Fourth Grade Through to the Big Dance as Top Grades Bow Out- Weekend Wrap 26th/27th March 2022

Rain affected match 

Semi final for the 2s boys and beautiful Manly Oval. Sutherland made the trek up to play in the final hurdle to the big dance. We were looking to make it 2 grand finals in 2 years.

Skipper Jamieson won the toss and we were bowling. Knowing that there could have been some rain around in the day, our best chance was to know the exact situation if duckworth Lewis came into play. We were off to a flyer with a wicket second ball to Tom Kaye, and a big wicket a couple of overs later to Jamieson.

We bowled fantastically and with constant wickets we managed to bowl Sutherland out for 121. Wickets to Gainsford (3-23), Vumbaca (3-12), 2 to Jamieson and 1 a piece to Seward and Kaye put us in the box seat.

Unfortunately that’s about it for the positives. No one really got going and we were ultimately bundled out for 93. Not the best way to finish the year.

All in all though a fantastic year for the mighty 2s. After being 16th after round 6 we managed to win every game and finish 2nd. Also a great way to back up last years premiership. A huge thank you to skipper Andrew Jamieson for all his work on and off the field, Gordon Currie for scoring week in week out, and of course Will “Sweet Chilly” Harding for being there for the banter and perfect water temperature. Also a big thank you to Roy Vumbaca and all the coaching and administration staff around the club to make each year better and better.

Zach Trewartha

Setting the Tone
Has there ever been a Saturday like this in lower grade cricket? No.
Sydney University, the number two seed, fighting for the league lead heading into the grand final, were beaten by Manly Warringah, number five seed, trying to stay out of the cellar.
Before commencing with a summary of the achievements of the day in question, Manly Warringah’s confident win on Saturday stands for the message: Nobody – nobody – is safe from Manly 4th grade.
The Toss
With our long term, permanent skipper Rocherford out of the country and struggling to get his priorities straight, the dashing Parko has stepped up to the plate to lead this liquorice all sorts of a side.
Winning the toss, Parko made the decision to bowl first on a respectfully trimmed deck. This decision no doubt did raise a few eyebrows, particularly within Sydney University’s side. However, Parko and his men would later to prove that they made the right decision.
Bowling, some rain, and more Bowling
A supreme fast bowling performance from the quicks helped put Manly in a dominant position before heading into bat.  Dinam, Hobson, Kerr and Melville were able to rack up 8 wickets between them all. The boys have been bowling exceptionally well the last couple of weeks, but have not receiving any rewards in the form of wickets.
The Sydney Uni openers showed signs of aggression and positivity, a mental state the Manly bowlers have not come to battle with the last couples of weeks. It could have gone either way, but we all had a little Parko voice banging on our ear drums, “just hang in there boys. Patience. Things will speed up”.
Speed up they did.
From Sydney Uni sitting at 2 -33, in a couple of hours, Sydney Uni were bowled out  for 93.
Important to note, Parko played a humongous role in instigating the start of Sydney Uni collapse, picking up two poles for himself.
The bottom 5 of Sydney Uni scored a total of 7 runs between them .
Batting: Manly vs Sydney Uni Fan Club
Thinking back to our batting performance, it is all a bit of a blur. We had set everything up well, we gave ourselves a great opportunity with the bat. Lucius and Mendel were bouncing off each other in the middle, noodling some runs here and there.
It was quiet. Too quiet.
*Royal Horns*
Sydney Uni cricket cohort arrive. It was pretty clear, their presence was felt. An orchestra of booming voices and appeals on the side line led to one of our famous little 4th grade batting collapses.
A hop, skip and a jump later, we are 5 -54.
It was loud. Too loud.
Enter Cooper and Charles (‘Canadian Club’).  The Canadian Clubs batting display was beyond intoxicating. They showed the maturity and wisdom of the DaLai Lama. The creativity of Picasso. They composed themselves at the crease, located the gaps and pursued them.
No hesitancy, just calculated risk.
Before long, we chased down Sydney Uni score. A nail bitting situation of course, but the experience the boys gained from this is something they will hold onto going into the finals. Cricket always has those tediously tough moments, but you just have to make that conscious effort too solider on. The Canadian Clubs did exactly that.
Great job boys.
Melville Parking Ticket
Melville got a $170.00 parking fine. There are ‘No Parking’ signs for a reason Melville, it’s not a trick question, abide.
Moving Forward
So the semi final went out like a lion. Now here is the the big dance, the grand final. Playing at a neutral location, Hurstville Oval, against Parramatta. Parramatta, number 1 seed, are the bigger fish in this contest, so they should be safe, right? Right?
Jack Hobson