4 Pines Player of the week – Justin Cox
After losing the toss and beng sent in on a wicket that had a bit of grass on it, we found ourselves 2 for not many. Crossy and AB consolidated, however their dismissals either side of lunch and the removal of skipper Cruickshank left us at 5-150 with alot of work to do.
Nappa and Coxy however were up to the task and batted beautifully. They were cautious early in their innings, however once they got their eye’s in never looked like getting out. They were ruthless in their concentration and execution as they took the game away from the Dolphins. Both ended up with centuries (Coxy unbeaten) and pushed our score above the 350 mark. You wouldn’t meet two nicer and respectful guys than these two so there was genuine happiness in the dressing room for their success. Nicko’s closed out the day with some lusty hitting as we ended up on 388.
Wickets came very easily in the first session the next day, with Babs, Bucky and Visser taking two each. A late partnership ensued however the game was never in doubt as AB took the last two wickets to wrap up the win just before tea.
Overall it was a good win and will hopefully lead to a few more before Christmas.
The customary 2nd grade warm game of touch ran its course without a glitch and the top 6 with a bit of a shake-up came out on top as has been the case for a few weeks now – a sign of good things to come. Captain Swebby won the toss and batted on what looked a good deck, and also played well. The batting didn’t really live up to its pedigree on paper, and with very few highlights which came through Pughy managing to 29 (55), Bilal getting 66 (63) and Jordy out for 20 (44) but not kicking on. Ultimately the team slumped to all out for 192 without playing the full quota of overs.
Our bowling started off well with some fiery deliveries from Mickey, taking an early wicket, and also backed up by Taylor to take the second…from there partnerships formed and wickets weren’t as consistent as when we batted, and Easts almost cantered to the win.
All in all the 2nd grade side didn’t play close to it’s potential and lack of runs hurt them, we are hurt and definitely going to come back fighting hard to get back to winning ways.
Bilal3rd Grade – Manly 8/202 (L.Stewart 37,R.Farrell 35, C.Little 31) beat Easts 8/199 (A.Virdi 3/29)
The day begun with sammoe’s spending his weeks’ pay on the morning coffee run (send your receipts to webber mate) and still forgot the shout the author!
Anyway, the boys were greeted with a cracking day at atmosphere park and the game of touch was no different with the scoreboard locked at 2-2, squid spilled the pill on the try line after a terrible ball from sam “benji” alexander and, seizing the opportunity, digits chipped ahead and scored a try after the green light was given from wrighty in the box.
So, after thorough examination of the pitch by no-one, squid had no hesitation in batting first and putting a total on the board. The openers (max and ross) lasted 2 balls before ross missed a straight one and was left to complete 50 laps of the oval with Ronnie, while max and ryan farrell began forming a partnership out in the middle, with the dolphins bowling well. The manly boys gave them nothing, trying to keep wickets in hand but maybe missing out on a few singles as well, something we’ll have to work on for the next few week s. After the ‘hurry up’ was given from genie when maxy called for water and didn’t move from the crease to get it, a run out resulted in the next over with maxy getting done at the bowlers end. Bringing digits to the crease who promptly got dropped on his first ball at slip off the spinner, then tried to lift the tempo a little with Ryan. Faz then pushed a little firmly at one and was caught behind for decent 35. This brought gainsy to join digits and the pair boosted the run rate to around 4 an over and were progressing well until sam belted one to cover for a good 23 which included a massvie bomb into the construction site. Digits got dropped again on the boundary at long on and not long after offered a catch back to bowler from a nothing shot, which he took for 37.
Ash Virdi and squid were batting well together, pushing the run rate further as the tahs searched for something around 200. Ash, as usual, hitting everything out of the middle and needs to continue to back himself hitting over the top while genie passed 5000 career runs for manly needing 13 to knock off this milestone on his way to another 31. Ash fell not long after for 24 and with a total of 159 runs coming from the top 7 including 4 starts of 20 or 30 it shows that someone needed to stand up and make big runs in order to a achieve a bigger target. Special mention to Jimmy Boyer, Ronnie and Sammoes (red ink) for getting us to a defendable total of 202 and to McCallum-Toomey’s mum for keeping him company with the pads on.
