1st Grade vs Hawkesbury - Round 9 - 2011/12

After a disappointing finish to 2011, the Stags 1st XI were keen to get back into CRICKET! and ambush the Hawks at our home ground. Our preparation going in to this match wasn’t the best, with a couple of average training sessions. James ‘win at all costs’ Packman lost the toss, and the Stags were sent in to bat on a pitch that would favour the bowlers early on. We were playing a 50 over match whilst the rest of the club (except for the Colts) were still in T20 mode.

Cam "Pinger" Eccles launches a ball into the far regions of Chatswood

Greg ‘kit off in summer, singlet in winter’ Lewis and Cam ‘reverse tail’ Eccles got the team off to a solid start, rotating the strike well and dispatching the bad ball to the boundary, with Lewis even pulling out his first pull shot in his cricketing career. Don’t bowl there.

However, with the loss of Lewis, Colley and Evans in relatively quick succession, a partnership was needed to turn the momentum. After grinding out the first hour, Cam started to find his feet at the crease and took to the Hawks bowlers. He was ably supported by Reece ‘I hate woodport’ Bombas at the other end, and together they shared in a crucial 95 run partnership before Bombas opted for a tactical change of bat and smoked the leather off the ball to the keeper for a well compiled 37 runs.

Enter James Packman. At his best, “Jamma” makes batting look easy. After smashing the spin bowlers out of the attack, Jamma started swotting the pace bowlers into the gaps. His innings of 50 runs off 28 balls was short and sweet and allowed us to edge closer to a par score at Cheeeeeyatswood.

James "I'll get a new club helmet soon" Packman notches up 50 in short time

Meanwhile, Cam continued to dominate the bowling at the other end on his way to 100. A real grinder of an innings at the start, but by the end Cam looked very comfortable at the crease, playing each ball on its merits with a clear intent.

When Jamma departed, Elliot Richtor then took hold of the reigns, hitting three consecutive sixes in a quick fire 24 run stand. At the other end, Cam finished on 122 not out off 136 balls. All in all, it was a very mature innings from the Stags, led by Cam Eccles with the other batsmen batting sensibly around him.

The plan with the ball remained the same as always. The bowlers got out of the box early and shortly after the first bend picked up the first wicket with James ‘4 eyes’ Kennedy clean bowling the Hawks opening batsman. At 2 for 10 and then 3 for 49, we were on track for 6 points. However, some undisciplined bowling and plenty of 4 or 5 ball overs allowed the Hawks batsmen to pick off the runs with ease. Before long, Lowe and Decent put on 150 runs together and pushed the score to almost 200.

We desperately needed a wicket to get us back in the match, and this came courtesy of a slower ball from JK that ballooned back for a straightforward catch. JK did his best to make the catch look difficult, however, diving forward and plucking the ball just centimetres off the ground with his right hand.

Iain "Bevo" Beverley takes a big inswinging delivery as it passes the batsmen

At this point, all 11 of us were thinking that this was our chance to really put the pressure on the Hawks, but again some wayward bowling meant that the gap between the runs required and balls remaining started to close. The Hawks eventually passed our total with 4 balls to spare.

Overall, it was a very disappointing match for the Stags, and it was a shame that we couldn’t honour Cam’s century with a win. That said, we take on Blacktown this Saturday and I have full confidence in this young side to bounce back and take home 6 points.

Harry also bowled a heavy ball.

Dan ‘greyhound’ Smith