a flurry of boundaries before Martin (15*) & Pike (10*) combined for the winning runs for a bonus point seven wicket win in the 18th over.
Sunday fixtures
Women’s 1st Grade:
Final round before Christmas for W1s saw the Tahs travel west to Penrith, who won the toss & elected to bowl. A less than ideal start ensued with both openers dismissed cheaply, but K.Punter (26) & Cambridge (45) steadied the ship with a patient partnership against some disciplined bowling. Providing the backbone to the Tahs innings before a middle order collapse saw the run rate slow considerably as new batters found it tough to start their innings’. Crucial contributions late from Crawford & Whiteley proving ever critical as the Tahs posted 9/128 from 50. Penrith began their run chase strongly to be in cruise control at 0/45, but that’s where Sharma turned the game on its head with 3fa in quick succession in an excellent spell. Wickets from then on falling just at the right times, as Punter picked up 2fa along with a crucial run out. Before L.Hughes, Mehta & skipper McLerie closed out the game cleverly to help the Tahs to a much needed 22 run win.
Brewer Shield:
Sunday morning at Birchgrove had Brewers take the field first in their T20 against Sydney, as the Tahs were asked to bat first after losing the toss. After a relatively subdued start & an early wicket, Brown (46no) continued her superb form of late with another measured innings that set a strong foundation for the Tahs. Brown’s role as the anchor finding valuable support from Pike (34 off 27) who shifted the momentum of the innings with some brilliant boundary hitting.
Helping push the Tahs total to a competitive 2/112 from 20. Sydney began well in the chase with a 53 run opening stand, but the run rate remained in check meaning the game was always destined for a close finish. Pallister with the opening breakthrough in an economical spell, before wickets to Jayakody took the game to the final over. Unfortunately, Sydney were too good late, winning by six wickets with just a ball to spare.
Women’s 2nd Grade:
The 2nd fixture of Sunday’s double header at Birchgrove saw W2s sent into bat first after losing the toss. And it’s fair to say it was a forgettable start to the innings as Sydney executed their new ball bowling superbly, culminating in a Tahs top order collapse to have the score 5/33 in the 12th. That’s where the Tahs kicked into fightback mode as Addison (20 off 14) helped shift the momentum with some clean hitting, while S.Hughes (31 off 29) compiled a clever innings at the other end to resurrect the Tahs. Late boundaries from Allen (16*) helping the Tahs post 8/100 with the final ball of the innings. A run out to S.Ford started the bowling innings perfectly, before Sydney clawed back the ascendancy with a decent partnership. That was until 3fa from Jayakody & 2fa from Terrey completely swung the momentum, as the two spinners worked well in tandem to build pressure, to go with a brilliant direct hit run out to Allen. Last over arrived with 12 to defend, as young gun & 2s debutant Brown stepped up under pressure & delivered. Two wickets in the final over to secure a memorable 7 run victory.
Poidevin Gray Shield:
Manly Oval hosted PGs on Sunday as Tahs skipper Boulton won the toss & elected to bat on a good batting track. The loss of an early wicket quickly in the rear view mirror as Karlsson-Lacy (129) & Joseph (52) steadied the ship patiently. The latter constructing a solid century while the former built into his innings carefully, before launching in the latter overs. At 3/147 after 39, the Tahs had a good platform but needed to capitalise, and did that to a tea, Karlsson-Lacy with some of the cleanest hitting as he brought up the Tahs first PGs hundred in over 8 seasons. On his way to 129 in a brutal back half of the innings. Finding great support in R.Kapoor (49) who helped propel the Tahs to a strong 8/276 with a late cameo from Cooper (10no). A superb bowling & fielding effort followed, as Lawson took Blacktown’s big wicket, followed by another soon after. Wickets tumbled quickly from then on, spinners Dhillon & M.Kapoor dominant again with 4fa & 3fa respectively, to go with a Boulton run out as the Tahs romped to a 172 run bonus point win.
Upcoming fixtures
Final weekend of cricket before the Christmas break, as the Men take on Gordon in one-day fixtures, with M1s, M3s & M5s on the road. PGs have a massive last round clash against Mosman with big finals ramifications. Meanwhile, Brewers & W2s are the only two Women’s teams on the park this week, as they host Bankstown in a T20 double header at Manly Oval.
Until then, up the Tahs!
