1st Grade Report vs North Sydney - Round 10 |
The lads from the Stags premier side were to resume hostilities after the Xmas break at one of Sydney's finest cricket venues, North Sydney Oval. Reinvigorated after two weeks of relaxation and festive season indulgence, the boys looked fit and raring to go. Julian "Midnight" Stephenson in action against the Bears Cricket is one of the few sports around the world where the result can at times hinge on the toss of the coin prior to the start play. Unfortunately this was scenario that presented itself to the North Sydney and Gordon captains, as the pitch appeared to have also had an extended break over Xmas and New Year. The playing surface was green, soft and cracked, a combination the defies all logic considering that pitch cracking is due to heat and a lack moisture, yet it was soft and green which normally means there is ample moisture. The science boffins would do well to study this freak of nature. Nicholson lost the toss and Gordon was sent into to bat. The entire Stags batting line up fought extremely hard not to give their wickets away, yet despite their intentions, the pitch at times was unplayable. The bounce was inconsistent and the ball seamed and turned at right angles. Nicho's dismissal was probably the best example of the variability as he was out LBW to ball that landed half way down the wicket and then proceeded to strike him on the ankle. Bomber fought hard for 38 before being bowled by a ball that pitched on leg and clipped the top of the off bail. The Stags dismissed for 159 after 66 overs. Early wickets would be they key for the Stags bowlers; however the North Sydney openers rode their luck, surviving the opening spells. Bowling changes were made which saw Rob 'the youth' Edwards claim his maiden 1st grade wicket, whilst 'Midnight' Stephenson worked over the other opener, before he edged a ball and was well caught. At stumps North Sydney were 2 for 55. Day 2 saw the pitch improve slightly which would only further aid the home team. The Gordon attack all bowled good lines and lengths, constantly troubling the North Sydney batsmen. When the 7th wicket fell on 144, the Stags had a sniff, but some lusty hitting from the North Sydney number 9 saw them pass the required total. The remaining wickets were taken fairly quickly, the final score 172. With Beau 'Buzz' Casson finishing with 4 for 57.
It's good to see "Buzz" Casson back on the field The 23 overs turned into a blur, wickets were taken, run outs executed, balls dropped and caught, boundaries hit and sixes smashed. With 2 overs to go, North Sydney required 9 runs with 4 wickets in hand. D-Train (3-21 off 5) bowled the 22nd over and Midnight (2-26 off 8) the 23rd, both doing a fine job in restricting the runs whilst trying to take wickets. The match finished with the score at 8 for 123, both sides having gone within a whisker of an outright victory. But unfortunately the Stags had been defeated on 1st innings. In the match 592 runs had been scored for the loss of 35 wickets. There is little doubt that on a level or maybe a less uneven playing field the Gordon boys would have been victorious. It is one of the few times when a team has lost that they could honestly say they played better cricket than the opposition. Although disappointed with losing, there is so much that can be taken away from the contest. Dylan Connell |
1st Grade vs. North Sydney
With just under 50 overs left in the day and nothing to lose, the Stags set about chasing quick runs, with the aim of setting North Sydney a total to chase. Will 'Jiggy' Smith scoring the only half century of the match with 58 runs off 48 balls. The innings declared closed at 7 for 138. The opposition would require 126 runs to win off 23 overs.