After a 45min lunch where we spotted the ‘spectator of the year’ – the umpires missus who came down to watch… whats doing!?! The boys felt refreshed and ready for the challenge in the field. Ash and nick opened up without too much success until genie had a few verbals with the opener and after a nibble back and 45 ‘plays and missus’ on the move, Ash snicked him off for not many and we were away. Despite bowling too many short balls at times and being belted through mid-wicket, the tahs managed to keep them to around 3 an over until drinks where we brought gainsy and Ronnie on to rush through a few overs, and get them under the pump. Gainsy bowling well, getting a few maidens under his belt and then bagging a wicket for his efforts while Ronnie grabbed a stumping (the first of his career?) after great work from ‘9 finger’ rabs behind the stumps. The dolphins then formed a bit of a partnership and looked in control at the second drinks break, Genie not helping things going for career record 14 off the second over after drinks. Sammoes also came on in tandem with Genie and after a few early jitters settled into a rhythm, strung a few unplayable maidens together and picked up a wicket to a great catch from Gainsy at point and then offered a few words of advice to the leaving batsmen. Then enter Ash Virdi, this man turned the game on its head after completing a spectacular run out throwing in from the boundary, off balance, to have the batsmen short by 2 inches and then snaring a c&b the next over. Ross had an equally exceptional run out (according to him) from short third man and then rabs was too quick for the batsmen grabbing another run out from short leg. The dolphins were left reeling needing 9 off the last over with Ronnie given the honours, bowling 3 dot balls which left 6 off the last ball, the batsmen bunting it down the ground for 2 giving us the singing honours and 6 points.
Overall a memorable win and some confidence going into the final rounds before Christmas, with the top order working on converting their starts we hopefully can post a bigger total next week at Bankstown. Go Manly!
Digits
4th Grade – Manly 3/220 (A.Baker 88no, R.Hamman 54, T.Kaye 45no) beat Easts 8/217 (J.Graham 3/42, B.Wilson 2/33)
After two disappointing outcomes over the past two games it was great to see 4th grade demolish the previously undefeated Easts at Trumper Oval. The pitch was a beauty, hard, with an even splash of grass over it. Easts won the toss and batted and Wilson (2/33 off 8) got an early LBW to get us on the way. Playing his first 4th grade, Ben Kittlety (0/37 off 10) impressed with his pace and movement and was unlucky not to snare one. Brad managed to get the threatening looking opener onto the backfoot where he did not have a lot and he managed to mistime a pull to mid on to make it 2/32 from 11 overs.
As happens a lot, a bowling change brought a wicket with Evans (1/25 off 10) getting an LBW. Not too many positive strokes were offered against Evans who bowled accurately, with most runs coming from the edge. Aidan (1/56 from 9) started well but bowled a little bit inconsistently compared to his usual high standards and went for a few more than he would have liked. Sam (0/21 from 3) did not drop it on a penny like the previous week and paid for it. Jacob (3/42 from 10) got an early one, care of a great boundary catch by Wilson (who continues to impress after last week’s side on direct hit) to make it 5/101. Two more to Jacob, who is proving to be a very handy bowler in these circumstances, had Easts reeling at 7/133. To their credit they batted very well in the last 15 overs scoring 1/84 to post a competitive 217.
Jacob (6) and Rowan (54) survived the opening overs before Jacob went slightly across the line to the outswinging dibbly dobbler. Aidan (88no) came in and he and Rowan batted beautifully. Rowan was looking to make it 3 from 3 hundreds this year and then, to everyone’s shock, he popped up a caught and bowled to the off spinner to make it 3/101. Sam Hole looked very positive before a poor LBW decision which involved an edge heard up-wind from 70 metres away but apparently not down-wind from 22 metres. Bad luck Sam.
Tom Kaye (45no) joined Aidan. Aidan is nailing everything and quite possibly was getting bored by it. To liven things up he had a quick slanging match and after this is was obvious he was not going to get out, showing no frustration during a period of little strike, content to take the singles on offer. Tom started slowly but was soon into gear, hitting some great shots down the ground, but especially pleasing to the eye were his late, powerfully hit, square cuts. Aidan was picking the runs off with an array of lovely strokes and these two blokes got us home easily in the 43rd over, offering no chances.
Well done boys, let’s start again this week at training and do it again next week v Bankstown.
Wazza
Things started smoothly with Maso and Billy ticking over the scoreboard as well as punishing the bad balls for four. Maso got bowled by a good one and Hamish was looking good until he was unfairly given out after an opposition fielder was playing the backyard cricket rule of “one hand, one bounce”. The middle order kept the score moving along with everyone chipping in and making starts, including Billy, who constructed a well made 62. Chasing runs in the final few overs to push the score over 200, Zac arrived to the crease and blasted 3 consecutive sixes in a quick-fire cameo of 38, giving the team a score of 227 all out in the 50th over.
Zac and Tom Nickoll opened the bowling, with Zac taking an early wicket through a good catch in the slips by Maso. The two bowled excellent areas that strangled their top order. Falcs and Tom Kelly took over from the openers and bowled together in a superb partnership bowling from each ends, with Falcs taking two quick wickets. Tom Nickoll came back and grabbed 2 along with Will picking up one and Zac another. Hamish came on at the end and took two quick wickets, bowling out the Easts for 182. Another good win for the boys.
Go Manly
Falcs
