CC DESTINY IN OUR HANDS
History beckons our women’s teams as they head into the final round of their respective competitions this weekend.
We hold an invaluable but not impregnable 59-point lead in the women’s club championship – a title we have never won before.
While we have a nice advantage over nearest rival Sydney, it’s far from a fait accompli.
With double points up for grabs in the last round – and Sydney capable of claiming a maximum 88 – we will need good performances across the grades.
It could well come down to first and/or second grade needing to win to claim the valuable piece of silverware.
In another piece of history, firsts are into the finals for the first time.
And after a five-from-five day for our men’s grade teams last Saturday, which could have quite easily been a 1-4 day if not for some tremendous fight, we enjoy a 121-point lead in the club championship with two rounds remaining.
We have never won back-to-back CCs in the men’s and never claimed the men’s and women’s double, but our destiny is now in our own hands.
How good.
THESE GIRLS ARE A SPECIAL BREW
Our women’s 1s have graciously given up use of Manly Oval on Sunday to allow our Manly Brewers Shield girls to take on Parramatta in an elimination 4 v 5 final.
After being soundly beaten a couple of rounds ago in oppressive conditions at Old Kings, the Brewers will relish being seaside again to taking on their old nemesis.
Charlotte Croll, coming off the back of her highest score (71) in the competition, appears to be in superb touch at the top of the order, with hard hitting Daisy Addison the perfect foil.
The middle order is packed full of free-flowing run scorers – Kaya Punter, allrounder and captain Sophie Lowry and Darcy Whitley – with the trio also offering plenty with the ball.
Saoirse Ford’s great form with the ball in recent games has her confidence sky high, while wicket-keeper Eve Burke’s infectious enthusiasm behind the stumps provides the Brewers with plenty of grunt.
Then there’s young gun Anabel Klyme, whose handy low order batting and deadly medium pace inswingers have made her a real X factor.
Fast bowlers Charlotte Allen and Lily Crabbe round off a potent attack.
Rip in girls and best of luck from all of us.
DIGGING DEEP ACROSS THE GRADES
A true indication of a great club is an ability to fight and scratch and get the job done when the odds are stacked against you.
We’ve seen that resilience and will-to-win in spades at Manly over the past few years.
Consistently winning tight games is not luck – it’s something ingrained in all our players.
And there was no greater evidence of that than in our last round clean sweep over Parramatta.
While seconds enjoyed a fairly comfortable win, the other four grades were made to work for the six points.
First grade was only defending 199 but stuck at it to bowl Parra out for 166, delivering a vital win.
It was even tighter in 3s, Manly winning by just 11 runs after defending 191.
Now we get to the ridiculously good.
Both fourth and fifth grade pulled off dramatic one-wicket victories after all seemed lost.
4s were nine down and 12 runs from home when 16-year-old Julian Osbourne joined Ryan Bishop-Perrett at the crease.
For the next half hour, Parra threw everything at the pair (including a few verbals) but could not get the final wicket.
Incredible stuff.
An even more unbelievable story was unfolding in 5s at the same time.
Noah Vumbaca and Will Gustafson spend most Saturdays selflessly helping out as team managers for our third and fourth grade sides respectively.
But with 18 players out across the grades, they suited up for 5s and found themselves in the middle with 28 runs needed and one wicket in hand.
Top-of-the-table Parramatta probably thought it was just a matter of time before they rolled us.
But Noah (27*) and Will (5*) had other ideas, carving out one of the great last wicket partnerships to drag us over the line.
It will be a day neither will forget in a hurry.
